Active coronavirus infections at schools and colleges fell during what is spring break week for many students, according to state Health Department data.
The department's Thursday report listed 222 active cases among students and staff members in public schools districts, down from Monday's265 cases.
College and university cases dropped to 56 Thursday from 80 on Monday, according to the latest report.
While case totals have slid downward in recent weeks, state leaders including Gov. Asa Hutchinson have encouraged covid-19 testing for those who took spring break as an opportunity to travel or gather in crowds.
Last week, before students at the University of Central Arkansas began their spring break, university President Houston Davis announced a "mass testing opportunity" on campus upon students' return from the holiday Monday.
Recent testing data shows a decline in the number of virus tests given at two of the state's largest college campuses.
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The University of Central Arkansas reported on its website a total of 258 campus and UCA-protocol tests done March 10-16, the most recent period with complete data before the start of spring break.
Seven tests came back positive, for a positivity rate of about 3%, as calculated by UCA. The testing total, however, was the lowest for the Conway campus since the start of the spring semester, though the data shows an uptick in testing for the following week, when 413 tests were conducted. Spring semester classes began Jan. 19.
At the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the state's largest university, campus covid-19 tests for March 15-21 fell to 953, according to data published on the school's website.
This was the second-lowest weekly total since classes resumed at UA on Jan. 11, ahead of only Feb. 15-21, when winter weather shut down the campus. But out of the 953 campus tests March 15-21, none came back positive, according to the university. Data for the current week shows three positive results out of 517 tests conducted.
UA opted not to give students a full week off for spring break, instead distributing days off in the semester out of concern that travel might result in spread of the coronavirus. UA-Fayetteville students did get Thursdayand todayas holidays.
The Health Department report Monday listed 14 public school districts with five or more active cases of covid-19. Topping the list was Rogers School District with 18 cases, followed by Springdale School District with 13 cases among students and staff.
Among colleges and universities, the Health Department report listed UA-Fayetteville and the University of Central Arkansas as each having seven active cases. No other college or university was listed as having five or more cases.