During the COVID-19 briefing with Governor Hutchinson, he said that despite some good news from the weekend in following social distancing and doing the right thing in taking preventative steps, we are "at a critical point in our journey during this pandemic... and the direction we go from here totally depends on the discipline and commitment of the people of Arkansas."
Governor Hutchinson then issued a challenge to the people of Arkansas to be understanding and to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. He also said that most Arkansans would like to see the state reach Phase 2 of reopening, but "we can't get to Phase 2 when we see a continued upward trajectory" of hospitalizations and number of positive cases.