Dear Friends, Ensuring that Arkansans and Americans have access to COVID-19 testing when appropriate, as well as developing new treatments for COVID-19 is a priority for federal, state, and local officials. In the past several days, there have been many important steps towards this goal that I would like to share with you.  The President to Use Emergency Powers to Increase COVID-19 Test Production The president has stated that his administration is set to use the Defense Production Act for the first time in the COVID-19 pandemic to procure about 60,000 coronavirus test kits, to supplement the kits that have currently been produced, or are in production. This new action will bolster our ability to ensure that there are enough tests across the country to meet the demand of laboratories as testing increases.  To learn more, click HERE.  Rapid-Results Tests Approved by FDA The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working to cut red tape and allow more rapid-result tests to become available quickly. On February 4th, the FDA enacted its Emergency Use Authorizations for Medical Devices, which allows medical devices such as testing kits to be approved much more rapidly than the normal process. Just today, the FDA approved another COVID-19 test with its Emergency Use Authorization. This test is by Mesa Biotech and returns diagnostic results in 30 minutes. Other tests that have been approved under the FDA's emergency use authorization include Cepheid's Xpert Xpress test, which returns results in 45 minutes, and Roche's Cobas 6800/8800 diagnostic systems, which provide results in three and a half hours. New Treatments for COVID-19 Today, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that its scientists have identified hundreds of virus-neutralizing antibodies that could potentially be used in a combination drug to treat COVID-19.  Scientists around the world have been working non-stop to develop a cure for COVID-19, a preventative such as a vaccine, or effective treatments for symptoms of the disease. Some examples of treatments that have been proposed are anti-arthritic medications that could reduce inflammation in the lungs, antivirals that are already in use for other viruses, and medications that are used to treat malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis which have the potential to disrupt the virus from being able to replicate in human cells. These medications are being utilized on a compassionate-use basis for those who have already contracted COVID-19 and are at risk for a poor outcome.  Every day new ideas and breakthroughs are happening, putting us closer to being able to defeat this pandemic.  UAMS Makes Faster COVID-19 Test Last week I visited the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' (UAMS) COVID-19 drive-through testing facility and spoke with the lead shift doctor and Chair of Pathology, Dr. Jennifer Hunt, about Arkansas’s ongoing efforts to boost testing. Thanks to her and all the doctors' efforts at UAMS, this testing location will soon begin using a faster test for COVID-19. The new test will allow UAMS to process about 700 tests a day, which will boost our entire state’s testing capabilities. While a national scale-up of testing for the new coronavirus has moved at a lumbering pace, the good news is that the science behind such tests is accelerating, says the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' chief pathologist. The FDA Is Working Directly with Labs Across the Country The FDA has been in constant contact with labs around the country to ensure that there are sufficient test kits and that test kits are being used correctly. The FDA's hotline (1-888-INFO-FDA) is available 24 hours a day for labs to call regarding difficulties obtaining supplies for collecting patient samples for COVID-19 testing, including swabs, media needed for transport, and conservation of the samples. The FDA also encourages labs to email CDRH-EUA-Templates@fda.hhs.gov with any questions related to diagnostic development. If you have questions regarding the FDA's efforts to combat COVID-19, you can visit their  COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page HERE, which contains information on vaccines, diagnostic tests, drugs, medical devices, food, and other products FDA regulates. What To Do If You Are Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms Remember, If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please call your primary care physician, the Arkansas Department of Health at 1-800-803-7847, or use the UAMS HealthNow screening tool HERE. Please do NOT go to a testing location, healthcare facility, including your doctor’s office, an urgent care clinic, or the emergency room without calling ahead as this could lead to the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable people who are seeking care for other illnesses.

Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe

Yesterday, governor Hutchinson announced a delay in the state tax filing date for individuals from April 15 to July 15 to match the delay that the president announced for the federal tax filing date. Arkansas businesses will still need to file their taxes by April 15. This move to delay tax-filing will get much-needed resources money into the hands of Arkansans sooner. The governor also announced that the Arkansas state legislature would hold a special session to determine how to resolve the deficit that will result from this delay.  I would encourage anyone who is expecting a refund to file as soon as possible. If you have any questions regarding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or any other federal agency, please contact my office at (501) 324-5941 or visit Hill.House.gov. To watch Governor Hutchinson's press conference regarding the tax filing delay, click HERE or on the image below.   Governor Asa Hutchinson (center) with Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Gregory Bledsoe (left) and at Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith (right) give press conference regarding Arkansas state tax filing deadline extension.

Amidst this public health crisis, we still have a commitment to our veterans, who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom.  I was pleased to hear that the president signed S. 3503 into law on March 21, which will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the coronavirus outbreak. As always, if you need or someone you know needs help with the VA or any other government agency, please send me a message at Hill.House.gov, or call my office at (501) 324-5941.

Click HERE to apply for these loans now that declaration has been made official. If you are not a small business owner but would like to help, please share this information with your friends, family, and the local businesses that you frequent.