The COVID-19 report today shows 2,491 new cases in the last 24 hours and 42 more deaths.

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The number hospitalized dropped by 67 from yesterday.

But community spread is evident, both in the high positive rate in testing the data on infection rate in the state’s school districts.

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The governor’s comment:

“Today’s report shows over 800 fewer cases with higher testing than this time last week. We also saw a decrease in hospitalizations and ventilator usage. This will relieve some of the strain on our health care system as we continue to distribute vaccine doses.”

Here’s the vaccination update, with about 10,000 more doses administered in the last 24 hours:

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From the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, a grim report:

Two hundred one Arkansas school districts ― 86% of the state’s districts, a new high ― have COVID-19 infection rates of 50 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents over a 14-day period, up from 179 a week ago, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement said Thursday. Of those districts, a record high of 54 have 14-day COVID-19 infection rates of 100 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents, or more than 1% of local residents.

 

For the first time, the list of districts with infection rates of 100 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents includes the Little Rock School District, the state’s largest district.

 

ACHI identified school districts with high infection rates by analyzing data received Monday from the Arkansas Department of Health. The infections are among community residents living within the geographical boundaries of the school districts and are not specific to school employees and students. Known infections include confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are based on verbal reporting and antigen test results, as identified by the Department of Health.

 

ACHI identifies districts with 50 to 99 new known infections per 10,000 residents as being in the “red zone” and districts with 100 or more new known infections per 10,000 residents as being in the “purple zone.” The districts are shaded in these colors on the school district map on ACHI’s COVID-19 in Arkansas web page at achi.net/covid19.

 

“We are seeing the impact of the holidays on communities across the state. Fifty-four school districts now have more than 1% of their population newly infected in the past 14 days, putting pressure on our schools and healthcare system,” said ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. “We are still early in the process of getting Arkansans immunized against this disease. Get the shot when your turn comes, but in the meantime, do your part: wash your hands often, keep 6 feet away from people who are not members of your household, and mask up.”

 

Rates of new known infections in school districts across the state, as well as counts of cumulative and new infections, are tracked on ACHI’s COVID-19 in Arkansas web page.

 

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Here’s the hospital report at 2 p.m. today

Current hospitalizations: 1,295

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Total Beds: 8,931

Total Beds Available: 1,973

Total ICU Beds: 1,167

Total ICU Beds Available: 60

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Total Vents: 1,109

Total Vents Available: 644

Total Covid patients in ICU: 426

Total Covid patients on vents: 241

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