COVID-19 cases decline week over week, deaths top 4,500

New COVID-19 cases in Friday’s (Jan. 22) Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) report were below that of last Friday, but cumulative confirmed and probable cases topped 280,000 and deaths rose above 4,500.

The ADH report showed an increase of 2,162 confirmed and probable cases, bringing the cumulative total to 281,382. Active confirmed and probable cases fell by 511 to 20,407, but deaths rose by 53 to 4,549.

“Today’s report shows a decrease of nearly 1,000 new cases compared to the same day last week. There were also over 16,500 tests administered yesterday. If we can keep our new cases on the decline, then our deaths will reduce as well, and this is one goal we can all unite behind,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said.

The state has received 332,250 vaccines since federal distribution began Dec. 14, including 1,500 delivered within the past 24 hours. Vaccines administered in the previous 24 hours rose by 14,704 to 193,831, or 58.3% of vaccines received.

The federal program in which CVS and Walgreens is managing vaccinations in nursing homes and other long term care facilities has received 49,400 vaccines since Dec. 28. Vaccines administered rose by 4 to 6,982, or 14.1% of vaccines received.

COVID REPORT – Jan 22
New known COVID-19 cases, active cases, tests
• 225,737 known cumulative PCR cases, with 1,491 new community cases and 3 reported cases in correctional facilities
• 55,645 probable cases, up from 54,977 on Thursday
• There are 14,150 active cases, down from 14,578 on Thursday
• There were 10,531 test results provided in the previous 24 hours.
• There were 6,059 antigen tests in the previous 24 hours.

Deaths
• 3,723, up 34
• 826 probable COVID-related deaths, up 19

Hospitalizations
1,142, down 18

Ventilators
193, down 2

Recovered cases
207,838

The top five counties with new known cases reported Friday were: Pulaski (286), Washington (158), Benton (115), Sebastian (111), and Pope (103). The counties accounted for 35.7% of the 3,106 new confirmed and probable cases.

As of Friday at 4:30 p.m., there were 24,771,973 U.S. cases and 412,936 deaths. Globally, there were 97,986,357 cases and 2,101,894 deaths.