Virus cases up 417 in Arkansas; death toll rises by 22

Registered nurses Amanda Velasquez (left) and Ursula Dixon take swabs from a couple in April 2020 at a drive-up coronavirus testing site at Arkansas Surgical Hospital in North Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo)
Registered nurses Amanda Velasquez (left) and Ursula Dixon take swabs from a couple in April 2020 at a drive-up coronavirus testing site at Arkansas Surgical Hospital in North Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette file photo)

Coronavirus cases in the state rose by 417 Monday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health, while the death toll from the virus rose by 22, for a total of 1,447 deaths since the pandemic began in March.

Those hospitalized with the virus rose by 15 from Sunday, to a total of 524. That number included 93 on ventilators, up four from the previous day.

"Today we are reminded that more cases leads to increased hospitalizations," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement Monday afternoon. "The number of hospitalized is too high. While it is manageable, it's important to slow the spread of this virus to keep people out of the hospital because of COVID-19."

The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases were Pulaski, 58; Washington, 34; Sebastian, 28; Craighead, 23; Benton, 15; Crawford, 15; and Faulkner, 15.

The state's cumulative count of cases rose to 87,430 -- which is comprised of 83,698 confirmed cases and 3,732 probable ones.

The cases added to the state's tallies included 392 that were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests.

The other 25 were "probable" cases, which include those identified through antigen tests. The number of confirmed or probable cases that were considered active fell by 300, to 6,922.

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

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