COVID-19 update
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 Friday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 167,434 cumulative confirmed cases, up 1,922 from Thursday.
• 1,637 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 8.71 from Thursday.
• 1,913,448 PCR test reports, up 13,674 from Thursday.
• 8.8% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from 8.7% Thursday.
• 29,987 cumulative probable cases, up 956 from Thursday.
• 18.3% cumulative antigen infection rate, up from 18.1% Thursday.
• 22,392 active confirmed and probable cases, up 733 from Thursday.
• 171,864 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 2,119 from Thursday.
• 1,074 hospitalizations, down 10 from Thursday.
• 181 cases on a ventilator, down seven from Thursday.
• 2,776 confirmed deaths, up 21 from Thursday.
• 363 probable deaths, up six from Thursday.
• 1,350 nursing home deaths, up 10 from Thursday.
• 4,355 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 67 from Thursday.
• 43.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 3.29 from Thursday.
• 60,769 PCR and antigen test reports, up 529 from Thursday.
• 43,077 private lab reports, 382 from Thursday.
• 17,692 public lab reports, 147 from Thursday.
• 7.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from
7.6% Thursday.
• 421 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up 24 from Thursday.
• 3,813 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 40 from Thursday.
• 575 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up 30 from Thursday.
• 148 active probable cases in Garland County, up 19 from Thursday.
• 119 confirmed deaths, up one from Thursday.
• 15 probable deaths, up one from Thursday. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday that 4,000 of the state’s health care workers received their initial dose of the Pfizer vaccine during the first four days of inoculations.
“Pfizer shipped the initial doses to 18 larger hospitals, the Department of Health and several pharmacies,” he said in his weekly address. “The larger hospitals vaccinated staff members who are at the highest risk of exposure. Pharmacies vaccinated staff at smaller hospitals that didn’t receive direct shipments. The Department of Health vaccinated staff who are at a high risk of exposure.”
Hutchinson said the state expected to receive its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine Tuesday. Both vaccines use messenger RNA technology that instructs cells how to make part of the virus’ spike protein, priming the immune system to make antibodies that fight off what it thinks is the virus.
Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine, Moderna’s doesn’t require the same level of cold storage. It can be stored in a normal refrigerator.
The state’s infection curve fell slightly after Thursday’s more than 5% increase. The 1,922 new confirmed cases reported Friday replaced the 1,983 reported the previous Friday in the seven-day rolling average of new confirmed cases. Active confirmed and probable cases peaked for a second-straight day Friday, rising more than 8% since Monday.
Garland County’s rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases rose more than 8% Friday, with the 67 new confirmed cases replacing the
44 reported the previous Friday in the moving seven-day average. Friday’s 43.71 average was 18% lower than Sunday’s peak of 53.14.
The county’s infection curve fell this week, but its cumulative polymerase chain reaction infection rate rose. The rate has risen 12% since the start of the month and six times in the last
11 days. The cumulative PCR rate hasn’t fallen since Nov. 12.
Six of the county’s public school districts were on the list of districts with five or more active confirmed and probable student and staff cases the Health Department updated Monday and Thursday.
Lake Hamilton led with 25 cases Thursday, up from the 20 reported Monday. Lakeside had 10 cases, down from the 18 reported Monday. Hot Springs had nine cases, up from the eight reported Monday. Jessieville had nine cases, down from the 11 reported Monday. Six active cases were reported at Fountain Lake Monday and Thursday. Five were reported at Cutter Morning Star Mon
day and Thursday.
Thursday’s list included 154 districts with five or more active confirmed and probable cases, up from the 141 reported Monday. The Health Department reported 3,049 active confirmed and probable cases in all of the state’s public school districts Thursday, up from the 2,896 reported Monday.