Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Thursday by 2,491 — the fourth daily increase in a row that was smaller than the one on the same day a week earlier.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized, on ventilators and in intensive care units in Arkansas all fell Thursday after peaking earlier this week.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Arkansas Department of Health, rose by 42, to 4,228.
"Today's report shows over 800 fewer cases with higher testing than this time last week," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.
"We also saw a decrease in hospitalizations and ventilator usage. This will relieve some of the strain on our health care system as we continue to distribute vaccine doses."
After rising on Wednesday, the number of patients hospitalized with the virus fell Thursday by 67, to 1,295.
That was the first time that number had dropped below 1,300 since the threshold was first crossed on Jan. 5.
The number of virus patients on ventilators fell by 14 to 241, while the number in intensive care units fell by six to 426.
All three indicators reached highs on Monday: 1,371 for the number hospitalized, 268 for the number on ventilators and 458 for the number in intensive care units.
The number of cases that were considered active also fell, from 25,095 as of Wednesday to 24,740 as of Thursday, as new cases were outpaced by recoveries and deaths.
The state's cumulative count of cases since the pandemic began rose to 264,511. That comprised 214,199 cases that were confirmed through polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests and 50,312 that were identified through less-sensitive antigen tests. Of those who have been diagnosed with covid-19, more than 235,000 are now considered recovered.
Read Friday's Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more details.