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 Monday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 208,778 cumulative confirmed cases, up 1,029 from Sunday.
• 2,160.43 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 26.14 from Sunday.
• 2,202,491 PCR test reports, up 9,896 from Sunday.
• 9.5% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Sunday.
• 203,375 vaccine doses received, no change from Sunday.
• 80,796 doses given, up 2,942 from Sunday.
• 47,566 cumulative probable cases, up 239 from Sunday.
• 19.5% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Sunday.
• 25,534 active confirmed and probable cases, down 1,958 from Sunday.
• 226,700 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 3,187 from Sunday.
• 1,371 hospitalizations, up 31 from Sunday.
• 268 cases on a ventilator, up 31 from Sunday.
• 460 ICU admissions, up 21 from Sunday.
• 3,392 confirmed deaths, up 29 from Sunday.
• 689 probable deaths, up nine from Sunday.
• 1,659 nursing home deaths, up 13 from Sunday.
• 5,918 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 60 from Sunday.
• 110.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 6.42 from Sunday.
• 76,116 PCR and antigen test reports, up 749 from Sunday.
• 55,958 private lab reports, up 734 from Sunday.
• 20,158 public lab reports, up 15 from Sunday.
• 8.5% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Sunday.
• 574 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down 34 from Sunday.
• 5,200 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 92 from Sunday.
• 1,013 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, down five from Sunday.
• 194 active probable cases in Garland County, down 18 from Sunday.
• 144 confirmed deaths, up two from Sunday.
• 26 probable deaths, no change from Sunday.
Garland County's rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases peaked for the third-straight day Monday, reaching triple digits for the first time Sunday.
The 195 new confirmed cases reported Sunday surpassed the previous record of 191 reached Jan. 5. They and the 60 new confirmed infections reported Monday raised the moving average to 110.71, a more than 100% increase from the previous Monday's average. The average has peaked six times in the last eight days. The county had the state's fifth-highest number of new infections reported Monday.
The 2,856 new confirmed cases reported statewide Sunday were also a record, pushing the state's rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases past 2,000 for the first time. The moving average peaked again Monday with the 1,029 new cases the Health Department reported pushing it to 2,160.43. The average has increased 22% since the previous Monday.
The record number of new daily infections the county and state recorded Sunday coincided with more than 34,000 polymerase chain reaction test reports being added to the state's total. The Health Department said the large number of reports, which included more than 4,700 for the county, were part of a data correction from a private lab. Many of the reports had been processed earlier but weren't added to state and county tallies until Sunday, the Health Department said.
About 10,000 to 12,000 reports are added to the state count on a typical day. Several hundred are typically added to the county's count.
Hospitalizations peaked for the 12th time in 15 days Monday, and the 268 COVID-19 patients on ventilators were an all-time high.
"Today's report of 31 additional hospitalizations will add to the load of our health care workers," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday in a news release. "The better news is the new cases are starting to slow somewhat. Let's work toward a true downward trend."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday that the 102.3 new infections per 100,000 people Arkansas averaged over the last seven days was the third highest in the country, trailing only Rhode Island and Arizona.