Gov. Hutchinson says Delta variant spreading at 'warp speed' in Arkansas The Arkansas governor is especially trying to reach people in rural communities, where vaccination rates are typically lower. Author: Melissa Zygowicz Updated: 10:37 PM CDT July 12, 2021 BATESVILLE, Ark. — Governor Asa Hutchinson stopped in Batesville Monday night to learn more about why some people are not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. "We have a challenge here," Hutchinson said. He is trying to figure out how to overcome that challenge. He took questions from people in the community about their concerns about the vaccine and the virus. "One month ago, we had 175 Arkansans that were in the hospital because of COVID. One short month later, we had 497 hospitalized," Gov. Hutchinson said.