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:
• 91,303 cumulative confirmed cases, up 1,068 from Wednesday.
• 760.43 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 0.29 from Wednesday.
• 7.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 1,186,002 PCR test reports, up 12,660 from Wednesday.
• 5,221 cumulative probable cases, up 210 from Wednesday.
• 17.7% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 8,424 active confirmed and probable cases, up 417 from Wednesday.
• 594 hospitalizations, up seven from Wednesday.
• 1,494 confirmed deaths, up 14 from Wednesday.
• 151 probable deaths, up one from Wednesday.
• 106 cases on a ventilator, down seven from Wednesday.
• 2,153 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 32 from Wednesday.
• 16.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up
1.85 from Wednesday.
• 38,897 PCR and antigen test reports, up 877 from Wednesday.
• 29,280 private lab reports, up 191 from Wednesday.
• 9,617 public lab reports, up
686 from Wednesday.
• 5.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, down from 5.7% Wednesday.
• 140 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up 17 from Wednesday.
• 1,961 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 15 from Wednesday.
• 52 confirmed deaths, no change from Wednesday.
• Five probable deaths, no change from Wednesday.
The 32 new confirmed cases reported Thursday in Garland County were the sixth most since the county’s first confirmed case in March and the most since Sept. 25.
Thursday’s cases raised the county’s infection curve for a third-straight day, pushing the rolling seven- day average of new confirmed cases to 16.71. The moving average has increased 72% since Sunday, and active confirmed cases have increased 40% over that time.
The cumulative infection rate for polymerase chain reacting testing fell one-tenth of a point despite Thursday’s spike in cases, as almost 900 PCR and antigen test reports were added to the county’s testing total.
The 1,068 new confirmed cases reported statewide Thursday were the third most since the pandemic began, keeping the state’s rolling seven- day average above 760 for a second-straight day. The 1,066 new confirmed cases reported the previous Thursday fell outside the seven-day moving average but were replaced by Thursday’s large number of new infections.
The swap raised the state’s infection curve for a second- straight day. It’s gone up nine out of the last 10 days, increasing the moving average by
27% since Oct. 5. Wednesday’s active confirmed and probable cases surpassed 8,000 for the first time since the state began reporting probable cases last month. They climbed another
5.2% Thursday to 8,424. Gov. Asa Hutchinson released the following statement on Thursday’s case numbers.
“I expected the number of new cases to increase as we enter the last part of the week. This has been the pattern, but the cases reported today set a new record high. Our increased testing efforts allow us to find cases already present and react to them. Each one of us must be proactive in our individual efforts to help slow the spread of this virus.”
The list of school districts with five or more active confirmed and probable student and staff cases the Health Department updated Thursday reported eight cases at the Hot Springs School District. The district wasn’t listed in Monday’s update. Its website reported five active student cases and two active staff cases.
The Health Department reported seven active cases at the Lake Hamilton School District Thursday, up from the five reported Monday. The district doesn’t post cases on its website until the end of the week.
The Health Department reported 890 active cases in public schools, up from the 831 reported Monday.
Harding University continued to have the most active cases of any college or university. The 92 reported Thursday were 10 more than what the Health Department reported Monday. The University of Central Arkansas overtook the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for second place, with 53 active cases compared to 48 on the Fayetteville campus.
Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist universities were not listed on Thursday’s report. Monday’s report listed seven and six cases, respectively, at the Arkadelphia campuses.