First responders across Northeast Arkansas are on runs “non-stop” as the delta variant spreads rapidly through the state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Craighead County is up 73 percent in new COVID-19 cases over the past seven days.
This number also reflects the number of ambulance runs happening.
Becky McAdoo, paramedic manager at Emerson Ambulance Service, says calls are non-stop; they now get 45 to 50 runs each day. McAdoo said the increase started earlier this year, but recently it spiked.
“Probably since the beginning of the year and it’s just gotten worse. I mean it’s getting so busy we are having to put on more trucks. It’s non-stop,” said McAdoo. “We try to give our guys breaks. They come to us when they can’t go anymore. We try to get relief in if we need to.”