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 Thursday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 214,199 cumulative confirmed cases, up 1,735 from Wednesday.
• 1,952.57 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 77.43 from Wednesday.
• 2,233,844 PCR test reports, up 14,420 from Wednesday.
• 9.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 275,000 vaccine doses received, up 23,400 from Wednesday.
• 112,238 doses given, up 9,581 from Wednesday.
• 50,312 cumulative probable cases, up 756 from Wednesday.
• 19.6% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 24,740 active confirmed cases, down 355 from Wednesday.
• 235,513 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 2,804 from Wednesday.
• 1,295 hospitalizations, down 67 from Wednesday.
• 241 cases on a ventilator, down 14 from Wednesday.
• 426 ICU admissions, down six from Wednesday.
• 3,495 confirmed deaths, up 25 from Wednesday.
• 733 probable deaths, up 17 from Wednesday.
• 1,699 nursing home deaths, up 11 from Wednesday.
• 6,202 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 113 from Wednesday.
• 93.14 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up 1.14 from Wednesday.
• 77,578 PCR and antigen test reports, up 614 from Wednesday.
• 57,353 private lab reports, up 513 from Wednesday.
• 20,225 public lab reports, up 101 from Wednesday.
• 8.9% cumulative PCR infection rate, up from 8.7% Wednesday.
• 641 active confirmed cases in Garland County, up 35 from Wednesday.
• 5,410 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 77 from Wednesday.
• 1,069 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up 15 from Wednesday.
• 187 active probable cases in Garland County, down five from Wednesday.
• 151 confirmed deaths, up one from Wednesday.
• 28 probable deaths, no change from Wednesday.
After 27 new confirmed cases, the fewest since Jan. 4, were reported Wednesday in Garland County, new reported polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cases reached triple digits for the sixth time in 10 days Thursday.
The 113 new confirmed cases reported Thursday raised the rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases for the first time since Monday. The county's cumulative PCR infection rate has risen 5% since Sunday's data correction added more than 4,700 test reports to the county's test total.
Five Garland County school districts were among the 163 the Health Department reported having five or more active confirmed and probable student and staff cases Thursday. Thirty-five were reported at the Lake Hamilton School District, down from the 39 reported Monday. Seventeen were reported at Fountain Lake, up from the 10 reported Monday.
Thirteen were reported in the Hot Springs School District, down from the 14 reported Monday. Eleven were reported at Lakeside, down from the 14 reported Monday. Nine were reported at Mountain Pine, the same number that was reported Monday.
The Health Department reported 3,425 active cases in all of the state's school districts Thursday, up from the 3,280 reported Monday.
The state's infection curve fell for the third-straight day Thursday. The rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases has fallen 10% from Monday's peak. Hospitalizations have fallen 6% from their Monday peak.
"Today's report shows over 800 fewer cases with higher testing than this time last week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson, referring to new confirmed and probable cases, said Thursday in a news release. "We also saw a decrease in hospitalizations and ventilator usage. This will relieve some of the strain on our health care system as we continue to distribute vaccine doses."