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 Monday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:

• 88,870 cumulative confirmed cases, up 568 from Sunday.

• 738.86 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 29.43 from Sunday.

• 7.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Sunday.

• 1,155,066 PCR test reports, up 8,412 from Sunday.

• 4,617 cumulative probable cases, up 86 from Sunday.

• 17.9% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Sunday.

• 608 hospitalizations, up 32 from Sunday.

• 1,438 confirmed deaths, up 17 from Sunday.

• 148 probable deaths, no change from Sunday.

• 104 cases on a ventilator, up five from Sunday.

• 2,074 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 17 from Sunday.

• 10.86 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 1.15 from Sunday.

• 37,360 PCR and antigen test reports for Garland County, up 215 from Sunday.

• 28,833 private lab reports, up 129 from Sunday.

• 8,527 public lab reports, up 86 from Sunday.

• 5.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Sunday.

• 105 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up five from Sunday.

• 1,918 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 12 from Sunday.

• 51 confirmed deaths, no change from Sunday.

• Five probable deaths, no change from Sunday. The state and Garland County’s infection curves have diverged this month, with the former’s increasing by 24% since Oct. 5 and the latter’s decreasing by

56% since Sept. 29.

The state’s rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases dropped below 600 earlier this month for the first time since Sept. 2. Last week’s new cases raised the average to 738.86 as of Monday, the seventh-straight day the moving average has risen.

Hospitalizations have surged to new highs, increasing nine out of the last 10 days and breaking the 600 mark for the first time Monday.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson released the following statement on Monday’s case numbers.

“Our hospitalizations continue to be at a high level. This puts stress on our health care workers. While we have sufficient bed capacity in our hospitals, this does strain the system. This is why we need to work together to reduce our cases and reduce our hospitalizations.”

Garland County’s moving average has fallen 12 out of the last 13 days, dropping into single digits Sunday for the first time since July 15. The 17 new cases reported Monday nudged the average back into double digits. It peaked at 30 at the end of July, fell below 20 in mid-to-late August and ticked back up to the fall peak of 24.57 Sept. 29.

“I’m going to have to lend the credit to the way our schools have handled their situation with people going back to school,” County Judge Darryl Mahoney said Monday. “The administrators there have done an excellent job. They’ve had a great plan in place. They’ve worked seamlessly together. Also to our health care professionals for staying on top of this. I think overall our community has just come together. We’re seeing the results of that now.”

The list of school districts with five or more active confirmed and probable student and staff cases the Health Department updated Monday reported five cases in the Lake Hamilton School District, the only public school district in the county included in Monday’s update. The update reported five active cases in the district, down from the 14 reported in Thursday’s update.

The Health Department reported 831 active cases in school districts Monday, up from the 828 reported Thursday.

Monday’s update showed Harding University has surpassed the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville as the college campus with the most active cases. Eighty-two were reported at the private Christian University in Searcy, up from the 55 reported Thursday. Fifty-six were reported at the Fayetteville campus, the same number reported Thursday.

Seven active cases were reported at Henderson State University, down from the 16 reported Thursday. Six active cases were reported at Ouachita Baptist University, down from the 14 reported Monday.