COVID-19 update

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record will publish updates released each weekday by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.

The following stats were shared Thursday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily COVID-19 news conference in Little Rock and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website:

• 22,075 cumulative cases, up 878 from Wednesday.

• 323,987 tests reported, up 9,129 from Wednesday.

• 6.8% cumulative infection rate, up from

6.7% Wednesday.

• 6,098 active cases, up 341 from Wednesday.

• 15,698 recoveries, up 535 from Wednesday.

• 272 hospitalizations, down three from Wednesday.

• 69 cases on a ventilator, down three from Wednesday.

• 764 cumulative nursing home residents infected, up 13 from Wednesday.

• 267 cumulative cases in Garland County, up

14 from Wednesday.

• 7,814 tests reported for Garland County, up

435 from Wednesday.

• 3.4% cumulative infection rate, no change from Wednesday.

• 81 active cases in Garland County, up six from Wednesday.

• 185 recoveries in Garland County, up eight from Wednesday.

• One death in Garland County, no change from Wednesday.

The single-day high for new cases reported Thursday interrupted a trend of declining cases. The 878 new cases raised the rolling seven-day average 5% from Wednesday’s average. Thursday’s 573.29 moving average was still below Sunday’s peak of 608.14.

Thursday’s case count topped the previous high of 731 June 12 by 20%. The spike raised the cumulative infection rate one-tenth of a percent. It’s increased 30% in seven weeks as the moving average has grown 470% over that time.

“Obviously, this is not good news,” Dr. Nate Smith, Health Department secretary, said. “We had a downward trend, but with 878 new cases that’s our highest day. This is a concern. We got a lot more positives than we did yesterday.”

Active cases reached a peak Thursday, crossing 6,000 for the first time despite more than

500 recoveries being logged. Hutchinson said one day doesn’t make a trend.

“I don’t think it reflects a trend,” he said. “A trend is multiple days, and we don’t see a trend yet, because the last trend we had was headed down. We’ll see whether this is a trend or whether it’s an isolated day. We hope this is an isolated day.”

Hutchinson said he doesn’t intend to follow other states’ lead and close bars, explaining that the two-thirds capacity limitation and enforcement action against noncompliant establishments are the proper course.

“There’s people who’ve invested money, have capital at stake and who’ve done everything they should,” he said. “Until we see a correlation with the data that would just be the wrong thing to do to rip somebody’s investment out of their hand and put the employees on the unemployment line.”

The 14 new cases reported Thursday in Garland County held its rolling seven-day average of new cases at 8.85 for a second straight day. More than 400 test reports were added Thursday to the county’s testing total, a significant increase from the 60 to 70 reports typically added on average.

Neighboring Hot Spring County led the state in new case reports Thursday, with most of the 151 new infections coming from the Ouachita River Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction in Malvern. The Health Department’s nursing home and congregate settings report listed 369 inmates and 37 staff with active infections.

Secretary of State John Thurston said absentee ballots will be provided to registered voters concerned about contracting or transmitting the coronavirus at polling sites in the November election. The law limits absentee ballots to voters who will be unavoidably absent from the polls or who have an illness or physical disability.

Thurston said he’s interpreted the statute to include health concerns caused by the coronavirus. Hutchinson said he’ll rely on the interpretation and won’t issue an executive order for no-excuse absentee voting. He used his executive authority to allow no-excuse absentee voting during the March 31 runoff for the March 3 party primaries, effectively allowing any registered voter to apply for and receive an absentee ballot.

Thurston said his office will use federal coronavirus relief funds earmarked for elections to purchase disposable styluses for voters to use at the polls. The pens can be used on touch screen voting machines and poll books.

“So when you come to the polling sites, technically you should not have to touch a single thing other than that stylus pen,” he said.