Nearly 10K vaccinated in region since last Sunday

Nearly 10K vaccinated in region since last Sunday

Six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Union County Saturday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 3,849. Since last Sunday, 72 cases have been identified locally.

Three of the new cases reported Saturday were confirmed cases, determined by positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, of which 2,882 have been identified in Union County. Three new probable cases, determined by positive antigen (rapid) tests, made 967 identified locally.

Two Union County residents’ deaths that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Saturday. Now, 104 local residents have died as a result of the virus, including three this week, averaging to two each week since the first case was discovered in Arkansas and indicating a local COVID mortality rate — the percentage of people who have died after contracting the virus — of 2.7%.

Active cases stayed steady at 40 Saturday; they represented 1% of all the cases identified locally and included 19 confirmed cases and 20 probable cases. Four new recoveries brought the total number of Union County residents considered recovered from the virus up to 3,705 Saturday.

Throughout the week, the number of active cases in the county fluctuated, hitting a high of 51 on Wednesday, followed by a low of 35 on Thursday. There were 74 local residents who met the criteria for recovery this week.

As of Saturday, in the Southwest hospital region of the state where Union County sits, approximately 90,024 COVID vaccine doses had been administered, not counting one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses. About 18.3% of the region’s population had received at least one vaccine dose by then, and 9.9% of the region’s population was considered fully immunized.

Approximately 9,251 vaccine doses were administered in the region from last Sunday through Saturday. A mass vaccination clinic for the region’s residents is scheduled for March 18 at the Ouachita County Local Health Unit, 740 California Avenue in Camden, from 8 a.m. to noon; to set an appointment, call 1-800-985-6030, a toll free hotline where an ADH employee will be able to help.

There were 32 people hospitalized Saturday in the Southwest region, including 17 in intensive care units and eight on ventilator support. The number of people hospitalized, receiving intensive care and on ventilator support has also fluctuated throughout the week.

The ADH reported 131 new negative COVID-19 test results returned from Union County Saturday. In all, 30,762 results have returned from Union County, including 26,913 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 12.5%.

Arkansas added 314 new COVID-19 cases Saturday to its cumulative total, which reached 326,813. The cases in the state included 257,022 confirmed cases, up 158 from Friday, and 69,791 probable cases, up 156 from Friday. Since last Sunday, 1,995 cases have been identified in the state.

The number of active cases in Arkansas grew by 32 Saturday to reach 3,190; they represented 1% of all the cases identified in the state and included 2,310 confirmed cases and 880 probable cases. There were 318,147 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Saturday, up 264 from Friday.

Over the week, active cases mostly fell from a high of 3,967 reported Sunday. There were 2,630 Arkansans who met the criteria for recovery this week.

The ADH reported Saturday that the state had received 1,389,730 COVID-19 vaccine doses and 816,397 had been administered. Approximately 290,961, or 12.3% of the state’s population of people over the age of 16, were considered fully immunized against the virus.

Currently, everyone in vaccine eligibility category 1-B may get a COVID vaccine. That includes people 65 years of age and older; workers in education, police, fire, first response, corrections, food and agriculture, essential government, grocery stores, meal delivery, postal/package delivery services, public transit, houses of worship and manufacturing; as well as people with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

The deaths of 18 Arkansans that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Saturday, bringing the state’s death toll to 5,455, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.7%. A total of 136 Arkansans died this week as a result of COVID infections. There were 259 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Saturday, including 118 in ICUs and 64 on ventilator support.

The ADH reported 96,458 COVID-19 test results returned so far this month, including 5,968 that returned Saturday. Since the state began testing for the virus, 3,265,121 results have returned to the ADH, including 2,925,549 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 10%.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID case being discovered in Arkansas on Thursday, March 11. He thanked health care workers for all their dedication over the past year during a ceremony at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, where the first case was identified in James Black, who was also in attendance at Thursday’s event.

“We want to see that day where the pandemic ends and that day will come. That day will come when we set the example to get the vaccine, for everyone to have that life-saving capability and protection that will save lives, and that is our goal,” Hutchinson said. “The progress we’ve made is to a large extent a result of the work you’ve done here at the hospital.”

At 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Johns Hopkins University reported 29,392,582 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Data wasn’t available then on the number of U.S. residents considered recovered from the virus or the number of active cases in the country. There had been 534,142 deaths attributable to the virus reported in the U.S. by Saturday afternoon, indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.8%.

Johns Hopkins reported 119,366,378 COVID-19 cases worldwide Saturday afternoon. There were 67,608,979 people considered recovered from the virus then, leaving 49,112,674 cases — 41.1% — active around the world. There had been 2,644,725 deaths attributable to the virus reported by Saturday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.2%.

Since last Sunday, approximately 406,875 COVID-19 cases have been identified in the U.S. and about 9,207 U.S. residents’ deaths resulting from the virus have been recorded. Worldwide, approximately 2,653,822 COVID cases were identified and about 53,461 COVID-related deaths have been recorded, while about 1,595,618 people met the criteria for recovery from the virus.