Arkansas reported a near-record 65 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday as its count of cases rose by 2,467.

After dipping on Tuesday, the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals and on ventilators rose Wednesday but remained below the record levels reached Monday.

"We continue to see the devastating results of covid-19 across Arkansas," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.

"We lost an additional 65 Arkansans yesterday. Our efforts to wear a mask, keep our distance, and wash our hands frequently must remain steady as we continue to distribute vaccine doses across the state."

The increase in the state's death toll, which brought the state's total number of coronavirus deaths to 4,186, was just short of the record 66 that were added to the state's count on Dec. 29.

It tied with the number reported a week earlier, on Jan. 6.

The rise in cases, meanwhile, was smaller than the 3,705 that were added to the state's tallies the previous Wednesday.

The number of coronavirus patients in Arkansas' hospitals rose Wednesday by eight, to 1,362.

That was still short of the record 1,371 virus patients who were in the state's hospitals as of Monday.

Likewise, the number of coronavirus patients who were on ventilators rose by four, to 255, but remained below the record 268 virus patients who were on breathing machines two days earlier.

After reaching a high of 458 on Monday, the number of coronavirus patients who were in intensive care units fell Wednesday for the second straight day, from 451 on Tuesday to 432 as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The state's cumulative count of cases rose to 262,020.

The number of cases that were active fell by 607, to 25,095, as recoveries and deaths outpaced new cases.