Arkansas recorded 2,543 additional coronavirus cases Saturday, down from the more than 3,100 new cases the state Department of Health reported Friday.
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Saturday's uptick raises the cumulative cases for Arkansas to 270,178, the Health Department reported. Deaths from the coronavirus rose by 30, taking the cumulative death toll to 4,293.
Active cases Saturday rose by 191 to 25,804.
"Our efforts to slow the spread of this virus are so important as we distribute vaccine doses across the state," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet Saturday afternoon. "Thanks to all for following our guidelines."
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Arkansas is expecting about 37,000 additional doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to be shipped in coming days as it begins vaccinating teachers and people who are 70 and older. Those people are part of the next phase of the Health Department's vaccine rollout plan, and their injections are to begin Monday.
Hospitalizations Saturday were at 1,292, a decrease of 22 from Friday. Patients on ventilators because of covid-19 decreased by 12 to 214, the Health Department reported.
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Pulaski County ranked first in new cases with 354, followed by Washington County with 236; Benton County with 191; Saline County with 124; and Sebastian County with 118 cases.
The Health Department identified 1,702 cases as community spread and seven new confirmed cases in correctional facilities.
