The recent upward trend in new coronavirus cases in Arkansas continued Monday as the state's count rose by 103.
Due to a drop-off in testing and reporting over the weekend, the state's daily case increases tend to be smaller on Sundays and Mondays than on other days.
Monday's increase, however, was the fifth one in a row that was larger than the one a week earlier.
After rising a day earlier, the number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 fell by three, to 203.
The number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators, however, rose by eight, to 48, its highest level since March 20.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by two, to 5,863.
“We continue to march toward our goal of 50% of Arkansans vaccinated by the end of July,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.
“While we’re getting closer, we are not there yet. The doses are available across the state, so stop by a pharmacy today to get your shot.”
Monday's increase in cases was larger by 41 than the one a week earlier.
Already at its highest level since the week ending March 22, the average number of cases added to the state's tallies over a rolling seven-day period rose to 225.
The average has increased every day but one since hitting a low for the year of 134 a day during the week ending June 1.
Meanwhile, the pace of vaccinations in the state continued to show signs of slowing following a rebound after Memorial Day weekend.
The number of vaccine doses providers in the state had reported administering, including second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, rose Monday by 1,752.
That was 732 doses fewer than the increase reported the previous Monday.
At 5,345, average number of doses administered each day over a rolling seven-day period was still up from a recent low of fewer than 4,700 a day the week ending June 5 but down from a peak of more than 23,000 a day in early April.