The Arkansas Department of Health has added seven deaths to Garland County's total since Sunday, but the local COVID-19 task force says the count is much higher.
According to a city of Hot Springs news release from Monday's meeting of the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Task Force, 15 people died from COVID-19 last weekend at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and National Park Medical Center.
The Health Department has acknowledged a lag in when deaths occur and when they're added to the COVID-19 dashboard on the ADH website. It's said it has to confirm the disease is listed on the death certificate before a death can be included in its statistics.
Twenty deaths have been reported in Garland County in August, seven more than the combined total from July, June, May and April.
The two local hospitals' censuses included 98 COVID-19 patients Monday, according to the release, down from 110 last week. Twenty-nine COVID-19 patients were in the hospitals' intensive care units Monday.
LifeNet General Manager Jason Gartner told the task force the ambulance service had its busiest day in 15 years last week. The high census counts have prolonged the transfer of patients from ambulances to the hospitals, he said.
"We are very, very busy," he said. "That, of course, translates to the hospitals, as well. We've got great working relationships with the hospitals, and we're coming up with some innovative ideas of how we can minimize (drop-off times), but sometimes it just cannot be helped."
The county's infection curve fell for the second straight day Tuesday and has fallen more than 20% in the last week. Active cases have fallen 22% from Saturday's peak.
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 Tuesday on the Health Department's website:
• 422,866 cumulative cases, up 2,203 from Monday.
• 2,139.14 rolling seven-day average of new cases, down 59.57 from Monday.
• 3,480,833 PCR test reports, up 9,084 from Monday.
• 9.2% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 23,783 active cases, down 315 from Monday.
• 392,430 recoveries, up 2,477 from Monday.
• 3,203,500 vaccine doses received, up 30,050 from Monday.
• 2,537,024 doses given, up 12,690 from Monday.
• 1,410 hospitalizations, down 49 from Monday.
• 328 cases on ventilators, up five from Monday.
• 542 ICU admissions, down 11 from Monday.
• 6,539 deaths, up 41 from Monday.
• 2,122 nursing home deaths, no change from Monday.
• 13,511 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 40 from Monday.
• 82.14 rolling seven-day average of new cases, down 4.72 from Monday.
• 137,036 PCR and antigen test reports, up 339 from Monday.
• 9.9% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from 9.8% Monday.
• 866 active cases in Garland County, down 74 from Monday.
• 12,352 recoveries in Garland County, up 113 from Monday.
• 293 deaths, up one from Sunday.