The number of Arkansans hospitalized with covid-19 hit a new six-month high on Sunday with 33 new patients, the fourth time in a week in which daily hospitalizations have been the highest since late January.
However, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 1,369 new coronavirus cases Sunday, a decline from both Saturday and the previous Sunday. The number of ventilators in use also declined, falling by 10 to 261. Sunday's hospitalizations brought the state total to 1,273.
"The situation is very serious because any increase in hospitalization is a continued stress on our hospital systems which really don't have available beds -- it's a very difficult situation," said Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state's chief epidemiologist.
The Health Department on Sunday reported an additional 11 deaths linked to the coronavirus, raising the official state tally since March 2020 to 6,301.
Active cases of the coronavirus were up slightly, to 23,921, 23,869 being from community while 52 were from correctional facilities.
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Of the active cases, 3,473 were among people who have been fully immunized from the coronavirus, according to Health Department data. The immunized account for about 14.5% of currently active coronavirus cases in Arkansas, but only about 2.2% of all reported Arkansas coronavirus cases and 1.1% of covid-19 deaths in the state since the pandemic began.
Hospitalizations for coronavirus were below 200 as recently as June 12. The all-time high number of coronavirus hospitalizations was 1,371 on Jan. 11.
"Because of how full the hospitals are, they are not able to transfer patients within the state to get the appropriate level of care and that's a very serious situation to be in," Dillaha said.
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The weeks-long surge in cases from the delta variant of the coronavirus has caused many in Arkansas to reexamine the state's ban on government-issued mask mandates the Legislature passed in April.
With the school year starting soon and vaccines for children under age 12 not yet cleared, many around the state have called for school districts to be allowed to issue mask mandates.
On Friday, a Pulaski County judge issued a ruling temporarily blocking the state from enforcing its ban on government-issues mask mandates.
Speaking with John Dickerson on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday morning, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he regretted signing the mask mandate bill, saying, "Leaders have to adjust to the new facts."
"Whenever I signed that law, our cases were low, we were hoping the whole thing was gone in terms of the virus but it roared back with the delta variant," Hutchinson said.
As school districts begin considering how to safely hold classes, Hutchinson reiterated his stance against a vaccine mandate Sunday, but said in a tweet after his appearance on CBS "We have time before school starts to get more doses out. That is the key."
For health officials, the vaccines are the key to getting the state through the delta variant. While Arkansas lagged behind most states in getting the shot, the number of people getting a first dose in recent weeks as surged as the state reported more cases.
The health department reported Sunday an additional 1,886 people were partially immunized while a further 2,410 were fully immunized bringing the total to about 1.1 million.
"It's very important for everyone to get vaccinated even for people who had covid before," Dillaha said.
Hutchinson said full authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the vaccine, taking it off its emergency use authorization, would help in pushing reluctant people to get vaccinated.
"We need that final FDA approval -- they need to act," Hutchinson said.
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Pulaski County led the state with 149 reported cases Sunday, followed by Benton County with 111 and Washington County with 89.