Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Friday by 1,987 — the biggest one-day new-case total since early February.
Already at its highest level since Feb. 3, the number of people hospitalized in Arkansas with covid-19 rose by 22, to 871.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by six, to 6,041.
Meanwhile, the Health Department noted that providers reported administering 14,294 vaccine doses. It was the largest increase in administered vaccine doses in a single day since May 14.
"Today’s report shows the highest increase in vaccine doses administered in weeks," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. "This is progress, but with an increase of over 1,000 active cases and 22 new hospitalizations, we’re in a race to get more vaccines into arms before school starts."
The average number of doses administered each day over a rolling seven-day period, including second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, rose to 8,093, the largest number since the week ending May 26.
Friday was the 18th consecutive day in which the number of patients hospitalized with covid-19 increased. Already at its highest level since Jan. 26, the number of covid-19 patients who were on ventilators rose by one, to 159.
The number who were in intensive care, however, fell by six, to 328.
Excluding 2,932 cases that were added to Arkansas’ count as part of a “data cleanup” on Feb. 28, the increase in cases on Friday was the largest in a single day since Feb. 4 — 24 weeks ago, or almost six months.
The average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period rose to 1,390, its highest level since the week ending Feb. 9.
With new cases outpacing recoveries, the number of cases that were considered active increased by 1,005, to 13,784, the largest number since Feb. 10.
More details in Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.