COVID-19 deaths rise by 39% in October, with total cases up more than 32%

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by Michael Tilley ([email protected]) November 1, 2020 4:36 pm 943 views 

October was another month of unfortunate COVID-19 spread in Arkansas, with total known cumulative cases rising more than 32% and deaths up 39% during the month. Hospitalizations, a metric Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he closely watches, were up almost 38%.

According to data from the Arkansas Department of Health, total cumulative cases – confirmed and probable – totaled 112,190 at the end of October, up 37.26% compared with the 84,821 total cases on Oct. 1. Total deaths ended the month at a tragic 1,925, up 541 from the 1,384 on Oct. 1.

The number of hospitalizations ended the month at 667, up 37.5% compared with the 485 on Oct.1. Probable cases – those measured with rapid antigen testing – rose 164.7% from 3,290 on Oct. 1 to 8,708 on Oct. 31.

Gov. Hutchinson said Saturday said Arkansans need to do more to stop the virus spread in order to reduce pressure on the medical system.

“There are 1,316 new COVID-19 cases in Arkansas,” Gov. Hutchinson said in Saturday’s report. “This is disappointing because it breaks our trend of beating last week’s numbers each day. It is so critical for our hospitals and health care workers that we all push to stop the spread of the virus and reduce cases.”

The state began November with 113,057 total cases, up 867 from Saturday. Total deaths rose to 1,958 on Sunday, up 33, and hospitalizations fell 12 to 655.

COVID REPORT – Nov. 1
New known COVID-19 cases, active cases, tests
• 104,239 known cumulative PCR cases, with 695 new community cases and 62 cases in correctional facilities
• 8,818 “probable” cases, up from 8,708 on Saturday
• There are 8,404 active cases, up from 8,158 on Saturday
• There were 8,690 test results provided in the previous 24 hours.
• There were 392 antigen tests in the previous 24 hours.

Deaths
• 1,791, up 33
• 167 “probable” COVID-related deaths, unchanged

Hospitalizations
655, down 12

Ventilators
107, up 2

Recovered cases
94,032

The top five counties with new known cases reported Sunday were: Pulaski (72), Benton (70), Washington (47), Craighead (46), and Sebastian (36). The counties accounted for 39% of the 695 new community cases.

As of Sunday at 4 p.m., there were 9,187,062 U.S. cases and 230,865 deaths. Globally, there were 46,382,791 cases and 1,198,717 deaths.