Active cases at schools decrease

At top: 2 districts in NW Arkansas

The Arkansas Department of Health on Monday reported a total of 480 currently active cases of covid-19 virus in the state’s public school districts, 29 active cases in private schools and 158 cases in colleges and universities.

The active-case numbers for public and private schools were just about half the numbers of active cases reported by the state agency Thursday — near the end of several days in which record-breaking snowstorms and bitter cold closed down in-school instruction through most if not all of the state.

The cumulative number of active cases among public school employees and students was 999 Thursday as compared with the 480 reported Monday. Active virus cases fell from 55 to 29 among employees and students in private elementary and secondary schools.

The Bentonville School District had the highest number of active cases in the Monday report — 28, down from 37 last week. Springdale School District had 25 active cases Monday; Cabot School District, 22; and Rogers School District, 18.

The Fort Smith School District reported 16 active cases among students and employees, followed by the Fayetteville district with 14 cases.

Both the Little Rock and Pulaski County Special school districts had 12 active cases, according to the state report. In contrast, Little Rock had 30 active cases late last week and Pulaski County Special had 20 at the time.

Monday was the eighth consecutive school day of virtual instruction-only in the two districts. The virtual learning days were the result of the inclement weather.

The Little Rock district, in its nearly daily posting of covid-19 cases and quarantines among employees and staff, reported Monday that there had been three people diagnosed with covid-19 and five individuals quarantined between 3 p.m. Sunday and 3

p.m. Monday.

The Arkansas Department of Health’s Monday report — in addition to the decline of elementary and second school active cases of covid-19 — showed that the number of currently active cases for colleges and universities is down as compared with last Thursday.

There were 158 cases reported Monday, down from the 269 reported late last week.

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville had 38 active cases among employees and students, bringing the cumulative total of cases on the campus since June 15 to 3,625, according to the report.

The University of Central Arkansas had 17 active cases, according the latest figures. Arkansas Tech University had 11 cases, Lyon College in Batesville had 10 and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia had nine.