FAYETTEVILLE -- Covid-19 cases in Northwest Arkansas have increased about 4,100 in just under two weeks, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Washington County had a cumulative 21,108 cases as of Thursday, compared to 19,088 on Dec. 18. The county had 1,642 active cases Thursday including 1,232 confirmed and 410 probable cases. Active cases are those that have not recovered or died.
Benton County had a cumulative 17,503 cases as of Thursday compared to 15,427 on Dec. 18. The county had 1,812 active cases Thursday including 1,210 confirmed and 602 probable cases.
The first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at hospitals in the region about two weeks ago and hospitals are continuing to vaccinate staff members as well as some other front line workers, such as emergency medical technicians. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose 21 days after the first dose. Pharmacies also recently began administering Moderna vaccines, which require a second dose 28 days after the first dose, to residents and staff at long-term care facilities in the area.
"We are hopeful about the covid-19 vaccine. And the healthcare workers that have received it have some sense of relief, but the number of cases and hospitalizations continues to rise, still," said Martine Pollard, spokeswoman at Mercy Health System. "As the vaccine begins to be administered more broadly, it will take time for it to have an overall positive impact on our communities and healthcare systems. Until that positive impact occurs, we will continue to ask and share the same message about following the guidelines to slow the spread of the virus and end this pandemic."
Hospitals in Northwest Arkansas had a combined total of 118 patients in their covid-19 units as of Thursday, an increase of 12 in one day, according to a joint statement from the region's largest health care organizations via Pollard. The region's record number of covid-19 patients in a single day was 119 on Dec. 22.
The region's health care organizations with the largest hospitals -- Mercy, Washington Regional Medical System and Northwest Health -- have a combined total of 134 beds designated for covid-19 patients. Washington Regional has 54, Mercy has 56, and Northwest Health has 24 beds.
A representative for Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks wouldn't say how many beds the hospital has designated for covid-19 patients.
Children's Northwest, which treats patients up to 21 years old, doesn't have beds designated for covid-19 patients. However, any patient who has the virus is in a room with a negative pressure system as a protective measure, according to Hilary DeMillo, spokeswoman.
Both antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction, or PCR tests are used to test for covid-19. Antigen tests produce faster results, are generally only used on people with symptoms of the virus and have a higher chance of giving false-negative results. Antigen and most PCR tests are done via nasal swabs.
A total of 139,052 PCR tests and 11,686 antigen tests have been done on Benton County residents, while 158,346 PCR tests and 23,247 antigen tests have been done on Washington County residents, according to the Health Department.
The state Health Department began doing PCR tests May 18 and now offers PCR and antigen tests at all county health units. The department has health units in Fayetteville, Rogers and Siloam Springs.
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Covid-19 testing
The following offer both antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction, or PCR tests for covid-19. Hours may differ on New Year’s Day.
• Washington County Health Unit: 3270 Wimberly Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 521-8181 to make an appointment.
• Benton County Health Unit: 1200 W. Walnut St., Suite 2200 in Rogers. Patients should call (479) 986-1300 to make an appointment.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 1301 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 808 U.S. 65 in Harrison.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 2301 W. Pleasant Grove Road, Suite 101 in Rogers.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 3300 W. Sunset Ave. in Springdale.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road, Suite 101 in Fayetteville. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Appointments are not required.
• Washington Regional Internal Medicine Associates, 688 Millsap Road, Suite 100 in Fayetteville. 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Shiloh Clinic, 513 N. Shiloh St. in Springdale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional East Springdale Family Clinic, 1607 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Farmington Family Clinic, 199 E. Main St. in Farmington. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon. Friday. Appointments are required.
• West Washington County Clinic inside Lincoln Middle School, 201 E. School St. in Lincoln. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Crossroads Family Clinic, U.S. 62 North, Harrison. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday. Appointments are required.
• Washington Regional Eureka Springs Family Clinic, 146 Passion Play Road in Eureka Springs. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are required for testing in the clinic. Drive-through antigen testing is available 8 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday. An appointment is not necessary for drive-through testing.
• Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 500 S. Mount Olive St., No. 200 in Siloam Springs.
• Community Clinic Rogers Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1233 W. Poplar St. in Rogers.
• Community Clinic Springdale Medical and Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300 in Springdale.
• Community Clinic Fayetteville Medical: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3162 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Suites 13 and 14.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine South: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2523 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1109 S. West End St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-3630 to make an appointment.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine Pinnacle Hills: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3730 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Suite 2 in Rogers. Patients must make an appointment by calling (479) 464-5599.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Urgent Care Wedington: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Sunday, 1188 N. Salem Road, Suite 6 in Fayetteville.
• Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3380 N. Futrall Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 442-7322 to schedule a telemedicine screening appointment.
• MedExpress Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 1160 S. 40th St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-2971 to make an appointment.
• Northwest Medical Center: 601 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Northwest Medical Center: 2158 Butterfield Coach Road, Suite 100 in Springdale. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Mercy Coronavirus Evaluation Site: Mercy Convenient Care, 3101 S.E. 14th St. in Bentonville. Patients must call (479) 717-7585 beforehand to make an appointment to be screened.
• Mercy Clinic Convenient Care: 3101 Southeast 14th St. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 2900 Southeast Moberly Lane in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1 Mercy Way in Bella Vista.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 4600 Mercy Lane, Suite 140 in Springdale.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1000 Southeast 13th Court in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1401 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 1225 E. Centerton Blvd. in Centerton.
• Mercy Clinic Family Medicine: 613 N. Second St. in Rogers.
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 200 Carr St. in Pea Ridge.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics: 3101 Southeast 14th St. in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics: 4100 Southwest I St., Suite 100, in Bentonville.
• Mercy Clinic Pediatrics/Mercy Clinic Family Medicine: 325 S. Sixth Place in Lowell.
• Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine – 52nd Street
• Mercy Clinic Primary Care: 4100 Southwest I St., Suite 200, in Bentonville
• Mercy Clinic Family Medicine and Obstetrics: 2708 S. Rife Medical Lane, Suite 130, in Rogers.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 2012 S. Promenade Blvd. in Rogers. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 4962 Elm Springs Road, Suite 5 in Springdale. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
• Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, 3391 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville. Patients may walk in or make an appointment.
The following offer polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests for covid-19. These clinics may not offer antigen tests.
• Walmart/Quest testing site: 7-9 a.m. Thursday and Friday at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients must schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com or MyQuest app.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 3318 N. North Hills Blvd. in Fayetteville.
Screening
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: mana.md/covid-19-screening/.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500.
• Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care may call (800) 691-8387.
• UAMS digital screening: www.uamshealth.com/….
• UAMS hotline: (800) 632-4502.
• Washington Regional hotline: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, (479) 463-2055.
Alex Golden may be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com.