Case update: Washington County leads state in new coronavirus cases Tuesday, state adds 139 probable COVID-19 deaths

The number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 864 on Tuesday.

Of those, 676 are considered confirmed cases from PCR testing in the state, and 188 are considered probable after detection by antigen tests.

There were 17 additional deaths, bringing the toll to 1,003. The state on Tuesday announced an additional 139 probable COVID-19 deaths to the toll. Those individuals, officials said, are people who died that may have had an antigen test to identify a probable case but not a PCR test to confirm, or individuals who had COVID-19 listed on their death certificate as a cause of death without laboratory evidence of a COVID-19 infection.

Hospitalizations were up by 11 to 389, and the number of Arkansans on ventilators decreased by eight to 68.

There are currently 5,703 cases of COVID-19 considered active in the state. There are 63,415 individuals who are considered to have recovered from the virus.

Officials announced 5,852 new PCR tests on Thursday, along with 880 antigen tests.

The top counties for new cases on Friday were Washington (91), Pulaski (71), Benton (48), Sebastian (47) and Jefferson (23).

University of Arkansas officials on Monday updated the school’s COVID-19 dashboard to include 100 new cases of the virus identified between Sept. 11-13. The UA is reporting 334 active cases of the virus, including 329 students, one grad assistant, one faculty member, and three staff cases.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Tuesday during his (now weekly) press event that the state has secured enough supplies for 12,000 antigen tests which will allow for quick-turn around testing at several facilities across the state over the next few months. In Northwest Arkansas, the quick-result antigen tests will be available at the local county health units.