New-case tally drops to 1,574

Vaccine distribution slows; virus hospitalizations rise

The number of new covid-19 cases per day in Arkansas continues to decline, according to data from the state Department of Health, which reported 1,574 new cases Saturday.

It was the fourth daily increase in a row that was smaller than a week earlier and the eighth in a row that was below 2,000. The state had 235 fewer new cases Saturday than on Friday and 175 fewer than on Sept. 11.

“We continue to see a lower level of new cases compared to last week,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in his daily Twitter statement about the data. “It’s good to see vaccination numbers up. Increased vaccinations will help this trend continue and lead to fewer deaths and hospitalizations.”

However, vaccine distribution has been on the decline, and covid-19 hospitalizations increased for the first time in 11 days, according to Health Department data.

Friday was the first day since July 26 that hospitalizations were below 1,000, but Saturday saw 28 new hospi

talizations, for a total of 1,027.

On Saturday, 438 patients were in intensive care, 31 fewer than Friday, marking the first decrease after three consecutive days of increases. Additionally, 285 patients were on ventilators Saturday, 13 fewer than Friday.

Meanwhile, the increase in covid-19 vaccine doses administered was the fourth in a row that was smaller than a week earlier. On Saturday, the state reported an increase of 8,183 shots given, 735 fewer than on Sept. 11 but 975 more than Friday.

Some pharmacists have seen firsthand the decrease in demand for vaccinations.

Jessica Hunter, an intern at Argenta Drug in North Little Rock, said the pharmacy currently sees about a third or half the number of people seeking shots that it saw in July and August, when demand was on the upswing because of the coming school year and widespread concern about the delta variant of the virus.

Terry Perkins, the manager of all three Medicine Man Pharmacy sites in North Little Rock, said the pharmacy has administered 113 covid-19 vaccinations this month, putting it on a slower pace compared with August, when 321 shots were given in the entire month.

Both pharmacies have received calls from people asking for booster shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, but a third shot is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration only for people 65 and older or people with compromised immune systems.

As of Saturday, 17,878 Arkansans had received third shots, according to Health Department data.

The Health Department continues to encourage vaccination as the primary defense against the spread of covid-19.

“We are encouraged that cases are declining, albeit slowly,” department communications director Meg Mirivel said in an email. “However, cases in the state are still high, and communities do not have vaccination rates that are high enough to guard against future outbreaks.”

The state on Saturday reported 22 new deaths from covid-19, for a total of 7,434.

Arkansas has seen 484,317 covid-19 cases since March 2020, according to Health Department data. Pulaski County had the most new cases reported Saturday, with 120. Washington County had 108, and Craighead County had 101.