More than 7,000 Arkansans receive vaccine, COVID-19 hospitalizations again set new daily record

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) on Friday (Jan. 8) reported that more than 7,000 Arkansans received a vaccine shot, but that COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 16 to again set another daily record at 1,342.

Friday’s ADH report showed 2,944 confirmed and probable cases, bringing the cumulative total to 248,860. Deaths rose by 40 to reach 3,966. Available ICU beds fell from 47 on Thursday to 37 on Friday, a new low for the important metric. Active confirmed and probable cases rose by 1,306, setting another daily record at 27,290.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday’s new cases were below those of Friday of last week.

“Today’s report has 1,360 fewer cases than this time last week with higher testing. This good news is overshadowed by the loss of an additional 40 of our friends and neighbors. We all have a responsibility to our friends and neighbors to help slow the spread, and I hope you’ll join me as we continue to fight this invisible enemy,” he said in a statement.

The ADH also reported that 7,077 more Arkansans received a COVID vaccine in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total shots administered to 65,991, which is 34.7% of the number of vaccines that have been sent to Arkansas since Dec. 14 for the state’s distribution plan. Vaccines delivered to the state since Dec. 28 under a federal program to target nursing home residents and staff totals 24,700, with just 2,474 people receiving a vaccine as of Friday.

COVID REPORT – Jan 8
New known COVID-19 cases, active cases, tests
• 202,742 known cumulative PCR cases, with 2,167 new community cases and 44 reported cases in correctional facilities
• 46,118 probable cases, up from 45,385 on Thursday
• There are 18,564 active cases, up from 17,517 on Thursday
• There were 11,010 test results provided in the previous 24 hours.
• There were 3,743 antigen tests in the previous 24 hours.

Deaths
• 3,304, up 31
• 662 probable COVID-related deaths, up 9

Hospitalizations
1,342, up 16

Ventilators
219, up 1

Recovered cases
180,851

The top five counties with new known cases reported Friday were: Pulaski (378), Benton (284), Washington (266), Sebastian (145), and Faulkner (139). The counties accounted for 41.2% of the 2,944 new confirmed and probable cases.

As of Friday at 3:30 p.m., there were 21,776,072 U.S. cases and 367,635 deaths. Globally, there were 88,589,250 cases and 1,907,608 deaths.