Active COVID-19 cases see big drop; winter weather pushes testing numbers lower

New COVID-19 confirmed and probable cases rose by only 320, well below the 672 on the previous Monday thanks in large part to low testing numbers because of severe winter weather. Total testing in the past 24 hours was 4,439, below the 6,712 reported the previous Monday.

Monday’s (Feb. 15) report from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) pushed the cumulative total to 313,348. Active confirmed and probable cases fell by 1,192 to 10,494, which was well below the 15,320 active cases on the previous Monday. Deaths rose by 10 to 5,275. Hospitalizations fell by 27 to 642, below the 777 on the previous Monday.

The ADH also reported 111 available ICU beds as of 2 p.m. Monday, down from 122 on Sunday.

The state has received 658,000 vaccines since federal distribution began Dec. 14. Vaccines administered in the previous 24 hours rose by 3,175 to 455,089, or 69.2% of vaccines received. The federal program in which CVS and Walgreens are managing vaccinations in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities has received 61,000 vaccines since Dec. 28. Vaccines administered in the past 24 hours rose by 270 to 22,959, or 37.6% of vaccines received.

COVID REPORT – Feb. 15
New known COVID-19 cases, active cases, tests
• Total confirmed and probable cases: 313,348, up 320
• Total confirmed and probable active cases: 10,494, down 1,192
• Total confirmed and probable deaths: 5,275, up 10
• There were 3,896 test results provided in the previous 24 hours.
• There were 543 antigen tests in the previous 24 hours.

Hospitalizations
642, down 27

Ventilators
111, up 2

The top five counties with new known cases reported Monday were: Pulaski (64), Garland (24), Sebastian (21), Lonoke (19), and Benton (17). The counties accounted for 45.3% of the 320 new confirmed and probable cases.

As of Monday at 4 p.m., there were 27,682,645 U.S. cases and 486,111 deaths. Globally, there were 109,076,584 cases and 2,405,804 deaths.