Arkansas coronavirus death toll continues to rise to 25

The death toll in Arkansas increased to 25 on Saturday as the state continues in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. One additional death was recorded as of Saturday, and 1,228 people in Arkansas have tested positive for COVID-19, according to figures from the Arkansas Department of Health. Almost 350 people have recovered.

The health department on Friday told the state’s only surgical abortion clinic to stop performing the procedure during the coronavirus pandemic except to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman. The agency told the Little Rock Family Planning Services clinic in a letter that it had violated an order preventing elective surgeries during the public health crisis. The April 3 directive orders health providers to reschedule procedures that can be safely postponed.

Before Friday, the agency stopped short of saying whether its order banned abortions. Other states, including neighboring Texas and Oklahoma, have moved to ban or restrict the procedure.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.