Arkansas posted its smallest daily increase in coronavirus cases in more than four months on Monday even as the number of people hospitalized with the virus in the state rose slightly.
The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by eight, to 8,384.
"Our case report continues to show the steady decline of covid across Arkansas," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet.
"Vaccine numbers are higher than last week, and I’m hopeful we’ll continue to see more Arkansans get first doses and booster doses this week."
The state's count of cases rose by 137, an increase that was smaller by 24 than the one the previous Monday.
Due to slowdowns in testing and reporting over the weekend, Arkansas' daily case increases tend to go down on Sundays and Mondays.
Still, the rise Monday was the smallest since June 21.
Already at its lowest level since the week ending June 30, the average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period fell to 421.
After falling to a four-month low a day earlier, however, the number of people hospitalized with covid-19 in Arkansas rose by two, to 331.
The number who were on ventilators fell by four, to 89, its lowest level since July 11.
The number who were intensive care fell for the sixth day in a row, going from 154 as of Sunday, to 149, its lowest level since June 29.
The number of intensive care unit beds in the state's hospitals that were unoccupied rose by 26, to 160, with covid-19 patients continuing to represent about 15% of all the people in intensive care.
Already at its lowest level since July 2, the number of cases in the state that were considered active fell by 397, to 4,420, as recoveries and deaths outpaced new cases.
Meanwhile, at 2,820, the increase in the Health Department's tally of vaccine doses was larger by more than 300 than the one a week earlier.
Third doses, including booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people who received their second dose at least six months ago, made up 55% of the increase.
The increase also included 752 first doses, which was smaller by 13 than the number reported a week earlier.
The average number of total doses administered each day over a rolling seven-day period rose to 10,344, the highest average since the week ending Sept. 3.
After rising the previous eight days, the average number of first doses administered each day over seven days fell to 2,279.