EDITOR'S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released each weekday by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The following stats were shared Thursday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson's daily COVID-19 news conference in Little Rock and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 47,028 cumulative infections, up 735 from Wednesday.
• 544,363 test reports, up 5,262 from Wednesday.
• 8.6% infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 6,958 active cases, up one from Wednesday.
• 39,555 recoveries, up 707 from Wednesday.
• 514 hospitalizations, down two from Wednesday.
• 111 cases on a ventilator, up five from Wednesday.
• 515 deaths, up seven from Wednesday.
• 939 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 29 from Wednesday.
• 14,368 test reports for Garland County, up 189 from Wednesday.
• 6.5% infection rate, up from 6.4% Wednesday.
• 210 active cases, up one from Wednesday.
• 721 recoveries in Garland County, up 28 from Wednesday.
• Eight deaths in Garland County, no change from Wednesday.
The statewide mask order has been in effect for more than two weeks, but Dr. Jose Romero, Health Department secretary, said the mandate needs more time before it starts bending the curve of new infections.
The rolling seven-day average of new cases has fallen 4.5% since July 27, the end of the first full week the order was in effect. The cumulative infection rate has risen 6.2% since then. Thursday's 752.71 average was 7.9% lower than the July 29 peak of 817.43.
"We're hopeful that our use of the mask mandate the governor has put in place will drive this downward," said Romero, whom Hutchinson elevated Wednesday to Health Department secretary after Romero served in an interim role for several weeks. "It was originally stated we thought it would take about two weeks to do that. Now the new projections are it will take another few weeks. In about two more weeks we should have a better idea."
Romero said the curve is at a point that should allow schools to open as scheduled the week of Aug. 24. Active cases have been flat since peaking at 7,127 July 20.
"Right now the numbers are not climbing significantly," he said. "I think we're fine to push forward with the plan to have in-school classes. We are keeping an eye on this daily. We will make a decision if the numbers continue to rise significantly.
" ... There will be cases sporadically within the classes, because some of these children are going to acquire this disease from the community."
Romero said there are no plans to do wholesale testing of children before school starts. He said student testing will be based on symptoms and exposure to infected people.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the Health Department's director of immunizations, said it's critical for the state to increase its flu vaccination rate, noting that only about half of the people who should be vaccinated get a flu shot. She said the Health Department will begin hosting drive-thru vaccination clinics Sept. 21, but flu shots should be available at doctor's office and clinics before then.
"You don't want to have the flu and COVID-19," she said. "Flu vaccinations can go a long way to keeping people out of the hospital, and we want to decrease the number of hospitalizations as much as possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic."
She said the vaccine doesn't completely guard against the flu, but it does prepare the immune system for it.
"It introduces your body's immune system to what the flu virus will look like," she said. "When you see the flu virus, your immune system does not have to go through steps it's already gone through to learn how to recognize the virus. It's enough to keep you well or not have to go to the hospital. In some cases it's enough to keep people alive."
The 29 new cases reported Thursday in Garland County made it among the state's leaders in new cases, but the county's rolling seven-day average of new infections fell for the fifth time in six days. Thursday's 21.86 average was the lowest since July 19 and 27% lower than the July 31 peak of 30. The average fell as a result of the single-day high of 51 new cases reported July 30 falling outside the calculation.
The county's cumulative infection rose for the 20th time in 23 days. It's more than doubled since mid-June and is at its highest point since April.