The number of people hospitalized with covid-19 in Arkansas fell Monday for the seventh day in a row, reaching its lowest level since July 20.
The state's count of cases, however, rose by 470, the first daily increase in 13 days that was larger than the one a week earlier.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by 40, to 7,630.
The number of covid-19 patients in the state's hospitals fell by 26, to 835.
The number who were on ventilators, however, rose by two for the second straight day, bringing it to 234.
After rising a day earlier, the number of covid-19 patients who were in intensive care fell Monday by 17, to 377, its lowest level since July 26.
In the single digits less than two months ago, the number of intensive care units that were unoccupied rose by 16, to 111.
People with covid-19 made up about 35% of all the state's patients in intensive care on Monday, down from about 37% a day earlier.
Monday's increase in cases was larger by 74 than the one the previous Monday.
As a result, the average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period rose by about 11, to 1,095.
With recoveries and deaths outpacing new cases, however, the number of cases in the state that were considered active fell by 989, to 11,505, the first time the number had been below 12,000 since July 21.
It was the 16th day in a row the active case total had fallen.
Meanwhile, despite the start last week of the administration of booster shots for certain people who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago, Health Department figures continued to indicate a slowdown in the state's vaccinations.
At 2,131, the increase in vaccine doses that providers reported having administered, including second and third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, was the sixth one in a row that was smaller than the one a week earlier.
Already at its lowest level since the week ending July 15, the average number of doses administered each day over a rolling seven-day period fell to 5,253.