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 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.
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"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."
Also on Monday, two health care systems with hospitals in Arkansas said more than 90% of their employees were in compliance with vaccine requirements that took effect this week.
CHI St. Vincent, which has hospitals in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Hot Springs and Morrilton, said more than 91% of its 4,200 employees had been fully vaccinated.
The remaining employees "have received an approved medical or religious exemption or chosen not to receive the vaccine," the health system said in a statement.
"Employees who requested an exemption and were not approved will be able to continue to work to ensure we can keep providing essential health care services while we review options to incorporate Arkansas' new laws on vaccine mandates into our existing policies," the health system said.
"These employees will be subject to additional masking and testing requirements."
When it goes into effect in January, Act 1115, passed by the Legislature last month, will require employers with vaccine mandates to provide exemptions for employees who agree to be tested weekly or provide proof that they've had covid-19 in the past.
CHI St. Vincent said employees with approved medical or religious exemptions are also subject to masking and testing requirements.
"Since vaccines first became available, we have worked hard to share information with our employees about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, address any questions and concerns, and offer convenient options to get vaccinated," the health system said in the statement.
"We will continue to work in good faith with employees who are not yet vaccinated to encourage them to do so and we hope they will remain with our organization."
At Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Health Care, a system that includes NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden, 98.6% of employees were in compliance with a vaccine requirement that went into effect this week, spokeswoman Kimberly Alexander said in an email.
Employees who are not in compliance will be placed on a leave of absence, she said.
She said it was too early to know how many would be affected since some were still providing proof of vaccination on Monday.
"While we regret to see any of our fellow colleagues choose to leave, we respect their choice," Alexander said.
"If they have a change of heart about the COVID-19 vaccine, they have the opportunity to return to Baptist."
Employees of St. Bernards Healthcare, which includes St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, CrossRidge Community Hospital in Wynne and St. Bernards Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas, had until the end of Monday to be fully vaccinated.
Spokesman Mitchell Nail said employees not in compliance will be fired.
He didn't have information on Monday about how many of the system's 3,900 employees were in compliance.
Last month, he said 99% of the 300 employees who make up the health system's leadership team met an Oct. 1 deadline that applied to that group.
For now, Nail said, the system isn't planning to change the policy to include exemptions for employees who agree to testing or have had an infection in the past.
"We're just proceeding on a day-to-day basis," Nail said.
MORE HOSPITALIZED
The state's count of coronavirus 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.
With recoveries and deaths outpacing new cases, the number of cases in the state that were considered active fell by 397, to 4,420, its lowest level since July 2.
The increase in the number of people hospitalized was the first one in a week.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the Health Department's chief medical officer, said the rise reflected a slower decline in the state's new cases after a steep drop in September.
"I think that this virus is still finding people who aren't immune," Dillaha said.
"Even though we have more people vaccinated and people who have temporary immunity since they recently had covid-19, it's still finding people who are not immune from the vaccine or from recent illness, and I think it will continue to do that until people get immunity, either by getting sick or by getting vaccinated."
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SCHOOL CASES DOWN
After rising on Thursday, the number of active cases among public school students and employees, as tracked in Health Department reports released twice a week, fell Monday by 60, to 890.
That was a new low for the school year, although it was only smaller by two than the total as of a week earlier.
Monday's report also showed an uptick in school districts with 20 or more active cases among students and staff.
Ten public school districts in various regions of the state had at least 20 active cases, up from seven districts on Thursday.
It was the largest number of districts with 20 or more active cases since Oct. 21, when 11 districts had at least that many.
The fall term had barely begun when active cases in public schools statewide surged to more than 4,800 in early September.
After cases fell sharply, the past month has also seen fewer cases.
Active covid-19 cases in public schools have fallen about 47% from the 1,668 active-infection total listed in an Oct. 4 Health Department report.
The Rogers School District on Monday topped all others with 56 active cases, followed by the Bentonville School District with 42 and the Mountain Home School District with 33.
At private elementary and secondary schools, the number of active cases among students and employees fell by 22, to 40, from Thursday to Monday.
Harding Academy in Searcy was listed as having the most on both days, although its total fell from 19 as of Thursday to 11.
Colleges and universities were listed as having 89 active cases among students and employees on Monday, down from 94 on Thursday.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville was listed having the most on Monday, 15, which was down from 17 as of Thursday.
