COVID-19 update
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record will publish daily updates released each weekday by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The following stats were shared Tuesday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily COVID-19 news conference in Little Rock and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website:
• 4,164 confirmed cases statewide, up 121 from Monday.
• 73,215 test results, up 2,892 from Monday.
• 5.7 infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 3,220 recoveries, up 71 from Monday.
• 849 active cases, up 46 from Monday.
• 95 deaths, up one from Monday.
• 59 cases requiring hospitalization, down two from Monday.
• 299 nursing home residents infected, up 10 from Monday.
• 12 cases on a ventilator, up one from Monday.
• 120 cases in Garland County, up one from Monday.
• 3,033 test results for Garland County, up 65 from Monday.
• 4% infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 114 recoveries in Garland County, up one from Monday.
• Five active cases in Garland County, no change from Monday.
• One death in Garland County, no change from Monday.
Dr. Gene Shelby, Garland County health officer, said at Monday’s weekly meeting of the task force organized to coordinate the local response to the coronavirus pandemic that one of the 623 tests performed on county residents from May
3-10 detected COVID-19. About 4% of the more than
3,000 tests from Garland County have been positive. Shelby said the low rate of infection notwithstanding, the public and business owners need to follow Health Department directives and guidance.
“We need to keep doing what we have been doing and be hypervigilant over the next couple of weeks and moving forward as business, restaurants and the casino begin reopening, particularly as more visitors from outside the county will be traveling into our area,” Shelby, according to a city news release summarizing the meeting, said.
Dine-in service at restaurants resumed Monday under a series of limitations, including restricting occupancy to 33% of physical capacity, but the Hot Springs Police Department told the local task force several establishments disregarded the start date.
“Capt. Billy Hrvatin confirmed the police station had received calls about establishments not following state directives,” the city’s release said. “The department responds by speaking with the possible of
fender and citations can be given as needed. A few area restaurants were contacted over the weekend for opening ahead of directed Phase 1 date.”
The Health Department reported 121 new cases statewide Tuesday, raising the rolling seven-day average of new cases from 88.7 to 100.6. The 173 cases reported Saturday in the federal prison in Forrest City helped bump the moving seven-day average from Friday’s 60.9.
Excluding cases from correctional settings, Tuesday’s moving weekly average was 58, up from Monday’s 48.6. Hutchinson said at least 27 of the 100 community cases reported Tuesday came from St. Francis County, where the federal prison is located. The Health Department reported Tuesday that 332 inmates and 17 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
“I want to be sure everyone there in Forrest City knows the importance of sticking with our social guidelines,” he said. “We don’t want this spike to become larger.”
Hutchinson said the state received 1,753 test results over the previous 24 hours. At least 2,000 tests a day are needed for the state to reach its goal of 60,000 tests in May. Dr. Nate Smith, Health Department secretary, said the state has the testing supplies and relationships with commercial labs to meet the goal, but the public has to take the initiative to get tested.
“I’m concerned about this increase in the number of cases, the 100 in the community especially, but I’m more concerned about the cases we don’t know about,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important that we increase testing throughout the state.
“Until we test all people who have symptoms and all people who have had contact with known or suspected cases, I won’t be comfortable saying we don’t have (the coronavirus) here.”
Smith said the state has received an allocation of Remdesivir from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The allocation of the antiviral drug can treat 50 patients. Smith said as of Monday 52 of the state’s COVID-19 patients may meet criteria for benefiting from the drug.
“It’s not a miracle drug, but we’re glad to have some donated supply,” he said.