The Arkansas Department of Health reported a record 52 new COVID-19 cases in Union County Thursday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 2,196. The cases in the county included 1,673 confirmed cases, up 41 from Wednesday, and 523 probable cases, up 11 from Wednesday.
Confirmed cases are determined by positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, while probable cases are determined by positive antigen tests, per distinctions made by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Active cases rose to 248, growing 19 from Wednesday; they represented 11.3% of all the cases in the county and included 140 confirmed cases and 108 probable cases. It was the highest number of active cases the county has seen yet. There were 1,878 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus Thursday, up 33 from Wednesday.
A report on COVID cases in educational institutions produced by the ADH Wednesday showed little change from a similar report made on Dec. 21. Both the El Dorado and Parkers Chapel school districts were shown to have currently active cases.
According to the report, there were still 26 active cases in the ESD and 10 active cases in the PCSD. A total of 145 cases, including 49 staff or faculty cases and 94 students cases, had been identified in the ESD, while in the PCSD, 39 cases had been identified, including 12 staff or faculty cases and 23 student cases.
No new local deaths attributable to COVID-19 were reported Thursday. Seventy Union County residents have died as a result of the virus. In the Southwest hospital region of the state, where the county sits, 156 people were hospitalized due to the virus Thursday, including 61 in intensive care units and 25 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 232 new negative test results returned from Union County Thursday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 18.3% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 19,759 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 17,563 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 11.1%.
Arkansas’ cumulative number of COVID-19 cases grew by 3,204 to reach 211,145 Thursday. The cases in the state included 177,140 confirmed cases, up 2,348 from Wednesday, and 34,005 probable cases, up 846 from Wednesday.
There were 23,378 active COVID-19 cases in Arkansas Thursday, up 862 from Wednesday; they represented 11.1% of all the cases in the state and included 16,967 confirmed cases and 6,411 probable cases. There were 184,335 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Thursday, up 2,311 from Wednesday.
The deaths of 30 Arkansans that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Thursday, bringing the state’s death toll to 3,406, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 1,093 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Thursday, including 360 in ICUs and 178 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 18,796 new COVID-19 test results returned Thursday, indicating a one-day positivity rate for the state of 17% based on the number of new cases and results reported. Since the state began testing for the virus, 2,210,250 results have returned to the ADH, including 1,992,326 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 9.6%.
At 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Johns Hopkins University reported 18,581,524 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Data wasn’t available on the number of U.S. residents considered recovered from the virus or the number of active cases in the U.S. By Thursday afternoon, 327,853 deaths attributable to the virus had been reported in the U.S., indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.8%.
Johns Hopkins reported 79,102,972 COVID-19 cases worldwide Thursday afternoon. There were 44,539,000 people considered recovered from the virus then, leaving 32,826,599 cases — 41.5% — active around the world. There had been 1,737,373 deaths attributable to the virus reported by Thursday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.2%.