Nine new COVID-19 cases were reported in Union County by the Arkansas Department of Health Sunday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 2,278. The cases in the county Sunday included 1,754 confirmed cases, up six from Saturday, and 524 probable cases, up three from Saturday.
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).
Another local death caused by COVID-19 was reported Sunday; 73 Union County residents have now died as a result of the virus, indicating a local COVID mortality rate — the percentage of people who die after contracting the virus — of 3.2%.
There were four fewer active cases in Union County Sunday than there were Saturday, 281 in all; they represented 12.3% of all the cases in the county and included 193 confirmed cases and 88 probable cases. There were 1,924 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus Sunday, up 12 from Saturday.
The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement reported school district-level COVID data updated through Dec. 21 last week. The data includes all the COVID-19 cases identified in a school district’s catchment area, so isn’t limited to staff, faculty or student cases.
According to the ACHI, as of Dec. 21, 1,164 cases had been identified in the El Dorado School District’s catchment area, including 130 new in the last two weeks; 187 cases had been identified in the Junction City School District’s catchment area, including 15 new in the last two weeks; 114 cases had been identified in the Parkers Chapel School District’s catchment area, including 17 new in the last two weeks; 304 cases had been identified in the Smackover-Norphlet School District’s catchment area, including 57 new in the last two weeks; and 147 cases had been identified in the Strong-Huttig School District’s catchment area, including 29 new in the last two weeks.
The ACHI also reported the new known infection rate in each school district’s catchment area. In the ESD, it was 51 new known infections per 10,000 residents over the last two weeks; in the JCSD, 44 new known infections per 10,000 residents over the last two weeks; in the PCSD, 55 new known infections per 10,000 residents over the last two weeks; in the SNSD, 57 new known infections per 10,000 residents over the last two weeks; and in the SHSD, 102 new known infections per 10,000 residents over the last two weeks.
In the Southwest hospital region of Arkansas, where Union County sits, there were 163 people hospitalized due to the virus Sunday, including 58 in intensive care units and 25 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 28 new negative test results returned from Union County Sunday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 24.3% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 20,141 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 17,863 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 11.3%.
Arkansas added 908 new COVID-19 cases to its cumulative total which reached 214,877 Sunday. The cases in the state included 180,289 confirmed cases, up 649 from Saturday, and 34,588 probable cases, up 259 from Saturday.
Active cases fell by 835 Sunday to reach 21,454; they represented 10% of all the cases identified in Arkansas and included 16,083 confirmed cases and 5,371 probable cases. There were 189,915 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Sunday, up 1,702 from Saturday.
The deaths of 41 Arkansans that resulted from the virus were reported Sunday, bringing the state’s death toll to 3,482, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 1,093 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Sunday, including 365 in ICUs and 186 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 7,818 new COVID-19 test results returned Sunday, indicating a one-day positivity rate for the state of 11.6% based on the number of new cases and results reported. Since the state began testing for the virus, 2,235,899 results have returned to the ADH, including 2,014,000 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 9.6%.
At 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Johns Hopkins University reported 19,105,859 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 Sunday evening, 333,055 deaths had been reported in the U.S., indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.7%.
Johns Hopkins reported 80,721,623 COVID-19 cases worldwide Sunday evening. There were 45,635,785 people considered recovered from the virus Sunday, leaving 33,322,148 cases — 41.3% — active around the world. There had been 1,763,690 deaths attributable to the virus reported by Sunday evening, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.2%.