Case update: Arkansas COVID-19 cases increase by 3,023 Friday


The Arkansas Department of Health announced that COVID-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 3,023 on Friday.

Hospitalizations were up by 61, bringing the total number of patients hospitalized in the state to 1,458.

There are currently 296 patients in the state on ventilators, down two since Thursday.

The state also announced 36 new deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths in the state as a result of the pandemic to 6,432.

There are currently 25,175 cases of COVID-19 considered active in the state, which includes those that have tested positive by both PCR and antigen testing methods. The ADH dashboard currently lists 2,273 active cases in Washington County and 1,769 in Benton County.

There were 10,518 PCR tests and 2,908 antigen tests announced Friday.

The new cases bring the total cumulative count in Arkansas to 416,173 since the pandemic began.

The state announced that 13,557 additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, bringing the total number of doses given by the state to 2,496,004. The state lists 349,938 as partially immunized, and 1,116,730 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 45th with just 38% of the population being reported as fully vaccinated.

Arkansas is averaging 2,273 new cases per day, or 75 per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks. The state is currently ranked fourth worst among states in the per 100,000 category over that time, according to the Times. Cases in the state are up 30% over the last 14 days.

By comparison, Vermont - who has at least partially vaccinated nearly 75% of its population - is only reporting about 95 new cases per day, or 15 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 Friday were Pulaski (317), Washington (313), and Benton (206).