Garland County's pandemic has reached a point where the 157 new cases reported Friday lowered its infection curve, displacing the 184 reported the previous Friday in the rolling-seven day average.
The average dropped, but the county's active case count peaked for the second time in seven days. Almost 1% of the county's population has a known, active infection.
The three deaths reported Friday raised deaths reported during the first 13 days of the month to 13, one less than the combined count from May, June and July.
The county's cumulative polymerase chain reaction infection rate rose one-tenth of a percent for the seventh time in 16 days Friday. The rate has risen 16% since the start of July.
The number of COVID-19 patients in Arkansas hospitals peaked for the fourth time in five days Friday, rising 333% since early July.
"Our vaccination numbers are up by over 10% compared to last week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on Twitter Friday. "This is good progress, but we are still seeing record levels of hospitalizations. We have to do our part to stop this virus and reduce the workload on our health care workers."
Twenty or more deaths were reported for the seventh time in eight days Friday, making the 291 deaths reported during the first 13 days of August 25% higher than the number reported during all of July.
As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The Arkansas Department of Health is no longer reporting confirmed and probable cases separately. The following stats were posted Friday on the Health Department's website:
• 416,173 cumulative cases, up 3,023 from Thursday.
• 2,271.14 rolling seven-day average of new cases, down two from Thursday.
• 3,448,185 PCR test reports, up 13,888 from Thursday.
• 9.2% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from 9.1% Thursday.
• 25,175 active cases, up 742 from Thursday.
• 384,452 recoveries, up 2,245 from Thursday.
• 3,132,150 vaccine doses received, up 63,830 from Thursday.
• 2,496,004 doses given, up 13,557 from Thursday.
• 1,458 hospitalizations, up 62 from Thursday.
• 296 cases on a ventilator, down two from Thursday.
• 521 ICU admissions, down eight from Thursday.
• 6,432 deaths, up 36 from Thursday.
• 2,118 nursing home deaths, up four from Thursday.
• 13,305 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 157 from Thursday.
• 100.57 rolling seven-day average of new cases, down 3.86 from Thursday.
• 135,734 PCR and antigen test reports, up 595 from Thursday.
• 9.8% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from 9.7% Thursday.
• 982 active cases in Garland County, up 63 from Thursday.
• 12,037 recoveries in Garland County, up 91 from Thursday.
• 286 deaths, up three from Thursday.