VIRUS STILL on rise in state’s students.

Public-school active cases top 3,000

Cases of covid- 19 in Arkansas schools continued rising this week, with 3,049 active cases in public schools, according to a Thursday report from the Arkansas Department of Health.

The total was up from 2,896 actives cases in public schools reported Monday.

Leading Thursday’s list were two Northwest Arkansas school districts: Springdale with 187 cases, and Rogers School District with 129.

Little Rock School District had the third-most active cases in the state with 97, according to the Health Department. It reported 10 new cases Thursday, with 29 staff members and students quarantining.

For active cases at colleges, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville led with 119, according to the Health Department.

Arkansas State University had the second-most with 29, though statistics from the Health Department and those released by the universities sometimes differ.

A record-high number of Arkansas school districts — 150 — have 50 or more new covid-19 infections per 10,000 district residents, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. Measured over a 14day period, that number is up from 113 a week before.

There are also 23 school districts in the state that exceeded 100 new infections per 10,000 residents.

The infection numbers come from the Health Department and are based on the number of residents who live within the boundaries of a school district and test positive, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.

“Hope for the future has come with two new vaccines before Christmas, but the present threat is greater than ever and will be with us for several months to come,” Dr. Joe Thompson, president and CEO of the center, said in a statement. “We must approach the holidays with the goals to keep our schools open and keep our hospitals from being overrun.”

Also on Thursday, North Little Rock School District Superintendent Gregory J. Pilewski announced the district would extend its Virtual Learning Fridays to March.

Pilewski said the program, which allows students to complete assignments at home or at school, has been successful and will continue for at least another quarter.