New covid-19 cases in Arkansas topped 4,000 Saturday for the second time in three days, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Health.
On Thursday, the state had a record 4,978 new cases. Friday saw 3,957 new cases, the fifth-highest since the state's first case was identified in March 2020. Saturday's total was 4,155.
Pulaski County recorded 1,107 new cases, more than a quarter of Saturday's total.
Saturday marked the second time since the pandemic began, the first being Thursday, that Pulaski County recorded more than 1,000 new cases in one day.
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After Pulaski County, Craighead County had the second-most new cases Saturday with 310, and Washington County had 261.
Arkansas has now seen 570,641 cases, according to Health Department data, as the highly contagious omicron variant continues to spread.
The state has also seen five consecutive days with more than 1,000 new active, or currently infectious, cases. The Health Department recorded 3,422 new active cases Saturday, 332 more than Friday and 609 fewer than Thursday.
So far, 9,180 Arkansans have died of covid-19, including 32 new deaths recorded Saturday.
The Health Department continues to encourage Arkansans "to get vaccinated and boosted and to continue practicing physical mitigation measures like avoiding large gatherings, social distancing, wearing a mask, and frequent hand washing, especially over the holidays," Deputy Director of Communications Katie White said in an email.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Health Secretary Jose Romero said Thursday in a news conference that the state spent $10 million on 1.5 million at-home covid-19 testing kits. The kits are expected to arrive in a couple of weeks and will be distributed throughout the state at the Health Department's local health units in all 75 counties, as well as "additional sites across the state to be determined on an ongoing basis," White said.
Demand for at-home covid-19 tests "has gone through the roof" and outpaced supply in the past two weeks, said David Chu, a pharmacist at Argenta Drug in North Little Rock.
"We're probably getting six to 10 calls every day looking for the testing kits, and no one's got [any] as far as I know," he said.
Argenta Drug has never sold at-home testing kits, Chu said, but he has been "trying every day for at least a week now" to secure some.
The Cornerstone Pharmacy on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in North Little Rock has run out of at-home kits, according to its answering machine.
More than 10,000 PCR test results were recorded Friday, according to Health Department data, Hutchinson noted Saturday in his daily Twitter statement about covid-19 in Arkansas.
"I hope every Arkansan makes a resolution to protect each other through booster shots, masks if needed, and saying thanks to our health care workers," Hutchinson tweeted.
Hospitalizations from covid-19 rose by double digits for the sixth of the past seven days, with 20 more Saturday, totaling 645, the highest number since Oct. 5, 2021. Thursday was the only day in the past week that did not see an increase in hospitalizations, with the number holding steady at 585.
The Health Department reported 207 covid-19 patients in intensive care Saturday. However, the number of patients on ventilators dropped below 100 for the first time since Dec. 22, decreasing by five to 98.
As of Saturday, 1,507,248 Arkansans ages 5 and older, or 53% of the population, were fully vaccinated against covid-19, according to Health Department data. Also, 439,288 Arkansans have received third doses, which are recommended for everyone age 16 and older.