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For most of us COVID-19 has been something unlike anything we have
ever seen in our lifetime. Many of the simple things we take for granted
have been cancelled, altered and changed forever. Much like 9/11 lead
to security changes in our travel hubs I believe COVId-19 will lead to
changes in the way we do business, at least in some part. It certainly
has changed things for the time being. Here are a few of the issues
and areas we'd like to address.
On June 29th Washington County reached its peak number of active cases at 1,180. The following week on July 6th it had fallen to 1,167 and just a week later it plummeted to 734. As of Friday the 24th we have 617 active cases in Washington County. Which represents a 48% decline in active cases in just 25 days. These numbers really do not reflect the results of the mask mandate which went into effect on July 20th. Stay tuned to see the results of that requirement in the coming week or two.
The House of Representative passed the HEROES Act over 2 months ago and this week the Senate is taking up the issue racing toward their August 7th recess deadline. Many Americans have been taking advantage of the $600 supplemental unemployment benefit, which is set to expire at the end of July. The second round of stimulus is said to include checks of $1,200 for each member of qualifying households, which differs from the first round which only gave $500 for each dependent child. The income threshold is still yet to be determined and is the source of much debate. It appears Congress sees it as a dire need to address the issue before the recess.
The Springdale School District has rolled out its plans to re-open schools to the children in our community this Fall. Dr. Jared Cleveland, the district's new Superintendent, has been tested from Day 1 in this alternate learning environment we are facing. Springdale will offer On-Site, Blended and Virtual Learning models for students this upcoming school year. On-Site is pretty self explanatory. Blended will involve a mix of remote (at home) and on-site instruction. Virtual will take place through the Don Tyson School of Innovation Virtual Innovation Academy and will be exclusively at home. Parents must communicate their choice for their child by July 31st.
The start of school has been delayed two weeks and instruction will now begin on August 24th. Students and staff grades PK-12 will be required to wear face coverings during the school day when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained. At this time open houses, assemblies and concerts will occur in a virtual setting. Small in-person gatherings must comply with the most current ADH guidance. We have yet to receive guidance from the Arkansas Activities Association on how sporting events will be handled.
I hope this update helps bring you up to speed on three things that pertain to most, if not all, of our lives. Please continue to practice social distancing and follow guilines and mandates as best you can so we can move beyond this virus and get back to our normal lives. Have a great weekend.
On June 29th Washington County reached its peak number of active cases at 1,180. The following week on July 6th it had fallen to 1,167 and just a week later it plummeted to 734. As of Friday the 24th we have 617 active cases in Washington County. Which represents a 48% decline in active cases in just 25 days. These numbers really do not reflect the results of the mask mandate which went into effect on July 20th. Stay tuned to see the results of that requirement in the coming week or two.
The House of Representative passed the HEROES Act over 2 months ago and this week the Senate is taking up the issue racing toward their August 7th recess deadline. Many Americans have been taking advantage of the $600 supplemental unemployment benefit, which is set to expire at the end of July. The second round of stimulus is said to include checks of $1,200 for each member of qualifying households, which differs from the first round which only gave $500 for each dependent child. The income threshold is still yet to be determined and is the source of much debate. It appears Congress sees it as a dire need to address the issue before the recess.
The Springdale School District has rolled out its plans to re-open schools to the children in our community this Fall. Dr. Jared Cleveland, the district's new Superintendent, has been tested from Day 1 in this alternate learning environment we are facing. Springdale will offer On-Site, Blended and Virtual Learning models for students this upcoming school year. On-Site is pretty self explanatory. Blended will involve a mix of remote (at home) and on-site instruction. Virtual will take place through the Don Tyson School of Innovation Virtual Innovation Academy and will be exclusively at home. Parents must communicate their choice for their child by July 31st.
The start of school has been delayed two weeks and instruction will now begin on August 24th. Students and staff grades PK-12 will be required to wear face coverings during the school day when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained. At this time open houses, assemblies and concerts will occur in a virtual setting. Small in-person gatherings must comply with the most current ADH guidance. We have yet to receive guidance from the Arkansas Activities Association on how sporting events will be handled.
I hope this update helps bring you up to speed on three things that pertain to most, if not all, of our lives. Please continue to practice social distancing and follow guilines and mandates as best you can so we can move beyond this virus and get back to our normal lives. Have a great weekend.
Coronavirus: Where We Are, Active Case Numbers, 2nd
Stimulus Checks and School Openings