The downward trend in new coronavirus cases in Arkansas continued on Friday as the number of people hospitalized in the state with the virus fell for the third day in a row.
But the number of newly reported deaths remained high, with the toll rising Friday by 47, to 4,831.
The state's count of cases rose by 1,707.
That was a smaller increase than both the one the day before and on the previous Friday, Jan. 22.
The number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 fell by 45, to 951.
"Today we saw a decrease of over 450 new cases from this time last week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.
"We have also distributed over 84,000 doses of vaccine in the past week. With a decline in hospitalizations, we remind ourselves that watching our distance and wearing a mask does make a difference. Please keep the guidelines in mind as we go into the weekend.”
[VACCINE INFO: Latest on covid-19 vaccines in Arkansas, U.S. » arkansasonline.com/vaccineinfo/]
Despite the drop in hospitalized virus patients, the number of the patients who were on ventilators rose by one, to 144.
The number of covid-19 patients who were in intensive care units fell by eight, to 299.
The drop in hospitalizations on Friday brought that number to its lowest level since Nov. 21.
Meanwhile, the number of cases that were considered active fell by 221, to 17,326, as 1,881 Arkansans were newly classified as having recovered.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.