Coronavirus cases appeared to be continuing to surge in Arkansas on Friday as the state's count of cases rose by 2,544 -- the second-largest one-day new case total since January.
After dipping slightly a day earlier, the number of patients hospitalized with covid-19 rose by 32, to 1,087, its highest level since Jan. 26.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by 13, to 6,123.
Except for a spike of 2,843 cases a day earlier, the new cases on Friday were the most in a single day since Jan. 21.
Already at its highest level since the week ending Jan. 27, the average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period rose to 1,829.
With new cases outpacing recoveries, the number of cases in the state that were considered active rose to 18,541, the largest number since Jan. 24.
After rising to their highest levels since mid-January a day earlier, the number of virus patients who were on ventilators remained at 219, and the number in intensive care remained at 398.
Meanwhile, the number of vaccine doses that providers reported having administered, including second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, rose by 9,435.
It was the first daily increase in almost three weeks that was smaller than the one a week earlier. The previous Friday, July 23, the number rose by 14,294, which was the biggest one-day increase since May 14.