EDITOR'S NOTE: As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record will publish daily updates released each weekday by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The following stats were shared Wednesday at Gov. Asa Hutchinson's daily COVID-19 news conference in Jonesboro and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health's website:
• 6,277 confirmed cases statewide, up 97 from Tuesday.
• 118,641 tests reported, up 3,142 from Tuesday.
• 5.3% rate of infection, no change from Tuesday.
• 1,733 active cases, up four from Tuesday.
• 4,424 recoveries, up 92 from Tuesday.
• 120 deaths, up one from Tuesday.
• 108 cases requiring hospitalization, up one from Tuesday.
• 22 cases on a ventilator, up four from Tuesday.
• 364 nursing home residents infected, up three from Tuesday.
• 135 cases in Garland County, up one from Tuesday.
• 3,943 tests reported for Garland County, up 38 from Tuesday.
• 3.4% rate of infection, no change from Tuesday.
• 128 recoveries in Garland County, no change from Tuesday.
• Six active cases in Garland County, up one from Tuesday.
• One death in Garland County, no change from Tuesday.
Dr. Nate Smith, Health Department secretary, reiterated Wednesday that the agency's contact tracing team hasn't found a connection between the resurgence of new infections and the easing of restrictions on business and social activities.
The 97 new cases reported Wednesday raised the rolling seven-day average of new cases to 182, most of which have occurred outside correctional settings. The moving average has increased 81% since May 11. The one new case reported in Garland County Wednesday kept its rolling seven day average of new cases below one for a seventh straight day.
Smith said few of the recently infected reported being at a restaurant, barber, salon, day care, gym or hotel during their 14-day incubation period.
"We've seen an increase in cases, in hospitalizations, at the same time we've opened up some of these things like restaurants, barber shops and beauty shops, but we've not seen a correlation between new cases and the places that have opened up," he said. "We are seeing an upswing in cases. These don't seem to be associated with these newly opened businesses, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on it."
The net increase of one hospitalization raised the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals to 108, one off the 109 peak reported April 27. Hutchinson said Tuesday that the demographics of the newly infected are trending younger than during the initial surge in March and April. Wednesday he noted that the 17 and under age group had the highest growth in new cases last week.
Because many of the newly infected are young, he doesn't expect the latest surge to strain hospital capacity. He indicated Tuesday that holding capacity in reserve during the initial upswing kept hospitals from doing surgical procedures critical to their financial viability.
"I would expect hospitalizations to go up some, but it's not a concern," he said Wednesday. "I think every hospital administrator I met with earlier here in northeast Arkansas, but also in central Arkansas, would vouch that we have more than adequate space to deal with this emergency."
He said northwest Arkansas had the highest increase of new cases last week. More than 300 active cases are in Washington and Benton counties. Poultry industry workers account for a large number of the region's new cases. Smith said 220 of the 301 infected poultry workers statewide are active cases.
He noted that Latinos make up 20% of the state's active cases. In Craighead County, site of Wednesday's briefing, he said they make up 5% of the population but 13% of the county's cases.
Local on 05/28/2020