There were 15 new COVID-19 cases reported in Union County by the Arkansas Department of Health Sunday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 2,569. The cases in the county included 1,994 confirmed cases, up 11 from Saturday, and 575 probable cases, up four 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).
Active cases fell to 348 Sunday, down 14 from Saturday; they represented 13.5% of all the cases identified locally and included 204 confirmed cases and 44 probable cases. There were 2,148 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus Sunday, up 29 from Saturday.
The Arkansas Centers for Health Improvement released school district-level COVID data updated through Dec. 28, 2020 last week. All the cases identified within a school district’s catchment area are included, so the number of cases reported isn’t limited to school staff, faculty or student cases.
According to the ACHI, as of Dec. 28, 2020, 1,293 cases had been identified in the El Dorado School District’s catchment area, including 15 new in the last two weeks; 197 cases had been identified in the Junction City School District’s catchment area, including 15 new in the last two weeks; 128 cases had been identified in the Parkers Chapel School District’s catchment area, including 18 new in the last two weeks; 328 cases had been identified in the Smackover-Norhlet School District’s catchment area, including 53 new in the last two weeks; and 170 cases had been identified in the Strong-Huttig School District’s catchment area, including 30 new in the last two weeks.
The ACHI also reported the new known infection rate for each of the school district’s catchment areas. In the ESD’s catchment area, there were 70 new infections per 10,000 residents; in the JCSD’s catchment area, 44 new infections per 10,000 residents; in the PCSD’s catchment area, 59 new infections per 10,000 residents; in the SNSD’s catchment area, 89 new infections per 10,000 residents; and in the SHSD’s catchment area, 106 new infections per 10,000 residents.
No new local deaths attributable to COVID-19 were reported Sunday. Seventy-three Union County residents have died as a result of the virus. There were 209 people hospitalized, including 80 in intensive care units and 33 on ventilator support, in the Southwest hospital region of the state, where Union County sits, Sunday.
The ADH reported 25 new negative test results returned from Union County Sunday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 37.5% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 21,516 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 18,947 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 11.9%.
The number of COVID-19 cases identified in Arkansas increased by 2,033 Sunday, bringing the cumulative total of cases to 233,475. The cases in the state included 192,809 confirmed cases, up 1,643 from Saturday, and 40,666 probable cases, up 390 from Saturday.
Active cases grew to their highest level yet Sunday, increasing by 252 to reach 24,238; they represented 10.4% of all the cases in the state and included 17,302 confirmed cases and 6,936 probable cases. There were 205,462 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Sunday, up 1,761 from Saturday.
The deaths of 20 Arkansans that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Sunday, bringing the state’s death toll to 3,749, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 1,234 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Sunday, including 405 in ICUs and 194 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 11,849 new COVID-19 test results returned Sunday, indicating a one-day positivity rate for the state of 17.2% based on the number of new cases and results reported. Since the state began testing for COVID-19, 2,342,418 results have returned to the ADH, including 2,101,177 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 10%.
At 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Johns Hopkins University reported 20,614,190 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Data wasn’t available on the number of U.S. residents considered recovered or the number of active cases in the States. By Sunday evening, 351,452 deaths attributable to the virus had been reported in the U.S., indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.7%.
Johns Hopkins reported 85,068,700 COVID-19 cases worldwide Sunday evening. There were 47,810,058 people considered recovered from the virus then, leaving 35,416,547 cases — 41.6% — active around the world. By Sunday evening, 1,842,095 deaths attributable to the virus had been reported, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.2%.