State reports jump in virus cases of 4,304

The number of new Arkansas coronavirus cases soared by more than 4,300 Friday in what public-health experts say is just the beginning of a holiday surge that likely will increase in coming weeks.

The Arkansas Department of Health documented 4,304 new cases, the highest single- day increase since the start of the pandemic in March. That figure raises the state’s cumulative number of cases to 229,442.

The previous recordbreaking increase was on Dec. 24 with 3,204 new cases. The second-highest one-day jump was on Wednesday with 3,184 new cases.

“This is a record in newly reported cases,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. “We are certainly in the surge after Christmas travel and gatherings.”

“As we enter this new year, our first resolution should be to follow guidelines,” the governor said. “We must all do our part.”

The total number of active cases rose by 1,741 Friday to 23,930.

Thirty- five additional deaths reported Friday raised the total covid-19 lives lost in Arkansas to 3,711, according to the Health Department.

“This is the Christmas surge,” said Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state’s chief epidemiologist. “This is an alarming number, and it could get higher, so I think we better prepare ourselves because we are in for some very difficult

weeks that are coming.”

Dillaha said she is concerned about the potential exponential spread of the virus in communities now as the number of people exposed increases and many people may be asymptomatic.

She said it is hard to predict how many more cases the state will have in coming weeks, but there could be a “surge upon a surge.”

“Many people who have been infected around the Christmas holidays may not have developed symptoms yet,” she said. “We know people are most contagious a day or two before they develop symptoms, so it is likely we have a significant number of people in the community who have covid-19.”

“It is hard to predict how things will go,” Dillaha said. “But we are concerned we are on an upward trajectory.”

Hospital capacity also is worrying, and hospitals will be more strained because some of the people who are infected likely will end up in critical-care units and on ventilators, Dillaha said.

The Health Department reported 1,185 hospitalizations Friday, a decrease of 10 from the previous day. There were 205 patients on ventilators Friday, a decrease from 209 Thursday.

Once a patient is placed on a ventilator, the prospects for survival decline, she said.

Hospitalizations are “very high,” Dillaha said. “People on ventilators is high, too.”

“We know about half of the people who have covid-19 and go on the ventilator pass away,” she said. “That is why these numbers are so alarming to me.”

“I know a proportion will go into a hospital and end up on a ventilator and never come out of the hospital,” she said.

Staffing remains an issue as many hospitals compete with one another for nurses and other support workers. “Those are some challenges,” Dillaha said, “making sure we have enough staff needed to care for this increase.”

Public-health experts are encouraging people to stay home and limit trips to those that are essential. People also are advised to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.

“I would encourage people to focus on their essential activities,” Dillaha said. “To avoid activities outside of their homes that are optional, to maintain their interactions within their household or with a small group of people.”

“We all need to do our part to flatten the curve,” she said. “Right now the curve is upward, if we could flatten it and bring it down, it would be wonderful.”

Dillaha said she does not know if state officials will issue any more restrictions to try to slow the skyrocketing numbers. “We have not discussed any threshold,” she said. “Obviously we are always looking to take steps that would reduce the spread.”

Benton County had the highest number of new cases with 588, followed by Pulaski County with 552; Washington County with 362; Sebastian County with 271; and Faulkner County with 187, according to data the Health Department released Friday.

Among prison and jail inmates, the Health Department’s count of cases rose by five. Cases documented as community spread came in at 2,780 Friday.

Covid-19 vaccines will continue to be rolled out to longterm-care facilities in coming days, Dillaha said. Pharmacies are now offering vaccinations to health care employees who do not work in hospitals but do work in private clinics.

The pharmacies have waiting lists for employees, such as primary care physicians who have their own clinics or other practitioners in outpatient settings. People on the waiting list are called when doses become available or are leftover from vaccination clinics at long-term-care facilities.

“I want to encourage everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn,” Dillaha said.