Baxter Regional Medical Center announced Friday afternoon that it was restricting visitor access to the Cline Emergency Room due to the rapid rise in local COVID-19 cases, which have tripled since Monday.Baxter Regional President and CEO Ron Peterson says the ER will remain open, but visitors will not be allowed.
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Hospital officials said no other visitation restrictions are in effect at the moment, but visitors will still be screened for fever and be required to wear a face mask.
According to the Arkansas Health Department, Baxter County currently has 110 active COVID cases. That number includes 38 confirmed cases and 72 probables. The state had reported 34 COVID cases for the county just a few days earlier.
Peterson talks about the sharp spike in the area’s COVID cases.
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As of Friday afternoon, 10 patients were hospitalized at BRMC with COVID-19, with three of those patients being admitted that day. Eight patients were in Acute Care while two others were in Intensive Care.
Statewide, The Department of Health reported 383 new infections on Thursday, with 282 of those patients hospitalized. A total of 2,850 active COVID-19 cases have been reported statewide, with 1,850 confirmed cases and another 1,000 probable cases.
In a tweet Thursday afternoon, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the increase in COVID cases statewide was due to a lack of vaccinations and the COVID variants. In Arkansas, roughly one-in-three residents, or 31.65%, are vaccinated against the coronavirus, and an additional 4.79% of the population are partially immunized.
Stephanie Free, Baxter Regional’s infection prevention specialist, said most of the cases at the hospital involved the patient not being vaccinated against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
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Baxter Regional is offering the Pfizer vaccine at its Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Clinic. The clinic, located at 628 Hospital Drive in Mountain Home, is open Monday-Thursday 8-5 and Friday from 8-noon. Those wishing to be vaccinated should call the clinic at (870) 508-7450 and schedule an appointment.
Peterson said Baxter Regional encourages everyone to be vaccinated.
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For more information on the vaccine or for regular updates on COVID-19, visit baxterregional.org/coronavirus.
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