KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics

With a record daily rise in COVID-19 cases and a record for active cases, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday he is activating an additional 50 National Guard members to help with testing and is encouraging school administrators to consider requiring mask use.

The governor also said in his weekly press briefing that the state’s health system is “facing a new set of challenges” because of the higher rate of transmissibility with the Omicron variant. The rise in cases not only reduces hospital bed capacity but in some cases creates staffing challenges with rising infection among health care workers.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) on Tuesday reported a record 6,562 new COVID cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 581,134. Active cases rose by 5,118 to a record 32,280.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-04/arkansas-covid-cases-set-new-records