(08/11/20) Lower daily case count of 383

The following statistics were shared Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily COVID-19 news conference in Little Rock and posted on the Arkansas Department of Health’s (ADH) website:

• 50,411 total confirmed cases, up 383 from 50,028 on Monday. 
• 6,847 active cases, down 496 from Monday.
• 42,998 recoveries, up 868 from Monday.
• 566 deaths, up 11 from Monday.
• 507 cases requiring hospitalization, down one from Monday.
• 116 cases requiring a ventilator, down one from Monday.  
• 1,071 cumulative cases in Garland County, up 13 from Monday.  
• 224 active cases in Garland County, down 16 from Monday.
• 830 recoveries in Garland County, up 28 from Monday.  
• 17 deaths in Garland County, up one from Monday.

In the past 24 hours, the number of new cases in Arkansas was 383, with 313 from the community and 69 from correctional facilities. Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero shared the counties with highest number of new cases in the past 24 hours, which included Pulaski with 63, Sebastian with 31 and Carroll with 20.

The number of tests completed in the past 24 hours was 4,140, comprised of 1,259 from the ADH Public Health Lab, 501 from UAMS and 2,380 from private labs. There were also 341 antigen test reports received by ADH in the past 24 hours, but these results are not included in the daily case data.

Hutchinson hinted at a lack of public confidence in the time it takes to get test results. He encouraged everyone who believes they need a COVID-19 test, due to symptoms or possible exposure, to go get a test as he believes the national private labs will be able to improve their turnaround with test results within the next couple of weeks. He cited a call yesterday he was on with the White House COVID-19 Task Force, in which he was assured the labs had committed to increase their test processing capacities. 

Hutchinson was pleased to announce that school district level COVID-19 data will be available by the Aug. 24 start of school. The data will include positivity rate and cumulative and active number of cases relating to each school district community. The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) is working in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Education and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to compile the information. Secretary of Health Johnny Key said that this will be important as school districts will need this data to be able to make appropriate decisions under the guise of the response level documents in conjunction with the Education and Health departments. 

Key encouraged all students, faculty and staff at universities to also adhere to the precautions – social distancing, mask wearing – to start the school year off successfully, noting that the first few weeks of college can be very social times.