Arkansas' death toll from the coronavirus rose Tuesday by 55, the largest one-day increase in more than a year, as the number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators went up for the second day in a row.
The increase in deaths, which brought the state's toll to 10,579, was the largest one-day rise since Jan. 21, 2021.
Previously, the largest daily increase in deaths during the current wave of infections from the omicron variant was the 49 that were recorded on Feb. 16.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state Department of Health's chief medical officer, said 40 of the deaths reported Tuesday occurred within the past month.
Of the others, one happened in August, and the others were in January, she said.
"We're still getting reports for all the people who died during this most recent surge," Dillaha said.
After rising by 15 on Monday, the number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators rose Tuesday by five, to 80.
The spike in deaths and increase in patients on ventilators came even as the state's new cases and overall number hospitalized with covid-19 continued falling from the heights they reached in January.
The number hospitalized fell by six, to 449, it's lowest level since Dec. 5.
The state's count of cases rose by 693.
While larger than the increase a day earlier, it was smaller by 176 than the one the previous Tuesday.
The average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period fell to 644, its lowest level since the week ending Dec. 1.
With recoveries and deaths outpacing new cases, the number of cases in the state that were considered active fell by 452, to 4,887, the first time it had been below 5,000 since Nov. 15.