Health Report

Local, state case growth small

First two-digit increase since Thursday

Fully masked, Gov. Asa Hutchinson departs the governor's conference room after a discussion of infection numbers during the daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday May 22, 2020, at the state capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Fully masked, Gov. Asa Hutchinson departs the governor's conference room after a discussion of infection numbers during the daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday May 22, 2020, at the state capitol in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

The state’s confirmed COVID-19 cases grew by only 37 between Sunday and Monday, a sharp decline from the 100-plus new cases seen in Arkansas each day since Thursday.

In Union County, cases grew by only three, putting the county’s cumulative number of COVID-19 cases at 160. Of those, 58 — 36.25% — are considered active, with 96 Union County residents reportedly recovered. No new COVID-19 deaths have been reported, leaving the county’s total at six.

Union County has the 11th highest number of active cases of any of the 74 Arkansas counties that have reported COVID-19 cases; Calhoun County, directly north of Union County, is the only county in the state that has not discovered any local COVID-19 cases, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

An additional 29 negative test results were returned for Union County between Sunday and Monday, putting the county at 874 negative results compared to 160 positive results, indicating a local positivity rate of 15.4%.

Arkansas has an overall positivity rate of about 5%, according to the ADH. ADH Secretary Dr. Nate Smith has noted that typically, any given county has performed more tests than the most recent ADH report, with the lag attributable to the wait time between performing a test and results being reported to the health agency.

On Monday, the state surpassed Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s goal of performing 60,000 tests this month; so far, 111,622 tests have been performed in Arkansas, compared to 49,676 that had been performed by May 1.

The ADH has moved toward targeting testing in areas where apparent-outbreaks have cropped up since the state’s ‘reopening’ began on May 4. Hutchinson said that with increased testing comes improvements in contact tracing, where those who have been exposed to potential positive COVID-19 cases can be notified to limit their contact with others in the hopes of suppressing the virus’s spread.

On June 6, El Dorado will be a site where the ADH focuses targeted testing, which will entail a testing surge for Union County. Testing is currently ongoing at the Medical Center of South Arkansas, South Arkansas Medical Association (SAMA) and the Union County Health Unit.

On Monday afternoon, 6,029 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Arkansas; of those, 1,663 — 27.6% — were considered active. One new death was reported between Sunday and Monday, putting the state’s death toll at 117, indicating a state mortality rate of 1.9%.

Hutchinson, in an interview with Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace, said the large increase in cases seen last week — the largest increase of cases in Arkansas since the first case was discovered in Pine Bluff on March 11 — is attributable in large part to the state’s increased testing.

Improved contact tracing will help in the future to control case spikes, Hutchinson said during a news conference last week. On Saturday, he announced the formation of a technical advisory board that will research technologies that could aid in contact tracing for his review.

Hutchinson has also asked Arkansans to take responsibility for their health and the health of their community by adhering to state reopening directives and social distancing guidelines, as well as by wearing masks in public spaces. Asked Friday his feelings on those who defy masking requirements in public spaces like restaurants, Hutchinson said it “is really unacceptable and it’s embarrassing.”

“People in Arkansas need to understand these businesses are doing what they need to protect their own health as well as the patrons’,” he said. “It’s a very selfish act to say we’re not going to abide by those guidelines that are meant to protect you and others.”

Today, freestanding bars will be allowed to reopen at a third of their normal capacity and with social distancing requirements for seating indoors and outdoors. Other guidelines for reopening bars are available to read at healthy.arkansas.gov.

By 4:30 Monday afternoon, the ADH reported 1,657,441 COVID-19 cases in the United States, of which 1,192,671 are considered active. Nationwide, 98,034 Americans have died as a result of COVID-19, indicating a national mortality rate of 5.9%.

The World Health Organization reported 5,307,298 COVID-19 cases worldwide Monday afternoon, with 342,070 deaths having resulted from the virus, indicating a global mortality rate of 6.4%.

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