MANDATE LIFTED
John Brown University announced that, beginning Wednesday, students will no longer be required to wear masks when gathered in groups of 12 or more indoors, though there will be exceptions.
"As we mentioned before the school year started, the administration has continued to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases on our campus and in the community and we are happy to see those numbers trending downward, particularly the lower number of hospitalizations," the university said in a letter, dated Monday, addressed to students and posted on the university's website.
The private Christian college in Siloam Springs has an enrollment of about 2,100 students.
It reported on its website having as of last Friday five active covid-19 cases among students and two active cases among employees.
On Monday, it wasn't listed in the Health Department's report as being among colleges with five or more active cases.
Masks remain recommended but, with a few exceptions, will no longer be required in classrooms.
Exceptions include when a faculty member is considered at higher risk "due to their own health concerns or that of someone under their care or with whom they live," according to the letter.
The college will continue to require masks in chapel gatherings and services, as well as "a few large-capacity, densely-packed indoor events."
John Brown University on Aug. 4 announced that students would be required to wear masks at indoor gatherings of 12 or more people.
At the time, the university's president, Chip Pollard, said requirements would be loosened based on the level of covid-19 transmission in Benton County.
While Pollard said in the Aug. 4 letter that requirements would be loosened when there was a "moderate" level of transmission, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday still listed Benton County as having a "high" level of covid-19 transmission.
Large public universities in the state--including the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and Arkansas State University -- continue to require face coverings indoors.
DOSES ARRIVE
Dillaha said the first "wave" of child-size Pfizer vaccine doses started arriving at the department's local health units on Monday, a day before an advisory committee to the CDC was scheduled to meet to consider recommendations on the vaccines' use for children age 5-11.
The shipments followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authorization on Friday of the vaccine for the new age group.
More doses will arrive in Arkansas later in the week that will be redistributed to providers that participate in the federal Vaccines for Children Program.
Providers will begin administering the doses after the CDC issues guidance based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendations.
"Our hope is that the VFC providers around the state that are going to provide covid-19 vaccine for that 5 through 11 age group will all have it by the end of the week, so they can start giving it the next week, assuming that the ACIP votes to recommend it tomorrow and the CDC director accepts their recommendation," Dillaha said.
The Health Department is expected to get a total of 66,600 doses in the first two waves of shipments.
An additional 40,000 doses were allocated to Walmart and other providers participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for Covid-19 Vaccination.
Dillaha also said Monday that, due to a declining volume of calls, the Health Department is consolidating its call centers that provide information about covid-19 and the vaccines.
Instead of going to a separate call center operated by the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, calls from people seeking information on where to get the vaccine will be directed to the general covid-19 call center operated by General Dynamics Information Technology.
The number for the call center is (800) 803-7847.
Calls going to the old number for the vaccine hotline, (800) 985-6030, will be forwarded to the General Dynamics call center through the end of the year, Dillaha said.
CASES BY COUNTY
Sebastian County had the most new cases on Monday, 16, followed by Pulaski County, which had 15, and Benton County, which had 13.
The state's cumulative count of cases rose to 513,352.
Dillaha said all the deaths reported Monday happened within the past month.
She said 6.3% of the state's coronavirus tests were positive over the seven-day span ending Sunday, down from the 6.4% that was initially reported for the week ending Thursday and a high during the summer of 16.3% in the week ending Aug. 4.
Hutchinson has said he wants to keep the percentage below 10%.
The number of people who have ever been hospitalized in the state with covid-19 grew by five, to 27,605.
The number of the state's virus patients who have ever been on a ventilator remained at 2,903.
VACCINATIONS UP
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.
According to the CDC, 58.1% of Arkansans had received at least one vaccine dose as of Monday, up from 58% a day earlier.
The percentage who had been fully vaccinated rose from 48% as of Sunday to 48.1%.
Of those who had been fully vaccinated, 11% had received a booster dose, up from 10.7% a day earlier.
Among the states and District of Columbia, Arkansas continued to rank 36th in the percentage of its residents who had received at least one vaccine dose and 43rd, ahead of Tennessee, Louisiana, North Dakota, Mississippi, Alabama, Idaho, Wyoming and West Virginia, in the percentage who had been fully vaccinated.
Nationally, 66.8% of people had received at least one vaccine dose, and 58% had been fully vaccinated.
Of the fully vaccinated population nationally, 10% had received a booster dose.