Arkansas covid-19 cases up by 932; governor urges booster doses

Gov. Asa Hutchinson talks about new OSHA vaccine requirements for businesses during a press conference discussing OSHA and CMS rules for vaccine requirements on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at the state Capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Gov. Asa Hutchinson talks about new OSHA vaccine requirements for businesses during a press conference discussing OSHA and CMS rules for vaccine requirements on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, at the state Capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

In a break from Arkansas' recent upward trend in new coronavirus cases, the state's case count rose Tuesday by 932, the first daily increase in eight days that was smaller than the one a week earlier.

Already at its highest level in more than six weeks, however, the number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 rose by four, to 456.

The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by 24, to 8,776.

At his weekly news conference at the state Capitol, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was pleased that the state had fewer new cases on Tuesday than a week earlier, when its case count rose by 1,044.

But he noted that the number of cases in the state that were considered active and the number of Arkansans who were hospitalized with the virus were both up compared to a week earlier.

The active case total, which rose to 7,414 on Tuesday, was up by more than 1,700 compared to the previous Tuesday although down from a recent high of 7,555 on Saturday and Sunday.

The number hospitalized with the virus was up by 47 compared to a week earlier.

Hutchinson also urged fully vaccinated Arkansans, especially those age 65 and older, to get their booster shots once they're eligible.

"As cases continue to increase, we’re also seeing more breakthrough cases among vaccinated individuals age 65 and older who have not received a covid-19 booster dose," Hutchinson said.

"That’s why we’re encouraging this population particularly, 65 and older, to get a booster dose."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended booster doses for everyone 18 and older who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.

"What we’re learning about these vaccines is that this may not just be a two-dose vaccine," Arkansas Health Secretary Jose Romero said, referring to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

"This may be a three-dose vaccine. We have vaccines that are three dose vaccines, especially for adults, and this may change in the future."

He said people who are not vaccinated still make up "the bulk of the hospitalizations" from the virus, however.

"There are individuals that are getting older, that their immunity is waning and they’re contributing to those hospitalizations, but they are far less than those that have not been vaccinated," Romero said.

Hutchinson called it "great news" that the Health Department's tally of vaccine doses that had been administered rose Tuesday by 17,052, the largest one-day rise since late August.

Booster doses accounted for almost 55% of the most recent increase.

The count of first doses rose by 4,717, which was up slightly from the increase in first doses a week earlier.

"What you can see is that whenever the risk increases, our vaccination increases, which means that Arkansans actually know they need to get the vaccine," Hutchinson said. "They just have a tendency to put if off because they see the risk diminishing."

EARLIER:

Gov. Asa Hutchinson will provide his weekly media update at 1:30 p.m.

Check back to watch the live video.

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