The increased availability of rapid tests has heightened COVID-19 surveillance, but their results aren't included in statistics reported by the Arkansas Department of Health.
"We have robust home testing now," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said earlier this week. "People can actually go into the pharmacy. They can get their home test. They can do their test, and they can have that information for them without it going through the Department of Health. We do not have a mandatory reporting requirement for those who use home tests. There could be thousands of home tests being done we're not aware of."
The White House announced a plan last week to spend $2 billion on rapid tests for community health centers, food banks and congregate settings such as homeless shelters and correctional facilities. It's asked retailers and grocery stores to sell the rapid tests at cost for the next three months.
Federal mandates announced last week require businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccines or weekly testing for their workforce. The latter is expected to increase demand for quick-turnaround tests. They detect protein markers on the virus' surface and aren't as accurate as the polymerase chain reaction tests that detect genetic material specific to the virus.
As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The Arkansas Department of Health is no longer reporting confirmed and probable cases separately. The following stats were posted Thursday on the Health Department's website:
• 480,934 cumulative cases, up 1,824 from Wednesday.
• 1,565.29 rolling seven-average of new cases, down 93.85 from Wednesday.
• 3,804,748 PCR test reports, up 20,802 from Wednesday.
• 9.4% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Wednesday.
• 16,401 active cases, down 294 from Wednesday.
• 4,789 active juvenile cases, down 163 from Wednesday.
• 457,019 recoveries, up 2,085 from Wednesday.
• 3,674,540 vaccine doses received, up 27,810 from Wednesday.
• 2,821,781 doses given, up 7,021 from Wednesday.
• 1,074 hospitalizations, down 16 from Wednesday.
• 306 cases on ventilators, up 17 from Wednesday.
• 456 ICU patients, up six from Wednesday.
• 7,395 deaths, up 33 from Wednesday.
• 2,181 nursing home deaths, no change from Wednesday.
• 15,246 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 59 from Wednesday.
• 35.57 rolling seven-day average of new cases, down 4.86 from Wednesday.
• 150,763 PCR and antigen test reports, up 589 from Wednesday.
• 365 active cases in Garland County, down one from Wednesday.
• 14,519 recoveries in Garland County, up 57 from Wednesday.
• 362 deaths, up three from Wednesday.