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 Thursday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:

• 260,206 cumulative confirmed cases, up 151 from Wednesday.

• 99.29 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 0.42 from Wednesday.

• 2,891,136 PCR test reports, up 5,372 from Wednesday.

• 9.0% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.

• 71,498 cumulative probable cases, up 48 from Wednesday.

• 15.7% cumulative antigen infection rate, down from 15.8% Wednesday.

• 1,936,100 vaccine doses received, up 10,500 from Wednesday.

• 1,329,393 doses given, up

25,360 from Wednesday.

• 324,287 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up

138 from Wednesday.

• 141 hospitalizations, down nine from Wednesday.

• 23 cases on a ventilator, up three from Wednesday.

• 62 ICU patients, down five from Wednesday.

• 4,512 confirmed deaths, up two from Wednesday.

• 1,150 probable deaths, no change from Wednesday.

• 2,066 nursing home deaths, no change from Wednesday.

• 8,462 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County,

up four from Wednesday.

• 2.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up

0.14 from Wednesday.

• 112,711 PCR and antigen test reports, up 215 from Wednesday.

• 85,179 private lab reports, up 121 from Wednesday.

• 27,532 public lab reports, up 94 from Wednesday.

• 8.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.

• 28 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up three from Wednesday.

• 8,228 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up one from Wednesday.

• 1,596 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, no change from Wednesday.

• Five active probable cases in Garland County, no change from Wednesday.

• 206 confirmed deaths, no change from Wednesday.

• 49 probable deaths, no change from Wednesday.

Seventeen percent of Garland County’s population was fully vaccinated as of March

26, according to the report the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health released earlier this week.

Cleveland and Franklin counties had the highest rates, with 20% of their populations fully vaccinated.

Miller County in southwest Arkansas had the lowest rate at 3%.

Twenty-four percent of Garland County’s eligible population had been vaccinated as of March 26.

Eligibility hadn’t been expanded to everyone over 16 until March 30.

The report said Garland County has accounted for more than 400 of the state’s roughly

15,000 hospitalizations caused by COVID-19.

More than 4% of the county’s positive cases resulted in hospitalization.

Rural counties in the northeast and Mississippi Delta regions had the most hospitalizations per capita and highest rates of positive cases resulting in hospitalization.

“These are also the types of counties that will require sustained public health messaging to encourage vaccinations,” the report said.

“Studies consistently show a strong association between education and vaccine acceptance.

“This supports the conclusion that individuals infected with COVID-19 in these counties are waiting longer to be tested and may be more ill when tested.

“It may also be that the population in these counties is simply older and more likely to have more serious illness as a result of COVID19.

“The assessment of per capita hospitalization rates across counties indicates a substantial burden on the more rural counties.”