Arkansas reported just two new deaths from the coronavirus Thursday as its count of cases rose by 199, a slightly lower daily increase than the one a week earlier.
The number of people hospitalized with covid-19 in Arkansas fell by nine, to 141, its lowest level since June 4.
Arkansas has now had three days this year, all within the past week, in which the death toll didn't rise above two. The state's death toll from the virus since March 2020, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose to 5,662.
“Vaccine doses administered have increased by nearly 154,000 since this time last week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Our hospitalizations and new cases continue to decline, but it's important that we continue to get vaccinated to protect our fellow Arkansans.”
After dropping Wednesday, the number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators rose by three, to 23.
The number of covid-19 patients who were in intensive care as of 2 p.m. Thursday fell by five, to 62.
After a rise earlier in the week, Thursday was the second consecutive day in which the number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state fell.
The number of new daily coronavirus cases that were added to the state's tally was down by 45 from the increase a day earlier, and down by 12 from the one the previous Thursday, April 1.
After rising slightly on Wednesday, the average daily increase over a rolling seven-day period fell by about two, to 156.
That still remained above this year's low, reached the week ending Friday, when the state's count rose by an average of 151 cases a day.
More details in Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.