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 Friday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 260,326 cumulative confirmed cases, up 120 from Thursday.
• 103.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 4.42 from Thursday.
• 2,895,070 PCR test reports, up 3,934 from Thursday.
• 9.0% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Thursday.
• 71,556 cumulative probable cases, up 58 from Thursday.
• 15.7% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Thursday.
• 2,021,400 vaccine doses received, up 85,300 from Thursday.
• 1,362,371 doses given, up 32,978 from Thursday.
• 324,440 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 153 from Thursday.
• 160 hospitalizations, up 19 from Thursday.
• 23 cases on a ventilator, no change from Thursday.
• 60 ICU patients, down two from Thursday.
• 4,511 confirmed deaths, down one from Thursday.
• 1,150 probable deaths, no change from Thursday.
• 2,066 nursing home deaths, no change from Thursday.
• 8,462 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, no change from Thursday.
• 2.43 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 0.28 from Thursday.
• 112,892 PCR and antigen test reports, up 181 from Thursday.
• 85,325 private lab reports, up 146 from Thursday.
• 27,567 public lab reports, up 35 from Thursday.
• 8.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, down from 8.7% Thursday.
• 25 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down three from Thursday.
• 8,231 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up three from Thursday.
• 1,597 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up one from Thursday.
• Six active probable cases in Garland County, up one from Thursday.
• 206 confirmed deaths, no change from Thursday.
• 49 probable deaths, no change from Thursday.
Friday's rolling seven-day average of new polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cases in Garland County remained below three for the ninth-straight day, and for the second time in two weeks, no new infections were reported in the county.
The county's PCR-confirmed infection curve has fallen 60% since the start of the month and 95% during the first 99 days of 2021. Friday's moving average was 97.8% lower than the Jan. 11 peak of 110.71. No deaths of county residents have been reported since March 30.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals increased by 19 Friday, the biggest single-day increase in statewide hospitalizations since the 26 added Feb. 25.
Arkansas ranked as the 46th best state for working from home, according to a report the personal finance website WalletHub released last week. The report, https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-working-from-home/72801, said Arkansas ranked second to last in household internet access and 48th in the share of people working from home. It ranked 41st in cybersecurity and 31st in internet cost.
The report said 20% of all employed people whose jobs could be done from home prior to the pandemic actually worked from home. Seventy-one percent of those employees now work from home, with 54% saying they prefer to continue remote work when the pandemic ends.
"However, people who are allowed to work from home may not always have the best environment for doing so," the report said. "The best work-from-home conditions include low costs, reasonable comfort and a high level of security."