COVID-19 in Arkansas
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people around the world, including Arkansans. ACHI will provide updates and insights on this evolving public health crisis.
Last Updated: January 15, 2021
COVID-19: A Local View
The data in these tables and maps are provided to help inform local decision makers, including policymakers, school personnel and parents, about the impact of COVID-19 in their communities.
What Cities and Towns Should Know During the COVID-19 Pandemic
ACHI and the Arkansas Municipal League hosted a video call on January 7, 2021 to discuss what cities, towns, and other state municipalities should know about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immunology 101 – COVID-19
ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson gives a brief summary of what we know and don’t know about COVID-19 immunity.

This animation features maps of new known COVID-19 infections for Arkansas school districts each week since August 31, revealing changes over time. A new known infection is defined as a positive test during the measurement period of the previous 14 days. Known infections include confirmed and probable cases among community residents.
As the pandemic continues to unfold, it is important to understand its impact on mortality, or death, rates in the U.S. One way of evaluating this is to estimate the number of excess deaths that have taken place since the beginning of the pandemic.
In a recent installment of our blog series explaining key terms and phrases used by public health officials in discussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we take a closer look at the term “excess deaths.”
Simply defined, excess deaths are the difference between the observed number of deaths during a specific time frame and expected number of deaths during the same period. ACHI has included excess death data resources below, including an interactive dashboard of excess deaths associated with COVID-19 developed by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We also have included a dashboard of daily deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic by state, developed by the Health Care Cost Institute.

Data as of Jan. 15, 2021


COVID-19 in Arkansas: A Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 8‒Jan. 14, 2021
The Trump administration announced major changes to its vaccine distribution plan this week. Read More.
Trump Administration Announces Vaccine Distribution Changes After States, Including Arkansas, Report Lags
The Trump administration announced major changes to its vaccine distribution plan this week. Read More.
COVID-19 in Arkansas: A Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 1‒Jan. 7, 2021
This week, the Arkansas Department of Health began reporting COVID-19 vaccination data. Read more.



CDC Case Studies
Defining COVID-19 Terms
We have launched a series of blog posts explaining key terms and phrases used by public health officials in discussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Test Sensitivity
In medical testing, sensitivity measures how often a test generates a positive result for people who actually have a certain condition. Read more.
Ventilator
Mechanical ventilators are machines that help to move air in and out of the lungs of patients with severe lung issues. Read More
Asymptomatic Transmission
In relation to COVID-19, an individual who is asymptomatic is infected with the new strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 but does not show symptoms of the disease for the duration of the infection. Read More



Helpful Links and Numbers
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is tracking statewide cases, and more information can be found here, and en espanol.
The CDC posts regular online updates with latest guidelines and information on COVID-19.
ADH: During normal business hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), urgent and non-urgent calls, please dial 1-800-803-7847 or email ADH.CoronaVirus@arkansas.gov. After normal business hours and weekend calls, needing immediate response, please call 1-800-554-5738.
UAMS: Click here for screening information, including drive-thru screenings and phone screenings. Their COVID-19 Hotline is 1-800-632-4502.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH): For children younger than 18 years old, call 1-800-743-3616. Nursing staff will be available for questions and phone screenings 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click here for more information from ACH.