Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott is doing all he can to protect his city amid the coronavirus pandemic despite Arkansas’ Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s failure to issue a statewide stay-at-home order. The 36-year-old had imposed city-wide restrictions and a curfew in effort to keep the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic from ravaging his hometown, The Atlantic reported.
Though Hutchinson banned Scott from implementing certain orders, the first-term Democrat declared a state of emergency for the city on March 12, cancelled large gatherings (before the national mandate came down from the CDC) and closed parks and other public spaces.
Despite the mayor’s efforts, he finds himself in an uphill battle. On April 5, his city was trending for all the wrong reasons after a group of young adults had a crowded drag race competition, dubbed the “coronavirus parade” on social media.
“What you saw was our young-adult crowd, who may have thought that they were invincible, and maybe going a bit—maybe having a bit of cabin fever,” Scott told The Atlantic. “If we would have had a stay-at-home order, it would have severely condensed something like that.”
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While some residents complained about the measures Scott and his administration have taken, the mayor is more concerned about saving lives than appeasing crowds.
“Little Rock has been leading the way on a lot of this … ” Scott said. He doubled down on prioritizing public health over pleasing those with cabin fever in a tweet. “I will be making more decisions soon that many may not like. Expect it,” he wrote.
Though the city’s infection rate is below projections, Scott doesn’t want to take any chances. He said people who violate the city’s orders can face fines and other consequences.
A devout Christian who also serves as associate pastor of Little Rock’s Greater Second Baptist Church, Scott is trusting the Lord throughout the pandemic.
“Even when your life is threatened, you can always take it to the king,” Scott said. He said his pastor’s Easter sermon “was a strict reminder in these times of who we yield to, who we draw upon, even when things are uncertain.”
