Current cancellations in Arkansas due to COVID-19

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - The coronavirus is forcing multiple events, businesses, and schools in Arkansas and Region 8 to cancel or postpone.

The Arkansas Department of Health is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 daily.

See the latest press conference:

Governor Asa Hutchinson, state health, and state economic officials are giving an update on COVID-19 in Arkansas.
Posted by Region 8 News on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston on Thursday also ordered the closure of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock effective Friday, March 13.

Only authorized personnel will be permitted to enter the building for work purposes, while updates will be provided to residents, Thurston said in a news release.

The list below is the latest cancellations, postponements:

Public access to the facility at NEA Baptist restricted to the Main Hospital Entrance, Main Clinic Entrance and Emergency Department. Also, no visitors under 15 allowed, and only 2 visitors are allowed per patient.
St. Bernards Medical hospital limits the number of publicly-available entrances to three, allowing a maximum number of 2 patient visitors at a time.
AMMC in Paragould changes their hours and entrances. The hospital will not be accepting visitors into the medical center starting at noon March 23. There will be some exceptions for the visitor policy, including pediatric patients (17 and younger), childbirth, critical patients, end of life care and other rare situations. If a visitor is approved, they must be screened and wear a mask at all times.

Jails limiting visitors:
City hall and police stations limiting public access to buildings:

A-State transitions to all-online classes
Arkansas State University has directed most academic buildings close and that access to them be restricted only to essential personnel until further notice. All public spaces in the Reng Student Union are closed and entry into the Union is restricted to students and employees who are picking up food in the area outside the Acansa Dining Hall, at Starbucks or purchasing items at the Campus Store. Starting April 6, most floors of the Dean B. Ellis Library will be restricted to only essential personnel who work in the library and students who use the Ellis Library computer lab on the second floor. Also, starting April 6 until further notice, all essential personnel who will be reporting to campus and students who are on campus will be asked to participate in the daily online health screening questionnaire.
Arkansas State University released a series of closings and cancellations.
Arkansas Northeastern College & campus will be closed through March 29. Online classes will continue as scheduled.
Lyon College in Batesville will not allow any visitors on campus until further notice. Vendors allowed by appointment only, mail by drop-off only.
Black River Technical College classes including nursing, allied health and technical classes will be offered solely online through April 17 with the intention of returning to traditional on-campus instruction April 20. College officials will be continually evaluating the plan and it will be adjusted if necessary.
For the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, the course delivery for BRTC will remain online. Also, Summer I classes will be held only through online delivery while BRTC campuses will remain closed to the public. Potential changes to the May commencement at BRTC will be announced at a later date, while Summer II and fall class delivery will be address as more information becomes available.
The University of Arkansas to go to all online classes
The Batesville School District Special Election for April 14 has been postponed until a future date.
All schools in Arkansas will be closed starting Tuesday through April 17.
Greene County Tech School District announced April 2 that all GCT seniors that have passed classes and passed the third nine weeks officially done with school work. Any student who is not passing the 3rd 9 weeks or behind on credits will be contacted by their teacher, counselor or administrator to communicate a plan to bring the grade to passing or to make up a credit.
Arkansas Boys State has been cancelled.
Black River Technical College will be postponing its Spring 2020 commencement ceremonies until August. The actual ceremony date will be announced at a later time.
The Create@State Symposium will be held online and livestreamed April 20-22 at 12:30 p.m. each day.
The latest school closings

