Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Friday by 214, a slightly larger increase than the one the previous Friday, while the number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 fell.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by one, to 5,830.
"With over 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered, we’ve made great progress toward our goal," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. "Our case numbers continue to remain steady, but we will see these numbers decline with an increase in vaccinations. Please do your part to help your community."
After rising by 14 on Thursday, the number of patients hospitalized with the virus fell Friday by two, to 201.
The number of those patients who were on ventilators, however, rose by two, to 33.
Friday's increase in cases was smaller than the one on Thursday, but it was 13 larger than the one a week earlier.
Active cases rose by eight, to 2,016.
After falling the previous two days, the average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period rose Friday by about two, to 181. That was still below the average of 197 cases a day that were added the week ending May 21, but up from this year's low of 151 a day during the week ending April 2.
Meanwhile, Health Department figures indicated that the pace of vaccinations in the state was continuing to slow.
It reported that the number of doses that had been administered, including second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, rose by 9,910. It was the third consecutive daily increase that was smaller than the one a week earlier.
The average number of doses administered each day over a rolling seven-day period fell to less than 7,300, its lowest level since the week ending Feb. 22.
More details in Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.