Arkansas has received 1,000 complaints about businesses violating COVID-19 guidelines

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday said there were 1,000 pending complaints to the Arkansas Department of Health about businesses not in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.

The Alcohol Beverage Control Board spent the weekend writing warnings and citations for businesses in violation of health guidelines, Hutchinson said in a news conference. But he said discussions with management could resolve most of the compliance issues.

“Someone will wear a mask going into a restaurant, and then they will take it off and drift and go table to table, and the management doesn’t do anything about that, and that is a violation,” Hutchinson said.

Health officials said during the news conference that they have worked through a significant number of complaints already.

The state shut down Brewski's, a popular bar in downtown Little Rock, earlier this month after tracing a cluster of infections to the business and learning that the business hadn't been following state health rules.

Arkansas reported 794 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Six more people were hospitalized for the virus and eight more people had died.

More than 6,000 people were tested for the virus on Monday,breaking the state’s daily record for tests. Soon, the state will double its testing capacity with new machinery, Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith said.

“We get concerned that we may be missing cases in the community any time our positivity rate exceeds 10 percent,” Smith said. “It’s an indicator that we need more testing.”

State delegates have written a letter to Vice President Mike Pence asking for more federal support to further increase testing. Over 75,000 Arkansans have been tested for the virus this month. The state’s testing goal for the month is 200,000.

Officials said there is a downward trend in northwest and central Arkansas, where the bulk of cases have been reported. Smith said he is still concerned about the central region, particularly Pulaski County, where 111 new cases were reported Tuesday.

Hutchinson responded to a POLITICO article about a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that points out “government failures to protect vulnerable communities of color” and “inconsistent messaging by authorities” in Arkansas. The governor said the article was misleading but it was important to hear the concerns of citizens.

Smith said the state’s message has been consistent—wear masks and social distance.