New COVID-19 Index shows Jonesboro at 7
Jul. 9, 2020
Region 8 Newsdesk
KAIT-8
A new computer program that shows the risk of COVID-19 cases on a neighborhood level has the city of Jonesboro a little above average in the number of cases statewide.
According to the City Health Dashboard, the city of Jonesboro had a COVID Local Risk Index of 7. The number is just above the 5.5 average that was found in over 500 cities measured.
The index, which was developed by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, measures everything from age to health in looking at the numbers.
Officials said that the index has a measure of 1 to 10, with the higher the risk for higher numbers of the virus.
Dr. Shane Speights, who is the Dean of NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, said wearing a mask can help reduce the number.