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 Wednesday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 248,855 cumulative confirmed cases, up 410 from Tuesday.
• 427.14 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 31.69 from Tuesday.
• 2,593,431 PCR test reports, up 4,423 from Tuesday.
• 9.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 65,337 cumulative probable cases, up 255 from Tuesday.
• 18.3% cumulative antigen infection rate, down from 18.4% from Tuesday.
• 8,239 active confirmed and probable cases, down 865 from Tuesday.
• 300,613 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 1,506 from Tuesday.
• 638 hospitalizations, no change from Tuesday.
• 110 cases on a ventilator, no change from Tuesday.
• 250 ICU admissions, no change from Tuesday.
• 4,268 confirmed deaths, up 35 from Tuesday.
• 1,045 probable deaths, down nine from Tuesday.
• 2,000 nursing home deaths, up five from Tuesday.
• 8,007 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 94 from Tuesday.
• 34.86 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 10.86 from Tuesday.
• 93,949 PCR and antigen test reports, up 474 from Tuesday
• 69,832 private lab reports, up 469 from Tuesday
• 24,117 public lab reports, up five from Tuesday.
• 9.7% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 354 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up 50 from Tuesday.
• 7,464 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 51 from Tuesday.
• 1,430 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up six from Tuesday.
• 92 active probable cases in Garland County, down two from Tuesday.
• 189 confirmed deaths, up one from Tuesday.
• 40 probable deaths, up one from Tuesday.
The Health Department hadn't released county rankings for new infections at presstime, but Garland County accounted for 23% of the new polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cases the state reported Wednesday.
The 94 new confirmed cases reported in the county Wednesday were the most in almost two weeks. They coincided with almost 500 PCR and antigen test reports added to the county's testing total, more than twice the total added Tuesday.
The six new PCR-confirmed cases reported Tuesday lowered the county's rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases to its lowest point since September. Wednesday's new cases spiked the PCR-confirmed infection curve 45%.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that more people in the 70 and older group need to be vaccinated before the state can expand the current phase of its vaccination plan. Other groups in Phase 1-B, which started last month, include food service, manufacturing and postal workers.
"We continue in 1-B," Hutchinson said at his weekly press briefing. "We're focusing on Arkansans 70 and older and education workers. I know the 70-plus are knocking on doors to get the vaccines. We want to get as many as those vaccinated until we move to add additional 1-B characteristics into the vaccination program."