The Arkansas Department of Health reported 37 new COVID-19 cases in Union County Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total of cases identified locally to 2,849. The cases in the county Wednesday included 2,215 confirmed cases, up 23 from Tuesday, and 634 probable cases, up 14 from Tuesday.
The United States Centers for Disease Control considers positive results from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests to be confirmed cases and positive results from antigen (rapid) tests to be probable cases.
Two Union County residents’ deaths that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Wednesday. In total, 79 local residents have died as a result of the virus, indicating a local COVID mortality rate — the percentage of those who die after contracting the virus — of 2.8%.
Active cases in the county fell to 261, a decrease of 12 from Tuesday; they represented 9.2% of all the cases identified locally and included 216 confirmed cases and 45 probable cases. There were 2,509 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus Wednesday, up 47 from Tuesday.
Local school districts, nursing homes and one business were listed in COVID reports on the various institutions produced by the ADH on Jan. 11.
According to a report on COVID cases in school districts, there were active cases in the El Dorado and Smackover-Norphlet school districts and at South Arkansas Community College on Jan. 11. Eight active cases were reported in the SNSD, where 70 total cases, including 20 in staff and faculty and 52 in students, have been identified, while 14 active cases were present in the ESD, where 200 total cases have been identified, including 70 in staff and faculty and 125 in students.
At SouthArk, there were six active cases, one-tenth of the 60 total cases that have been identified there, eight of which were identified in staff and faculty and 34 of which were identified in students.
According to a report on COVID cases in nursing homes, all five of the nursing homes serving Union County had identified active cases in the past few weeks.
At Advanced Health and Rehab, nine residents and seven workers had active cases of the virus, with the most recent positive test result for both groups returning on Jan. 2; 20 residents and 23 workers have contracted the virus in all, and three residents have died as a result.
At Courtyard Healthcare and Rehabilitation, three residents and six workers had active cases of the virus, with both groups’ most recent positive test result having returned on Jan. 7. In total, 48 residents and 48 workers have contracted the virus, and eight residents have died as a result.
At Hudson Memorial Nursing Home, three residents and seven workers had active cases of COVID-19, per test results returned Dec. 31, 2020. A total of 66 residents and 43 workers have contracted the virus there and 21 residents have died as a result.
One worker at Oak Ridge Health and Rehabilitation had an active case of the virus, having tested positive on Jan. 7. In all, 46 residents and 23 workers there have had COVID-19, and four residents have died as a result of the virus.
At Timberlane Health and Rehab, eight residents and six workers had active cases of COVID-19, with positive test results for both groups returning on Jan. 7. A total of 51 residents and 33 workers have contracted the virus and seven residents have died as a result.
Clean Harbors Environmental Services also reported five active COVID-19 cases among employees. In all, 26 employees there have contracted the virus and 21 have recovered.
There were 244 people hospitalized due to the virus Wednesday in the Southwest hospital region of the state, where Union County sits, including 76 in intensive care units and 38 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 62 new negative test results returned from Union County Wednesday. In all, 23,450 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 20,601 negatives, indicating a local positivity rate of 12.1%.
In Arkansas, the addition of 2,467 COVID-19 cases brought the cumulative total of cases identified in the state to 262,020 Wednesday. The cases in the state included 212,464 confirmed cases, up 1,591 from Tuesday, and 49,556 probable cases, up 876 from Tuesday.
Active cases fell to 25,095 Wednesday, a decrease of 607 cases; they represented 9.6% of all the cases in the state and included 17,555 confirmed cases and 7,540 probable cases. There were 232,709 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Wednesday, up 3,009 from Tuesday.
The deaths of 65 Arkansans that resulted from COVID-19 were reported Wednesday, bringing the state’s death toll to 4,186, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 1,362 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Wednesday, including 432 in ICUs and 255 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 13,359 new COVID-19 test results returned Wednesday and 157,723 tests performed so far in January. Since the state began testing for the virus, 2,518,547 results have returned to the ADH, including 2,247,598 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 10.4%.
According to the ADH, 13,493 more doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were administered between Tuesday and Wednesday.
At 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Johns Hopkins University reported 23,029,450 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Data wasn’t available then on the number of U.S. residents considered recovered from the virus or the number of active cases in the country. By Wednesday afternoon, 383,939 deaths attributable to the virus had been reported in the U.S., indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 1.7%.
Johns Hopkins reported 92,162,781 COVID-19 cases worldwide Wednesday afternoon. There were 50,919,146 people considered recovered from the virus then, leaving 39,269,544 cases — 42.6% — active around the world. There had been 1,974,091 deaths attributable to the virus reported by Wednesday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.1%.