LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas' governor is warning the state faces “difficult" decisions if the state's hospitals run out of space because of a surge in coronavirus cases.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday repeated his resistance to additional restrictions on businesses, despite the state hitting a record number of hospitalizations and growth in cases this week.
The Republican governor said those difficult decisions could be triggered if the state doesn't have any hospital space.
Hutchinson made the comments in a discussion with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and the Arkansas Municipal League broadcast live on Facebook.
“You have loved ones in your home you are celebrating the event and then a week later you start hearing loved ones getting the illness."
That's what officials at the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement describe as the worst-case scenario following Thanksgiving.
Dr. Joe Thompson, President of the ACHI, says the spike in cases after Halloween was alarming. Now with another holiday two weeks away, if Arkansans don't take precautions, the repercussions could be damaging.
“Our hospitals and our schools are at risk if we don’t come up with and be more compliant with what we know works we will be pushed into a situation where we have to consider more negative social and economic restrictions that we do not want to reconsider,” Dr. Thompson said.
Gov. Hutchinson says if Arkansans don't take more precautions, tightening up restrictions is not something that's off the table.
“In terms of an economic pause, it's not what we want, I don’t expect that to happen but whenever you are dealing with this virus options on the table and not foreclose anything,” Hutchinson said.
The ACHI suggests making a plan with family on how to reduce COVID-19 at your Thanksgiving get together ahead of time. Try to eliminate unnecessary exposure now to prepare.
It also suggests that prior to traveling or meeting with family, try to take a PCR test.
RELATED: 4-to-6 week lockdown, financial help could get COVID-19 controlled, Biden task force member says