Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Thursday by 289 -- the biggest one-day increase in more than two weeks.
After rising by double-digits the previous two days, reaching its highest level in more than two months, the number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 fell by eight, to 208.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by two, to 5,856.
"While we saw a decrease in hospitalizations in today’s report, the positivity rate is a concern," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. "The vaccine continues to be our best weapon in this fight, and doses are available in every Arkansas county."
Thursday's increase in cases was larger by 88 than the one a day earlier, and it was larger by 92 than the one the previous Thursday. It was the largest single-day rise since a spike of 329 cases on May 25.
The increase outpaced recoveries from the virus. Active coronavirus cases rose by 110, to 1,769.
After falling a day earlier, the average number of cases added to the state's tallies each day over a rolling-seven day period rose to 190, its highest level since the week ending May 25.
The number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators fell by one, to 39. The number who were in intensive care fell by two, to 91.
The uptick in new cases Thursday came despite lower daily testing numbers compared to those reported by the Health Department a week earlier.
The department said Thursday that it had received the results of 2,297 tests that were performed Wednesday. That was down by 375 from the number it reported a week earlier.
The 1,895 polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test results the department had received was down by 159 from a week earlier, while the 402 antigen tests it had received was down by 216 from a week earlier.
More details in Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.