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 Monday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson's daily COVID-19 news conference in Little Rock and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 50,028 cumulative infections, up 645 from Sunday.
• 569,320 test reports, up 5,489 from Sunday.
• 8.8% infection rate, no change from Sunday.
• 7,343 active cases, down 44 from Sunday.
• 42,139 recoveries, up 687 from Sunday.
• 508 hospitalizations, down six from Sunday.
• 117 cases on a ventilator, up two from Sunday.
• 1,471 cumulative nursing home residents infected, up nine from Friday.
• 555 deaths, up 11 from Sunday.
• 1,058 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 50 from Sunday.
• 15,173 test reports for Garland County, up 243 from Sunday.
• 7% infection rate, up from 6.8% Sunday.
• 240 active cases in Garland County, up 31 from Sunday.
• 802 recoveries in Garland County, up 17 from Sunday.
• 16 deaths in Garland County, up two from Sunday.
The 50 new cases reported Monday in Garland County ranked third statewide, raising the county's rolling seven-day average of new cases for a second-straight day. Monday's 26.14 average was higher than the previous Monday's average of 25.71.
The number of deaths reported in Garland County doubled from eight Thursday to 16 Monday. It's likely the 10 deaths at Hot Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation -- A Waters Community the Health Department made public Wednesday led to the increase. Officials said last week that the 10 deaths at the Golf Links Road facility occurred over the course of the pandemic but weren't made public until last week.
The Health Department's congregate settings report Monday continued to list 66 infected residents and 31 infected staff. The report said the most recent positive test for a resident at the facility was Wednesday. Monday's report didn't list deaths at congregate facilities.
Monday's new cases raised the county's active infections by 15%. The 240 active cases reported Monday were the most since the 244 reported July 31.
The county's cumulative infection rate increased for the 24th time in 27 days and has doubled in more than four weeks. It took 46 days for the county's cumulative cases to double from 125 to 250 and 20 days for it to double from 250 to 500. Doubling time from 500 to 1,000 cases was also 20 days.
A second-straight weekend of lower than normal reports of new cases reduced the state's rolling seven-day average for a second day in a row. The average rose above 800 for a second time Saturday but had dropped to 775.86 by Monday.
"It has us pointed in the right direction," Hutchinson said of the curve of new infections. "We need to keep it pointed in the right direction. It's certainly leveling off there, but we have to get that down further. ...
"This is not the place to flatten out. You don't want to flatten out at 700 cases a day or 800 cases a day. You've got to continue that decline. Even though we've had some recent success over the last week, this is still too high a number of cases every day."
The flatter infection curve could be related to the statewide mask order that went into effect July 20, Dr. Jose Romero, Health Department secretary, said. The cumulative infection rate and moving average of new cases have risen 13% and 9% since the order took effect.
"It's good to see the trend may be going downward with the number of positive tests," he said. "It's still early. We would like to see that continue downward. We do see that further trend in the 500 to 600 positive cases a day. That is good evidence with the mask mandate that we're starting to depress the curve."
Hutchinson said the executive order President Donald Trump signed Saturday to extend federal unemployment benefits would cost the state $265 million. The order proposed paying a $400 weekly federal benefit through the end of the year, with states paying 25% of the cost. The $600 a week federal benefit expired last month, and Congress has yet to agree on an extension.
Hutchinson said the $250 million set aside from the state's $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief could be used for the state's cost share.