As schools prepare to reopen, Gov. Asa Hutchinson says countering the Corona Virus, delta variant will be the top priority, but mask mandates will not be the tool used.

Since the begining of the pandemic about 1/8th of Arkansas had been infected, and about 1/500th have died to date.

Despite this, Arkansas schools are set to re-open for in class learning this Fall with a contingency to return to online should it become necessary. Gov. Hutchinson states that the pandemic has served as a harmful disruption to students resulting in mental-health problems, isolation, and a growing gap in learning.

Hutchinson believes that Arkansas is a state where mask mandates and vaccination mandates are going to be impossible to enforce, especially in schools. Understanding this, Arkansas will be doing what it can to ramp up vaccination rates, improve ventilation in schools, and implementing layered public health measures. Schools will be doing everything they can short of mask and vaccine mandates.

See the full article from Arkansas Democrat Gazette here.