Arkansas' new daily coronavirus cases continued to fall on a week-to-week basis on Thursday, although new cases outpaced recoveries for the first time since March 20.
The number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 rose by two, to 168, while the state's death toll from the virus since March 2020, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by 10, to 5,636.
In a statement, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the number of vaccine doses, including second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines' two-dose regimens, that had been administered compared to a day earlier set a new one-day record.
"With an increase of nearly 33,000 doses administered since yesterday, we continue to work toward the end of this pandemic," Hutchinson said.
"Check with your local vaccination locations to do your part.”
The 211 new coronavirus cases that were added to the state's tally on Thursday was a smaller increase than the increase a day earlier, and was a decline of 123 cases from the number reported the previous Thursday, March 25.
Over a rolling seven-day period, the average number of cases added to the state's tallies each day fell from 174 as of Wednesday to 157, its lowest level since May 28.
However, the state reported 1,724 active coronavirus cases on Thursday. It was the first increase in overall community cases since March 20.
After rising Wednesday, the number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators fell by one, to 26.
The number of covid-19 patients who were in intensive care as of 2 p.m. Thursday also fell by one, to 62.
More details in Friday's Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.