Another COVID-19 death in Union County reported
State sees third day of triple-digit case increase
Saturday was the third straight day of new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the triple digits, Arkansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith announced at the state’s daily health update, with 163 new cases identified by early Saturday afternoon.
The top three days of new community cases in Arkansas since the first case was confirmed on March 11 have been Thursday, when community cases grew by 226, with 455 reported that day in total, the remainder of which were in prison inmates; Friday, when cases grew by 154; and Saturday, with the new 163 cases. In all, 5,775 COVID-19 cases have been identified in the state. Hutchinson acknowledged Saturday that the state is seeing a second peak in cases after an initial peak around April 25.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the spikes are partly attribut
able to expanded testing and contact tracing. On Saturday, he announced the formation of a technical advisory board to consider the possible use of technological contact tracing services being used across the country, like mobile apps. It will be headed up by Dr. Austin Porter III, the ADH’s deputy chief science officer.
At 5:45 p.m. Saturday, the ADH reported 152 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Union County, an increase of eight from Friday. A fifth local death was also reported. The county’s mortality rate was 3.3% Saturday.
There remained 54 active cases locally Saturday, with 92 recoveries reported. No new nursing home figures were reported by the ADH by 5:45 Saturday afternoon. On Friday, the ADH reported 40 COVID-19 cases in Courtyard Healthcare and Rehabilitation in El Dorado, with nine health care workers and 31 residents — an increase of 14 from Thursday — having tested positive.
Two more Arkansans died between Friday and Saturday from the COVID-19 disease, bringing the state’s death toll to 115. The state’s mortality rate is 2%. Eighty-six Arkansans were hospitalized due to COVID-19 early Saturday afternoon. Union County’s COVID-19 cases represent 2.6% of the state’s, and local deaths represent 4.3% of all Arkansans who have died from the virus.
The United States had reached 1,617,838 COVID-19 cases by Saturday afternoon, with 350,135 recoveries reported and 96,802 Americans having died from the disease, indicating a national mortality rate of 6%. Arkansas’s cases represent just .4% of all U.S. cases, and the state’s deaths represent only .1% of all U.S. deaths.
Worldwide, COVID-19 cases had broken 5 million by Saturday afternoon, with 5,105,881 cases reported and 333,446 deaths resulting from the COVID-19 disease, indicating a global mortality rate of 6.5%. Cases in the U.S. represent 32% of all cases globally, and U.S. deaths make up 29% of all COVID-19 deaths worldwide.