Malco Theaters closes all theaters, including drive-in, temporarily
Paragould Cinema 8 closes temporarily
Hijinx in Jonesboro closing for 7 days.
Ultimate Air Trampoline Park in Jonesboro is closing temporarily.
10 Fitness closes; to reopen April 1
Walmart stores in Region 8 and nationwide change their hours of operation
All senior and community centers in Jonesboro/Craighead County
Pocahontas Community Center, Pocahontas Sports Complex and Pocahontas Aquatic Center closed until March 30.
Paragould Public Works office on Airport Road closed to the public, while services will operate normally; all parks and recreation buildings are closed including the Community Center, and all fire stations are closed to the public.
The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library is closed to the public.
All East Central Arkansas Libraries (including all public libraries in Cross and Woodruff Counties) closed through March 29.
The Arkansas Division of Workforce will be closed to the public.
Senator Tom Cotton closes D.C. office
Jonesboro DAV transport to Memphis VA is closed until April 14. Little Rock VA unaffected at this time.
First United Methodist Church Jonesboro moving to online-only format starting Sunday, March 22. All midweek activities have been canceled.
Entergy Arkansas announced they would be temporarily suspending customer disconnects for the next 30 days. May extend the time period if necessary.
Brickhouse Grill has opened Brickhouse Bodega, a community market/convenience store within its current location to help residents in downtown Jonesboro with food options.
Abilities Unlimited will be closing its Day Programs in Jonesboro, Paragould, and Blytheville effective at the close of business March 20 for two weeks. They will also close their retail stores in Paragould and Jonesboro as of March 20 and will cease donation collection for two weeks.
Delta Dental of Arkansas will be providing help to local dentists and non-profits during the COVID-19 outbreak, including zero interest loans to dental practices in their network as well as $500,000 to Arkansas non-profits that are helping provide assistance or services to address immediate needs resulting from COVID-19.
The Jonesboro city parks will be open for trail use only, while other facilities including playgrounds, pavilions and remainder of the city’s 20 parks, will be closed as city officials work to control the spread of COVID-19.
Arkansas State Parks will be open for “Day Use” operations only, effective at 8 a.m. April 3.
All recreational equipment, fenced or unfenced, on the grounds of Trumann City Parks, Trumann Public School grounds within the city limits of Trumann are closed until further notice.
Kroger stores in West Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Paducah and Murray, Kentucky and Poplar Bluff, Mo. will be adjusting their store hours effective Monday.
Walmart will be limiting customers at stores to reduce the risk of coronavirus, starting April 4. The company’s employees will admit customers one by one by counting to enforce the restriction. Once the store reaches capacity, customers will be allowed in a “one-in-one-out” basis.
Post Consumer Brands will be helping its employees with a $2 million special cash bonus program for all full-time and temporary employees at its 11 U.S. and Canadian plants and distribution centers, including the one in Jonesboro. The plan will allow all full-time plant and distribution center employees to receive $300 a month in April and May, while qualified temporary employees will receive $150 a month. The company will also be donating money to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas. The program is to thank employees for their around the clock work during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Gamestop at The Mall at Turtle Creek will be closed until further notice.
The Mall at Turtle Creek is temporarily closed. Essential stores and restaurants with exterior-facing entrances remain open to service your needs.
The Jonesboro City Parks and Recreation Department is closing more exercise equipment, picnic tables and restrooms in the city.

Lawrence Co. District Court cases that were scheduled for March 13 have been continued until May 13
Harrisburg District Court office closed to the public, however, you may still contact myfinepayment.com or call 1-877-591-8768 to make a payment.scheduled for March 24 postponed until May 19
Trumann District Court scheduled for March 16 postponed until May 18. Plea dates April 6 or 20.
Craighead County District Court:
Craighead County Circuit Court
In Clay County:
Sharp Co. Courthouse closed to the public. All business can be done by phone, email, or online.
Jackson Co. Courthouse closed to the public.
Clay County Courthouses in Piggott and Corning will be closed to the general public, effective March 23.
The Poinsett County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex are under restricted access. Signs will be posted on the doors with the county office phone numbers telling people to call the office they need. Offices will be meeting with the public by appointment only and only one person will be authorized to enter at a time.
Tyronza City Hall to close lobby to the public.
The Jonesboro City Council meeting April 7 will be held. The council chambers will not be open to the public, but the meeting can be accessed by Legistar Live Video, the city of Jonesboro Facebook Live stream or Suddenlink Cable Channel 24. Information, comments and questions may be dropped off before 3 p.m. April 7 at the east door of the Municipal Building on South Church, email CouncilComments@jonesboro.org, Facebook Live comment or by phone at 870-336-7248.
All criminal jury trials and grand juries for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas are postponed until after April 30, 2020.