Currently infectious cases of covid-19 reached a two-week high on Saturday, according to data from the state Department of Health.
Active cases of the virus rose by 15, totaling 1,079 after falling by four the previous day, and the total number of active cases exceeded April 9 by 29. The state reported 1,110 active cases April 2, and the 2022 low so far is 963, recorded April 5.
However, active cases were still lower Saturday than at any point in 2021, and the state's record number of active cases was 102,575, reported 12 weeks earlier on Jan. 22, 2022, according to Health Department data.
The 88 new cases of the virus recorded Saturday were 13 more than Friday's increase. Arkansas has seen 834,200 covid-19 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to Health Department data.
Pulaski County had the most new cases Saturday with 19.
Benton and Faulkner counties each had seven new cases, and all other counties had six or fewer, including 46 counties that reported no new cases.
The number of covid-19 patients in Arkansas hospitals rose by two to 50 but remains at its lowest level since the end of March 2020.
There were 12 patients on ventilators, one more than Friday but still the smallest number since May 17, 2020.
Meanwhile, after rising Friday, the number of covid-19 patients in intensive care dropped by two, totaling 19, the same number as Thursday and the lowest level since at least May 2020.
On Saturday, 2,639 more Arkansans were fully vaccinated against covid-19 than a week earlier, totaling 1,584,021 Arkansans 5 and older who are fully immunized.
The Health Department recorded 3,252 shots given Saturday, 13% of which were booster shots.
From April 10 to Saturday, 897 Arkansans received booster shots, according to Health Department data.
The department recorded three new deaths from the virus for a total of 11,339 since March 2020.