Active COVID-19 cases decline in recent days, but deaths continue to rise

A rare bit of good news on the COVID-19 front is that confirmed and probable active cases declined during the Christmas break and following weekend (Dec. 24-Dec. 27). However, new cases rose by almost 7,000 and additional deaths topped 100 during that time.

According to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADG), there were 6,936 new known confirmed and probable COVID cases since Dec. 23 and Sunday (Dec. 27), with the total rising to 214,877. Active cases in that period fell from 22,516 to 21,451. Total confirmed and probable deaths in that period rose by 106 to 3,482.

Sunday’s ADH report showed 908 new confirmed and probable cases, a decline of 835 confirmed and probable active cases and 41 more confirmed and probable deaths. There were also 34 more hospitalizations reported, bringing the total to 1,093. COVID patients on ventilators rose by 13 to 186.

COVID REPORT – Dec. 27
New known COVID-19 cases, active cases, tests
• 180,289 known cumulative PCR cases, with 631 new community cases and 18 reported cases in correctional facilities
• 34,588 probable cases, up from 34,329 on Saturday
• There are 16,083 active cases, down from 16,689 on Saturday
• There were 5,456 test results provided in the previous 24 hours.
• There were 2,362 antigen tests in the previous 24 hours.

Deaths
• 2,976, up 14
• 506 probable COVID-related deaths, up 27

Hospitalizations
1,093, up 34

Ventilators
186, up 13

Recovered cases
161,207

The top six counties with new known cases reported Sunday were: Pulaski (170), Craighead (82), Washington (67), Faulkner (55), Benton (42), and Sebastian (42). The counties accounted for 72.6% of the 631 new community cases.

As of Sunday at 1:30 p.m., there were 19,031,403 U.S. cases and 332,502 deaths. Globally, there were 80,587,536 cases and 1,761,749 deaths.