County tops 2K COVID cases; 2 deaths reported
State surpasses 200,000 cases
There were 34 new COVID-19 cases reported by the Arkansas Department of Health in Union County Saturday, making 2,028 cases identified locally in total. The cases in the county included 1,588 confirmed cases, up 20 from Friday, and 440 probable cases, up 14 from Friday.
The cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in Union County rose to 1,949 Thursday and included 1,538 confirmed cases, up 10 from Wednesday, and 411 probable cases, up 30 from Thursday.
Two new local deaths attributable to COVID-19 were reported Saturday. Sixty-seven Union County residents have now died as a result of the virus, indicating a local COVID mortality rate — the percentage of those who die after contracting the virus — of 3.3%.
Active cases rose higher yet Saturday, growing by 15 to reach 216; they represented 10.7% of all the cases identified locally and included 127 confirmed cases and
89 probable cases. There were 1,745 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus Saturday, up 17 from Friday.
The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement reported city-level COVID data updated through Dec. 14 earlier this week. All the municipalities in the county except Lawson, where fewer than 10 cases have been identified, were included with the number of cases identified enumerated.
According to the ACHI, 12 cases had been identified in Calion, representing 3% of the city’s population; 1,322 cases had been identified in El Dorado, including 116 new in the last two weeks, representing 4% of the city’s population; 27 cases had been identified in Huttig, representing 2% of the city’s population; 129 cases had been identified in Junction City, representing 5% of the city’s population; 15 cases had been identified in Mount Holly, representing 4% of the city’s population; 21 cases had been identified in Norphlet, representing 4% of the city’s population; 107 cases had been identified in Smackover, representing 5% of the city’s population; and 94 cases had been identified in Lawson, representing 5% of the city’s population.
In the Southwest public health region of the state, where Union County sits, 142 people were hospitalized due to the virus Saturday, including 58 in intensive care units and 22 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 127 new negative test results returned from
Union County Saturday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 21.1% based on the number of new cases and results reported. There have been 18,741 COVID-19 test results returned from Union County in total, including 16,713 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 10.8%.
Arkansas’ cumulative number of COVID-19 cases grew by 2,693 to reach 200,114 Saturday. The cases in the state included 169,287 confirmed cases, up 1,853 from Friday, and 30,827 probable cases, up 840 from Friday.
Active cases again rose higher than they’ve been before, with 674 added to make 23,066 total; they represented 11.5% of all the cases identified in Arkansas and included 17,011 confirmed cases and 6,055 probable cases. There were 173,832 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Saturday, up 1,968 from Friday.
The deaths of 52 Arkansans that were a result of the virus were reported Saturday, bringing the state’s death toll to 3,191, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 1,061 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Saturday, including 345 in ICUs and 177 on ventilator support.
Since the state began testing for the virus, 2,129,245 results have returned to the ADH, including 1,922,698 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 9.4%.
At 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Johns
Hopkins University reported
17,578,762 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Data wasn’t available Saturday afternoon on the number of U.S. residents considered recovered from the virus or the number of active cases in the U.S. By Saturday afternoon, 315,032 deaths attributable to the virus had been reported in the U.S., indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.8%.
Johns Hopkins reported 76,065,255 COVID-19 cases worldwide Saturday afternoon. There were 42,889,165 people considered recovered from the virus Saturday, leaving 31,494,424 cases — 41.4% — active around the world. There had been 1,681,666 deaths attributable to the virus by Saturday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.2%.