As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson held his weekly press update Tuesday at the state Capitol. The following stats were posted Tuesday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 257,449 cumulative confirmed cases, up 211 from Monday.
• 196 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 4.29 from Monday.
• 2,783,605 PCR test reports, up 5,023 from Monday.
• 9.2% cumulative PCR infection rate, down from 9.3% Monday.
• 70,007 cumulative probable cases, up 185 from Monday.
• 16.7% cumulative antigen infection rate, down from 16.8% Monday.
• 2,875 active confirmed and probable cases, up 12 from Monday.
• 1,325,200 vaccine doses received, up 80,980 from Monday.
• 781,348 doses given, up 12,425 from Monday.
• 257 hospitalizations, up seven from Monday.
• 58 cases on a ventilator, no change from Monday.
• 118 ICU patients, up one from Monday.
• 4,387 confirmed deaths, up 11 from Monday.
• 1,106 probable deaths, up one from Monday.
• 2,022 nursing home deaths, up five from Monday.
• 8,366 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up nine from Monday.
• 10 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 3.43 from Monday.
• 107,806 PCR and antigen test reports, up 372 from Monday.
• 81,584 private lab reports, up 364 from Monday.
• 26,222 public lab reports, up eight from Monday.
• 8.9% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Monday.
• 88 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down one from Monday.
• 8,079 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 36 from Monday.
• 1,586 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up five from Monday.
• 11 active probable cases in Garland County, up one from Monday.
• 199 confirmed deaths, no change from Monday.
• 45 probable deaths, no change from Monday.
Hutchinson expanded vaccine eligibility Tuesday to more than a million Arkansans, initiating Phase 1-C of the state's distribution plan more than two weeks ahead of schedule.
According to the state vaccination plan, more than 1.5 million people, or about half of the state's population, are in the 1-C group, which includes those age 16-64 with health conditions that increase their risk of developing complications from COVID-19.
The 1-C group included the 65-69 age group, but they were moved into the higher priority 1-B group last month. According to the state vaccine plan, more than 150,000 people are in the 65-69 group.
"Just because we're opening it up to the 1-C category doesn't mean you're going to be able to get an appointment this week or next week," Hutchinson said. "There's almost a million people in this category.
"Call for an appointment. Be patient and understanding that there is that backlog. The supply is still limited. We're getting 85,000 doses a week. It takes a lot of weeks to build up to the number we want to accomplish in Arkansas."
Hutchinson said Tuesday's expansion is in keeping with the White House's goal of making doses available to the general population by May 1. In addition to those 16-64 with underlying health conditions, 1-C comprises workers in energy, finance, food service, information technology and communications, legal services, media, public health/human services, public safety, shelter and housing and transportation and logistics.
"Not everybody in 1-B has been vaccinated," Hutchinson said. "It's important to open up 1-C, so we can keep the demand coming for the vaccine. It's also important because there has been some slow down in parts of the state on the demand side, particularly in the rural parts of the state. There is a lower acceptance rate for the vaccine in the rural areas of our state, which we have to overcome."
Hutchinson said 27.2% of the 65-and-older group has been fully vaccinated and 55.3% have received their primary dose. Dr. Jose Romero, the state's secretary of health, said a 70% rate of vaccination is needed to reach herd immunity.
Testing demand has slowed in the last six weeks, which Romero said is a sign of fewer symptomatic cases and a less anxious public.
"Symptomatic individuals seek the testing," he said. "There are less individuals in the community who are symptomatic. Do I think there's a lot more cases? There probably are, but not to the degree we had in the past. Unless you're doing active surveillance, you don't have that type of on-the-ground notification of the cases. The testing we're doing at this point reflects the number of individuals who are sick or who are concerned."