As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson held his weekly press update Tuesday at the state Capitol. The following stats were posted Tuesday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 260,696 cumulative confirmed cases, up 117 from Monday.
• 109.57 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 6.57 from Monday.
• 2,906,644 PCR test reports, up 3,586 from Monday.
• 9.0% cumulative PCR infection report, no change from Monday.
• 71,750 cumulative probable cases, up 107 from Monday.
• 15.7% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 2,038,800 vaccine doses received, no change from Monday.
• 1,427,096 doses given, up 23,220 from Monday.
• 1,663 active confirmed and probable cases, up 23 from Monday.
• 325,061 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 193 from Monday.
• 148 hospitalizations, no change from Monday.
• 19 cases on a ventilator, up two from Monday.
• 49 ICU patients, down two from Monday.
• 4,516 confirmed deaths, up two from Monday.
• 1,157 probable deaths, up six from Monday.
• 2,067 nursing home deaths, no change from Monday.
• 8,466 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, down one from Monday.
• 113,573 PCR and antigen test reports, up 462 from Monday.
• 85,575 private lab reports, up 121 from Monday.
• 27,656 public lab reports, down one from Monday.
• 8.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 19 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down seven from Monday.
• 8,240 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up five from Monday.
• 1,595 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, no change from Monday.
• Three active probable cases in Garland County, no change from Monday.
• 207 confirmed deaths, up one from Monday.
• 49 probable deaths, no change from Monday.
Hutchinson said the state is racing to head off the rise other states' infection curves are tracing, comparing Arkansas' rolling seven-day average of new infections to the Michigan average that began climbing in late February.
Michigan's new infections peaked Dec. 8, which was more than 30 days before Arkansas hit its peak in early January. Michigan's curve traced its lowest point in late February. But its infections are surging, hitting a new peak this month.
"Then Michigan skyrocketed," Hutchinson said. "They went up to their second peak, which is April 9. We were 32 days apart in our peaks. The question is will we go up and peak again just as we followed Michigan and some of the other states before. We lag behind them in our trend line. That's why we're at a crossroads. We can avoid that second peak by making sure we protect ourselves, but that puts us in a race to get the vaccine."
Hutchinson said positive cases as a percent of polymerase chain reaction and antigen tests have risen recently. The infection rate's rolling seven-day average remained below 5% despite the recent trend. It peaked in January at 18%.
Hutchinson noted the rising infection rate may be a function of lower demand for testing but expressed concern that it could be the cause of Tuesday's slight increase in new infections relative to the previous Tuesday. The rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases has risen more than 13% since Saturday. Hospitalizations have fallen more than 9% over that time.
"The concern is that slight tick up in the positivity rate is the reason we had a little bit higher number of cases," he said. "Beware the virus is still here, and we need to get our vaccinations."