Health Report

Five new local cases, active cases rise too

Hospital administrators: From left, Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health; Chad Aduddell, CEO of CHI St. Vincent; and Dr. Cam Patterson, UAMS Chancellor, wait to speak Monday June 22 at the state Capitol in Little Rock during the governor’s daily COVID-19 briefing. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)
Hospital administrators: From left, Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health; Chad Aduddell, CEO of CHI St. Vincent; and Dr. Cam Patterson, UAMS Chancellor, wait to speak Monday June 22 at the state Capitol in Little Rock during the governor’s daily COVID-19 briefing. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)

The Arkansas Department of Health reported five new local COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing Union County’s cumulative total of cases to 232.

No change was reported in local recoveries Tuesday; in all 180 Union County residents have recovered from COVID-19, with 39 cases, up five from Monday and representing 16.81% of all cases identified locally, still active.

No local deaths resulting from the virus were reported Tuesday; in all, 13 Union County residents have died as a result of COVID-19.

Courtyard Healthcare and Rehabilitation reported 20 new resident recoveries Tuesday, along with four new worker recoveries. In all, 35 residents and 22 workers have contracted COVID-19; seven residents have died as a result of the virus, while 23 residents and 20 workers have recovered.

An additional worker at Timberlane Health and Rehab was also reported to have COVID-19 Tuesday. In all, five workers there have tested positive. No changes were reported at Advanced Health and Rehab of Union County, where two workers have tested positive; and Community Living Arrangements, where nine residents and three workers have tested positive.

The ADH also reported 234 new negative test results returned from Union County; in all, 3,076 tests have returned from the county, with 2,844 negatives. The overall positivity rate for the county is 7.54%.

Arkansas saw its cumulative case total rise by 595 between Monday and Tuesday to reach 16,678. Of those, 11,220 are considered recovered and 5,221 cases — 31.3% — are still active.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that at its current trajectory, COVID-19 cases in the state could reach 133,056 by Sept. 30, basing the projection on data from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He said by then, there could be up to 3,326 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus.

“What do we do as individual citizens?” Hutchinson said. “That is where it comes in with discipline and social distancing and breaking those lifelong habits and courtesies that we enjoy. … If we can do that, then we can make a difference.”

ADH Secretary Dr. Nate Smith said 248 Arkansans were hospitalized due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. Ten Arkansans died as a result of the virus between Monday and Tuesday, bringing the state’s death toll to 237, indicating a state mortality rate of 1.42%.

Hutchinson and Smith both urged Arkansas residents to wear masks in public spaces, both indoor and outdoor, where social distancing isn’t possible any time they are around non-household members. Recent studies have shown that the use of face masks can greatly reduce the ability of COVID-19 to spread.

“I can’t be in every place at one time and we can’t have public health looking over the shoulders of everyone all the time,” Smith said. “But we can all be reminders to one another, not in a way that’s harassing, but in a good way that helps support our community efforts to protect one another against COVID-19.”

By 6 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, the ADH reported having 264,492 total test results returned statewide, with 247,814, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 6.3%.

Johns Hopkins University reported 2,338,275 COVID-19 cases identified in the United States by Tuesday evening; of those, 640,198 were considered recovered, leaving 1,576,958 cases — 67.44% — active nationwide. There had been 121,119 deaths resulting from the virus in the U.S. by Tuesday evening, indicating a national mortality rate of 5.17%.

Johns Hopkins reported 9,178,773 COVID-19 cases worldwide Tuesday evening; of those, 4,595,846 cases were considered recovered, leaving 4,108,414 cases — 44.75% — active around the world. There had been 474,513 deaths reported by Tuesday evening, indicating a global mortality rate of 5.16%.

This story has been updated from a previous version that mistakenly reported 40 additional negative test results.

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