Arkansas virus cases rise by 2,827, setting a record for 2nd day

Breunna Lewis, a medical assistant for UAMS, administers a covid-19 test Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at the Lonoke Community Center. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
Breunna Lewis, a medical assistant for UAMS, administers a covid-19 test Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at the Lonoke Community Center. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)

​​​​​Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Friday by more than 2,800, setting a new record for the second day in a row.

The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by 31, to 2,586.

Meanwhile, the number of patients hospitalized in the state with covid-19, fell for the second straight day, dropping by 31, to 1,041.

Those patients included 191 who were on a ventilator, up from 190 a day earlier.

"We are at a critical point in combating this virus as we continue to see record numbers of new cases each day," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.

"This battle will not be won by the actions of a few; it will take each Arkansan doing our part to win this fight.”

The rise of 2,827 cases on Friday followed an increase of 2,789 a day earlier.

Before those two spikes, the state's record for a one-day increase was the 2,348 cases that were added to the state's tallies on Nov. 26.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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