Arkansas posted its largest increase in hospitalized covid-19 patients in more than a month Monday, even as the state's new case numbers continued to trend slightly downward.
Meanwhile, for the second day in a row, the state didn't record any new deaths from covid-19. The state's death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, remained at 11,861.
After dipping below 300 over the weekend, the reported number of covid-19 patients in Arkansas hospitals rose Monday by 21, to 320, the same number that was reported Friday. It was the largest one-day jump in the reported number hospitalized since July 18.
Despite the increase Monday, State Epidemiologist Mike Cima said the overall trend in the number hospitalized has been downward since the number peaked at 442 last month, and he expects that trend to continue.
He noted that other metrics, such as the state's new cases and the percentage of tests that are positive, known as the positivity rate, have been on the decline.
Over the week ending Sunday the positivity rate was 15.4%, down from an initial report of 18% for the previous week.
"It would be pretty strange to see hospitalizations start to increase without any kind of preceding event that would lead to that," Cima said.
The state's count of cases rose Monday by 453. While larger by 73 than the increase Sunday, it was smaller by nine than the one the previous Monday.
Already at its lowest level since the week ending June 27, the average daily increase in the state's case count over a rolling seven-day period fell slightly Monday, to 856.
With recoveries outpacing new cases, the number of cases in the state that were considered active fell by 581, to 10,662, the smallest total since June 28.
Pulaski County had the most new cases, 111, on Monday, followed by Washington County with 79, Craighead County with 59 and Benton County with 55.
The state's cumulative count of cases since March 2020 rose to 923,512.
After rising the previous five days, the number of the state's virus patients who were in intensive care fell Monday by one, to 72.
Declining for the second consecutive day, the number on ventilators fell by two, to 14, the smallest number since July 20.
Although the numbers on the Health Department's online coronavirus dashboard weren't updated Sunday, the state's count of cases that day rose by 380, according to figures provided Monday by department spokeswoman Danyelle McNeill.
The reported number of covid-19 patients in the state's hospitals rose Sunday by five, to 299, while the number in intensive care rose by two, to 73, the figures indicate.
The reported number of the state's virus patients who were on ventilators fell Sunday by one, to 16.
No new covid-19 deaths were recorded Sunday, Health Department figures show.
Hospitals aren't required to update their numbers with the Health Department on Saturdays and Sundays, but some do, health officials have said. The numbers used to calculate the totals for those days are from Friday for some hospitals and from Saturday or Sunday for others, officials have said.
McNeill said department officials didn't know why the dashboard didn't update Sunday.