The number of people hospitalized with covid-19 in Arkansas hit a record high for the second day in a row on Monday, rising by 12 to 974.
There were 1,017 new cases of covid-19 reported in Arkansas on Monday. Thirty more people have died from the virus, bringing the state’s death toll up to 2,387.
In a written statement, Gov. Asa Hutchinson noted that the number of new cases was fewer than last Monday’s, but called attention to the upward trend of new hospitalizations. There were 1,308 new cases last Monday.
“We saw a decrease in new cases from last Monday, and this is a hopeful sign; but our hospitalizations are still going up. How we handle Thanksgiving this year will determine our hospitalizations around Christmas. Thanks for being a part of turning this fight around,” Hutchinson said.
On Sunday, the number of hospitalizations rose by 37, to 962. The daily record before that — 936 — was set Friday.
Of those receiving treatment for the virus, 384 were in intensive care units, and 164 were on ventilators as of Monday.
The number of active cases was down by 919, to 16,727.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 146,190 Arkansans have been infected with covid-19, according to the state Health Department.
Read Tuesday’s Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.