The Arkansas Department of Health reported one new COVID-19 case in Union County Sunday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 943. The cases in the county Sunday included 903 confirmed cases, up one from Saturday, and 40 probable cases, no change from Saturday.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests that determine which cases are considered confirmed are more sensitive than the antigen tests that determine the cases that are considered probable.
The ADH also reported the death of one Union County resident that resulted from COVID-19. Forty-seven local residents have died as a result of the virus, indicating a local COVID mortality rate — the percentage of local residents who have contracted the virus and died as a result of it — of 5%.
In the Southwest Public Health Region, where Union County is located, 84 people were hospitalized due to the virus Sunday, including 39 in intensive care units and 18 on ventilator support.
Five new recoveries were reported in Union County Sunday, making the total number of local residents considered recovered from the virus 856. The number of active cases in the county decreased by five to 40, representing 4.2% of all the cases identified locally. The active cases in the county Sunday included 33 confirmed cases and seven probable cases.
The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement released school district-level COVID data updated through September 28 this week. The data includes all cases within a school district’s catchment area, so not all cases included in the data were necessarily found in district employees or students.
According to the ACHI, as of Sept. 28, 527 cases had been identified in the El Dorado School District’s catchment area, including 18 new cases that week; 74 cases had been identified in the Junction City School District’s catchment area, including eight new that week; 46 cases had been identified in the Parkers Chapel School District’s catchment area; 85 cases had been identified in the Smackover-Norphlet School District’s catchment area, including six new that week; and 74 cases had been identified in the Strong-Huttig School District’s catchment area, including seven new that week.
The ADH reported 107 new negative test results returned from Union County Sunday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of .9% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 10,490 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 9,547 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 9%.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Arkansas grew by 488 to reach 87,013 Sunday. The cases in Arkansas Sunday included 83,306 confirmed cases, up 455 from Saturday, and 3,707 probable cases, up 33 from Saturday.
There were 78,358 Arkansans considered recovered Sunday, up 586 from Saturday. Active cases in Arkansas decreased by 116 Sunday to reach 7,222, representing 8.3% of all the cases in the state. The active cases in the state Sunday included 6,405 confirmed cases and 817 probable cases.
The ADH reported 18 Arkansans’ deaths that resulted from COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state’s death toll to 1,425, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 499 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus on Sunday, including 228 in ICUs and 88 on ventilator support.
Since the state began testing for COVID-19, 1,094,203 test results have returned to the ADH, including 1,006,814 negatives, indicating that the state’s positivity rate was 8% Sunday.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, Johns Hopkins University reported 7,412,911 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Of those, 2,897,322 people were considered recovered, leaving 4,305,840 cases — 58.1% — active nationwide. There had been 209,749 deaths attributable to the virus in the U.S. by Sunday afternoon, indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 2.8%.
Johns Hopkins reported 35,011,322 COVID-19 cases worldwide Sunday afternoon. Of those, 24,364,562 people were considered recovered, leaving 9,611,895 cases — 27.5% — active around the world. There had been 1,034,865 deaths attributable to the virus by Sunday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 3%.