New covid-19 cases in Arkansas declined for the third day in a row with 1,749 cases Saturday, 410 fewer than Friday and 611 fewer than Sept. 4, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Health.
[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage » arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]
Gov. Asa Hutchinson noted the drop in his daily Twitter statement about the data.
"During your weekend activities, stay safe," Hutchinson tweeted. "Wear a mask if you can't social distance. Protect yourself and your community by getting vaccinated."
The number of hospitalized covid-19 patients continued to decline Saturday, dropping by 18, for a total of 1,131. There were 24 fewer patients on ventilators, for a total of 292, according to Health Department data.
The number of patients on ventilators had not been below 300 since Aug. 14.
Though a lower number of hospitalized covid-19 patients eases the burden on the health care system, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement CEO Joe Thompson said in a Friday interview that the numbers of covid-19 deaths have often outpaced the simultaneous drops in hospitalizations for the past few weeks.
The Health Department on Saturday reported 33 new deaths from covid-19, for a total of 7,232.
"When the death numbers are higher than the hospital reduction numbers, that's not a good thing," Thompson said. "There are two ways to leave the hospital. One is alive, and one is dead."
Health Department communications director Meg Mirivel said in an email that deaths are not always reported to the department on the same day they occur.
"We do see that around half of people that require a ventilator do not survive," she said.
Additionally, 473 covid-19 patients are in intensive care units throughout the state, according to Health Department data.
Arkansas has seen a total of 473,885 covid-19 cases since March 2020. Benton County had the most new cases in the state Saturday with 127; Pulaski County had 125, and Washington County had 120, according to Health Department data.
Meanwhile, vaccine distribution reported Saturday remained lower than the previous week. The state said that 8,918 more shots had been given, 2,205 fewer than it reported Sept. 4.
"Just like the increase in vaccinations [in July and August] could have been related to the rise in cases, the decrease in vaccinations could be related to a perception of a decrease in risk from COVID-19," Mirivel said. "It is still very important that people get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Case numbers and hospitalizations continue to be high."
As of Saturday, 15,714 Arkansans had received a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which is recommended for individuals with compromised immune systems.
The Health Department reported that 49.9% of Arkansans 12 and older are fully vaccinated against covid-19.