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:
• 256,269 cumulative confirmed cases, up 192 from Tuesday.
• 233.14 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 13.15 from Tuesday.
• 2,752,183 PCR test reports, up 8,132 from Tuesday.
• 9.3% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 69,431 cumulative probable cases, up 125 from Tuesday.
• 16.9% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 3,227 active confirmed and probable cases, down 234 from Tuesday.
• 1,162,330 vaccine doses received, up 3,700 from Tuesday.
• 709,581 doses given, up 12,129 from Tuesday.
• 301 hospitalizations, down 16 from Tuesday.
• 72 cases on a ventilator, up one from Tuesday.
• 128 ICU patients, down eight from Tuesday.
• 4,332 confirmed deaths, up 11 from Tuesday.
• 1,050 probable deaths, up 14 from Tuesday.
• 2,009 nursing home deaths, up four from Tuesday.
• 8,301 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up five from Tuesday.
• 15.43 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 0.28 from Tuesday.
• 106,004 PCR and antigen test reports, up 153 from Tuesday.
• 80,426 private lab reports, up 138 from Tuesday.
• 25,578 public lab reports, up 15 from Tuesday.
• 8.9% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 104 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down nine from Tuesday.
• 8,000 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 11 from Tuesday.
• 1,580 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up five from Tuesday.
• 22 active probable cases in Garland County, up one from Tuesday.
• 197 confirmed deaths, up three from Tuesday.
• 41 probable deaths, up one from Tuesday.
Appointments for the March 16 vaccination clinic at the Garland County Fairgrounds can be picked up today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the back entrance of the Hot Springs Convention Center, the city of Hot Springs said in a news release.
Only those in Phase 1-B of the state's vaccine distribution plan are eligible for next week's clinic.
National Park Medical Center told the task force organizing the local response to the pandemic that it's relaxed its visitation policy, according to a news release the city issued from Monday's task force meeting. The hospital is allowing one well visitor over the age of 16 per patient. Intensive care unit visitation is limited to one well visitor over the age of 16 from 4-8 p.m.
Visitation for patients with COVID-19 symptoms is still prohibited.
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs relaxed its visitation policy last month, allowing patients one visitor over the age of 18 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. No visitors are allowed for patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
Both hospitals told the task force their COVID admissions were in the single digits. The Health Department reported Wednesday that statewide hospitalizations have fallen to their lowest level since June.
Five confirmed deaths have been reported in Garland County since Saturday. The three reported Wednesday were the most since Jan. 31. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said 15 of the 24 confirmed and probable deaths reported statewide Monday occurred last year or in January. Sixteen of the 25 confirmed and probable deaths reported Wednesday occurred in January, he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Wednesday for nursing home visitation, recommending long-term care facilities permit indoor visitation, regardless of whether visitors have been vaccinated. Outdoor visitation is preferred, even if the resident and visitor have both been fully vaccinated.
The rate of nursing home deaths in Arkansas has fallen significantly, dropping from 14.5 daily deaths reported in December to 3.3 in February and 3.2 in March.