The Arkansas Department of Health announced that COVID-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 1,459 on Wednesday, after adding 1,875 on Tuesday.
Hospitalizations were up by 33 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of patients hospitalized in the state to 848, the highest number recorded since February. There are currently 156 patients in the state on ventilators, up 25 from the day prior.
The state also announced 13 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths in the state as a result of the pandemic to 6,020.
There are currently 11,903 cases of COVID-19 considered active in the state, which includes those that have tested positive by both PCR and antigen testing methods. This number is up more than 7.4 times the amount reported June 7, when active cases dropped below 1,600 briefly. The ADH dashboard currently lists 769 active cases in Washington County and 854 in Benton County.
There were 5,856 PCR tests and 1,360 antigen tests announced Monday.
The new cases bring the total cumulative count in Arkansas to 368,466 since the pandemic began.
The state announced that 9,833 additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, bringing the total number of doses given by the state to 2,246,166. The state lists 257,895 as partially immunized, and 1,034,033 individuals as fully immunized.
Arkansas continues to lag behind the rest of the country in vaccinations. According to the New York Times vaccine tracker, Arkansas is ranked 48th with just 36% of the population being reported as fully vaccinated.
Arkansas is averaging 1,051 cases per day, or 38 per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks. The state is currently ranked worst among states in the per 100,000 category over that time, according to the Times. Cases in the state are up 137% over the last 14 days.
By comparison, Vermont - who has at least partially vaccinated nearly 75% of its population - is only reporting about 13 new cases per day, or two for every 100,000 residents.
All Arkansans ages 12 and older are currently eligible for a vaccine.
Those who need assistance locating a vaccine can call 1-800-985-6030.
The top counties for new cases on Monday were Pulaski (243), Washington (135) and Benton (96).
