COVID-19 update

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). - Image by CDC via The Associated Press
This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). - Image by CDC via The Associated Press

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:

• 254,637 cumulative confirmed cases, up 284 from Tuesday.

• 310.14 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 25 from Tuesday.

• 2,709,946 PCR test reports, up 7,551 from Tuesday.

• 9.4% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.

• 68,716 cumulative probable cases, up 120 from Tuesday.

• 17.3% cumulative antigen infection rate, down from 17.4% Tuesday.

• 4,278 active confirmed and probable cases, up 23 from Tuesday.

• 977,710 vaccine doses received, up 1,800 from Tuesday.

• 622,719 doses given, up 13,664 from Tuesday.

• 397 hospitalizations, down 19 from Tuesday.

• 91 cases on a ventilator, up 11 from Tuesday.

• 165 ICU admissions, up five from Tuesday.

• 4,272 confirmed deaths, up seven from Tuesday.

• 989 probable deaths, no change from Tuesday.

• 1,988 nursing home deaths, up one from Tuesday.

• 8,193 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up seven from Tuesday.

• 14.86 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 0.71 from Tuesday.

• 103,909 PCR and antigen test reports, up 236 from Tuesday.

• 79,021 private lab reports, up 180 from Tuesday.

• 24,888 public lab reports, up 56 from Tuesday.

• 9% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.

• 131 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down eight from Tuesday.

• 7,870 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 15 from Tuesday.

• 1,556 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up six from Tuesday.

• 50 active probable cases in Garland County, up six from Tuesday.

• 192 confirmed deaths, no change from Tuesday.

• 39 probable deaths, no change from Tuesday.

The seven new polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cases reported Wednesday in Garland County marked the fifth-straight day of single-digit increases, dropping the rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases to early October levels.

Wednesday's 14.86 average was more than 50% lower than the summer peak the county's PCR-confirmed infection curve traced July 31. But Dr. Gene Shelby, the county's health officer, warned Monday that the pandemic persists.

"It is really important for us to recognize there's still virus here," Shelby told the task force organizing the local response to the pandemic, according to a city of Hot Springs news release. "It is not the time to declare this pandemic over. The guidelines still exist, and we still need to do the things to prevent further spread."

The drop in new infections has corresponded with lower testing numbers. Allowing for Sunday's data correction that increased the county's numbers by more than 7,000 PCR and antigen test reports processed prior to Feb. 14, last week's testing was about 25% lower than the more than 2,000 weekly reports processed for the county when new infections peaked in January.

Fewer than 1,100 reports were added to the county's testing total during the week of the Feb. 15-21 winter storms.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson acknowledged that surveillance has dropped statewide.

"Testing is modest," he said Tuesday during his weekly briefly. "We'd like to see it higher. It's just a reality of where we are."

Statistics, such as hospitalizations and deaths, not dependent on testing have fallen in proportion to the drop in new infections. Hospitalizations fell below 400 Wednesday for the first time since September, and the county's daily rate of reported confirmed deaths fell to 0.8 in February.

The rate was 1.2 in November, 1.0 in December and 1.3 in January. The statewide rate was 12 last month, down from 26.7 in January, 25.6 in December and 17.9 in November.

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