COVID-19 update
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The following stats were posted Thursday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 85,980 cumulative confirmed cases, up 1,066 from Wednesday.
• 635.57 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 20.71 from Wednesday.
• 1,111,526 PCR test reports, up 13,969 from Wednesday.
• 7.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 4,165 cumulative probable cases, up 199 from Wednesday.
• 18% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 546 hospitalizations, up eight from Wednesday.
• 1,359 confirmed deaths, up 22 from Wednesday.
• 144 probable deaths, down one from Wednesday.
• 103 cases on a ventilator, up five from Wednesday.
• 2,036 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 19 from Wednesday.
• 12.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 1.15 from Wednesday.
• 36,489 PCR and antigen test reports for Garland County, up 982 from Wednesday.
• 28,344 private lab reports, up 287 from Wednesday.
• 8,145 public lab reports, up 695 from Wednesday.
• 5.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, down from 5.8% Wednesday.
• 125 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down nine from Wednesday.
• 1,861 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 28 from Wednesday.
• 50 confirmed deaths, no change from Wednesday.
• Five probable deaths, no change from Wednesday.
The 1,066 new confirmed cases reported Thursday were the third-most of the pandemic and the most in four weeks, raising the state’s infection curve for a fourth-straight day.
Thursday’s 635.57 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases was more than 6% higher than Monday’s average. Thursday was the sixth time new infections surpassed 1,000.
Hospitalizations rose for a fifth-straight day and set a new high for a third- straight day. Thursday’s 546 hospitalizations were more than 12% higher than the previous Thursday’s.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson released the following statement on Thursday’s case numbers.
“We continue to see high levels of community spread across Arkansas. While I see so many Arkansans doing the right thing by wearing a mask, keeping their distance, and avoiding large gatherings, I know that it will take everyone working together to defeat this virus.”
The 19 new confirmed cases reported Thursday in Garland County were the most since Oct. 2, but the county’s infection curve fell for a ninthstraight day. Thursday’s 12.71 moving seven-day average was the lowest since Sept. 11 and 48% lower than the fall peak of 24.57.
“We’re still on a plateau,” Dr. Gene Shelby, Garland County’s health officer, told the task force organizing the local response to the pandemic at its weekly meeting Monday, according to a news release the city of Hot Springs issued Thursday. “We have some areas that we are seeing a little increase and other areas we are seeing go down. We are seeing the average number of cases increase from 17.4 cases per day in the last week to 23 cases per day this past week, but at the same time, the positivity rate has continued to decrease from 9.5% to 3.9% over the past five weeks.”
The Garland County Health Unit, 1425 Malvern Ave., continues to provide free drive-up PCR testing from 8 a. m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays. The clinic is also providing free walk-up flu shots.
The city’s news release said the health unit will be providing free flu shots to school students and staff. It’s scheduled to be at Lakeside today, Jessieville and Fountain Lake next week, Mountain Pine during the week of Oct. 19, Lake Hamilton Oct. 21-23, Hot Springs Oct. 28-30, the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Nov. 3 and Cutter Morning Star Nov. 4.