Arkansas added 494 new coronavirus cases on Friday, significantly less than the 700 new infections reported the previous day, according to information released by the Arkansas Department of Health.
However, active cases of the disease reached a four-month high, while hospitalizations rose to a level last seen on March 8.
The 494 new cases, while down from Thursday's total, was a week-to-week increase from the 302 reported the previous Friday.
Active cases rose by 199, to 4,398. That's the highest number since Feb. 28, when the state reported 4,399 active cases, defined as people who have been diagnosed with the disease but who are not considered recovered.
The number of people hospitalized in the state rose by one to 338, tying the level reached on March 8. Five more covid-19 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, raising the total to 155.
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"As we celebrate this Independence Day weekend, please remember to stay safe," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday afternoon in a Twitter post. "Vaccination rates need to increase, and the Delta Variant is accelerating the spread of COVID-19 throughout Arkansas. Do what is needed to protect yourself and your family this weekend."
The number of patients on ventilators fell by four to 71, lowering the number of those ever on ventilators to 1,730.
The number of people who received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine rose by 812 to 223,421. People fully immunized increased by 2,583 to 999,023.
"Covid-19 is increasing in our communities across the state, including variants of concern like the Delta variant," the state epidemiologist, Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, said. "We encourage all eligible Arkansans ages 12 and older to get vaccinated. The covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are the best way to protect ourselves and to reduce the spread of covid-19."
Dillaha said the state is likely to see an increase in cases after the Fourth of July holiday as people gather to celebrate.
"We encourage all Arkansans to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday safely to reduce the spread of covid-19," Dillaha said, adding that those who are not vaccinated should follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines by wearing a mask and physically distancing.
HOSPITAL PREPARATION
The recent spike in cases and hospitalizations as well as the growing prevalence of the highly transmissible delta variant has hospitals preparing for a second pandemic surge.
At UAMS Medical Center, staffing continues to be the academic medical center's greatest challenge, spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said.
"We have a large caseload of non-covid patients and on top of that, now we have a large increase in covid patients," Taylor said.
The hospital was caring for 21 covid-19 patients, with nine in intensive care and three on ventilators.
Of those patients, 15 are unvaccinated, while five are fully vaccinated and one is partially vaccinated.
"The covid-19 vaccines train the immune system to recognize and fight the viruses that cause covid-19. Usually, this provides enough protection for someone who is fully vaccinated to completely prevent them from developing symptomatic illness related to covid-19," Dillaha said. "A small proportion of people may still develop illness but the protection provided by the vaccine is enough to keep them out of the hospitals and keep them from dying of covid-19."
UAMS reopened a covid-19 unit, increased bed capacity and is working to get enough nurses, doctors and other staff in place "to ensure the best care for all our patients," Taylor said.
"We are preparing for another surge. We are hoping we don't see a spike in cases after the 4th of July weekend," Taylor said in an email. "We want to remind Arkansans to protect themselves by avoiding large crowds, continuing to mask in public, washing their hands and practicing social distancing. If they aren't vaccinated, they need to go get the shot."
The Baptist Health System had 83 covid-19 patients with 36 in the ICU and 29 on ventilators, spokeswoman Cara Wade said.
"We are not aware of anyone that has been vaccinated that is currently hospitalized," Wade said. "But, we can only be certain that a patient has been vaccinated if the shots were administered through Baptist Health."
Dr. Dirk Haselow, Baptist's epidemiologist, said the hospital system has been able to accommodate the recent increase "so far and are planning for a surge of roughly twice our current numbers."
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At St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, spokesman Mitchell Nail said the hospital has hovered in the range of 10 to 15 covid-19 patients.
"Thankfully, the Northeast Arkansas region as a whole has avoided a huge case spike," Nail said. "The concerning part, however, is every region of the state has experienced an uptick in overall cases and subsequent hospitalizations."
Less than half of St. Bernards' covid-19 patients have required ICU admittance and only one or two patients at a time have required ventilator use, he said.
"We have not had more than five at a time recently," Nail said. "Again, the unfortunate reality, however, is an upward trend of more and sicker patients needing our help."
The vast majority, "if not all," of St. Bernards' covid-19 patients have been unvaccinated, Nail said.
"If vaccination rates don't increase, we expect more cases and more hospitalizations. The Delta variant has proven itself more transmissible and likely more virulent than other strains of covid-19," Nail said. "We have readily-available, safe and effective covid-19 vaccines that help prevent infections. They also lessen the likelihood of severe infections, hospitalizations, needing ICU services or, ultimately, dying should breakthrough infections occur."
At the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, about 13 veterans were being treated for covid-19. None was on ventilators in the ICU, said spokesman Christopher Durney.
"We're always prepared for additional surges," Durney said. "Our Emergency Operations Center is still activated and the situation is evaluated daily. We have robust plans in place to address a surge, if it develops."
Durney said there were no patients being treated under the Fourth Mission. Early in the pandemic, the state contracted with the Central Arkansas VA to have available five intensive care unit beds and five non-ICU beds for covid patients who are not veterans.
In the northwest part of the state, 39 patients were in the hospitals' covid-19 units, according to a daily report released late Friday from the Northwest Arkansas Health Care Community.
There are 25 ventilators and 83 ICU beds in use for both covid-19 patients and those with other medical needs.
Since the pandemic arrived, that area's hospitals came together to form the Northwest Arkansas Health Care Community.
Participating health organizations include Community Clinic, Washington Regional Medical System, Mercy Health System, Northwest Health System, Arkansas Children's Northwest, the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest.
CARE FACILITIES
Twenty-nine residents and 46 staff members have active covid cases in the state's nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities -- causing visitation to halt at one state-run facility.
The Conway Human Development Center -- the state's largest of five human development centers that house more than 800 people with developmental and other disabilities -- has 20 active cases, split evenly between staff and residents, according to Department of Human Services communications chief Amy Webb.
"We are working closely with the Department of Health to limit the transmission and spread. They recommended that we temporarily stop in-person visitation except for compassionate care visits, which we did earlier this week," Webb said in an email. "Last week, we also started requiring staff wear KN95 masks -- rather than surgical or cloth -- as they better reduce the chance of transmission. We also have done mass testing -- just over 1,000 people to date. No positive staff -- seven positive residents from that testing."
According to the most recent Health Department data, the Conway center has had 363 residents and 334 staff members test positive for the virus since the pandemic began. One resident and one staff member died from covid-19.
The state's five human development centers closed to visitors right after the virus was discovered in the state in March 2020. Visitation reopened in late July 2020.
Of the state's 311 nursing homes, 26 have active covid-19 cases: 19 cases for residents and 36 active cases for staff members, according to Health Department data.
In the past 14 days, there have been 20 positive cases in residents and 36 positive cases in staff members.
Since the pandemic began, 12,665 residents and 10,530 staff members have tested positive for the virus, while 2,041 residents and 13 staff members have died from the disease.
PRISON CASES
A Health Department report on Thursday noted an increase in covid-19 cases in prison facilities across the state.
Cindy Murphy, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said the agency has registered at least 76 active cases.
"Seventy-one of those are new intakes located at Omega Supervision Sanction Center and Ouachita River Correctional Unit," she said. "We test, of course, when offenders arrive."
Murphy said offenders who get the vaccine will receive an incentive payment in the amount of $10 per dose or $20 once fully vaccinated.
"The money will be a one-time payment deposited into the offender's trust account after the [department] receives notification from our medical provider, Wellpath, that they've been vaccinated," she said. "Payments began on July 1, 2021, for those who had already been vaccinated on that date. Payments will continue monthly until the program ends."
Murphy said 7,738 offenders out of the approximately 15,000-inmate population have been vaccinated. She also said that 2,211 out of 4,460 employees have been vaccinated.
BY THE NUMBERS
The state's comprehensive tally of deaths since the pandemic reached Arkansas rose by four to 5,913 Friday.
The cumulative count of cases rose to 350,579.
According to the Health Department, 9.41% of Arkansas' population 12 years old and up is partially immunized after being vaccinated and 42.07% has received the second dose.
Of the 2,706,850 vaccine doses received in the state, 2,145,909, or 79.3%, have been administered -- increasing by 5,268 on Friday.
Pulaski County had the most new cases, 110, followed by Benton County with 28 and Washington County with 24.
The counties with the highest total of active cases were Pulaski with 836, Saline with 272, Benton with 226, Washington with 212 and Baxter and Faulkner, both with 200.
Information for this article was contributed by Stephen Simpson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.