The week of Christmas saw COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Arkansas reach record levels. On Thursday, Christmas Eve, the state reported its highest single-day total of new cases, 3,204, and its highest number of active cases, 23,378. On Monday, Dec. 21, the state logged 58 deaths, tying the record set on Dec. 17. And on Wednesday, Dec. 23, hospitalizations reached a record high of 1,110. Since March, there have been 214,877 cases and 3,482 deaths among confirmed and probable cases.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday. Dec. 22, that he had authorized the construction of alternative care sites in Little Rock and Van Buren to handle a possible overflow of COVID-19 patients. The governor also announced that a new directive from the Arkansas Department of Health, effective Saturday, Jan. 2, will ban indoor venues from holding events attended by more than 10 people unless a permit is obtained from the department.
Also in the past week, Arkansas received its first shipment of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and its second allocation of Pfizer’s vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine so far has been administered primarily to high-risk hospital workers; the Moderna vaccine is initially designated for residents and workers at nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health’s Educational Institutions Report released on Monday, Dec. 28, there are 2,214 active cases among staff members, students, and teachers in the state’s public school districts. Total positive cases increased by 973 since the Wednesday report to 25,022 of which 17,031 are student cases.
At colleges and universities, there are 333 active cases. The three institutions with the most active cases are:
- University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with 86 cases
- University of Central Arkansas in Conway with 27 cases
- Arkansas Tech University in Russellville with 21 cases
Total positive cases increased by 171 since the Wednesday report to 10,083 cases. Of these, 7,710 are student cases.
On our COVID-19 in Arkansas page, the COVID-19: Local Data dashboard has been updated with data current through Monday, Dec. 21. Some key data points:
By School District
There are 182 school districts with high new infection rates — 149 in the red zone and 33 in the purple zone. School districts in the red zone have 50 to 99 new known infections per 10,000 community residents during a 14-day period, as of Dec. 21. School districts in the purple zone have 100 or more new known infections per 10,000 community residents, or at least 1% of residents, during the same period.
The districts in red or purple zones are:
- Bay: 175 new known infections per 10K residents
- Barton-Lexa: 165 new known infections per 10K residents
- Warren: 162 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bearden: 159 new known infections per 10K residents
- Elkins: 150 new known infections per 10K residents
- Danville: 146 new known infections per 10K residents
- South Side: 143 new known infections per 10K residents
- Trumann: 142 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dardanelle: 138 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dover: 124 new known infections per 10K residents
- Salem: 123 new known infections per 10K residents
- Pottsville: 123 new known infections per 10K residents
- Gentry: 122 new known infections per 10K residents
- Pangburn: 120 new known infections per 10K residents
- Piggott: 119 new known infections per 10K residents
- Monticello: 119 new known infections per 10K residents
- Green Forest: 117 new known infections per 10K residents
- Clinton: 116 new known infections per 10K residents
- Vernon/Enola*: 112 new known infections per 10K residents
- White County Central: 111 new known infections per 10K residents
- Wynne: 109 new known infections per 10K residents
- Pea Ridge: 109 new known infections per 10K residents
- Ouachita: 109 new known infections per 10K residents
- Newport: 109 new known infections per 10K residents
- Scranton: 108 new known infections per 10K residents
- West Fork: 107 new known infections per 10K residents
- Paragould: 107 new known infections per 10K residents
- Brookland: 107 new known infections per 10K residents
- South Conway County: 105 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cleveland County: 105 new known infections per 10K residents
- Glen Rose: 104 new known infections per 10K residents
- Strong-Huttig: 102 new known infections per 10K residents
- Star City: 102 new known infections per 10K residents
- Valley View: 99 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bald Knob: 99 new known infections per 10K residents
- Smackover: 95 new known infections per 10K residents
- Paris: 95 new known infections per 10K residents
- Osceola: 95 new known infections per 10K residents
- Midland: 95 new known infections per 10K residents
- Highland: 95 new known infections per 10K residents
- Concord: 94 new known infections per 10K residents
- Marked Tree: 93 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hermitage: 93 new known infections per 10K residents
- Russellville: 92 new known infections per 10K residents
- Blytheville: 92 new known infections per 10K residents
- Kirby: 90 new known infections per 10K residents
- Izard County Consolidated: 90 new known infections per 10K residents
- Greenbrier: 90 new known infections per 10K residents
- Drew Central: 90 new known infections per 10K residents
- Berryville: 90 new known infections per 10K residents
- Westside Consolidated: 89 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hoxie: 89 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dumas: 89 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mammoth Spring: 88 new known infections per 10K residents
- Nettleton: 87 new known infections per 10K residents
- Melbourne: 87 new known infections per 10K residents
- Springdale: 86 new known infections per 10K residents
- Searcy County: 86 new known infections per 10K residents
- Harrisburg: 86 new known infections per 10K residents
- Wonderview: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- Vilonia: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- Sloan-Hendrix: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- Fordyce: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- East Poinsett County: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cutter-Morning Star: 85 new known infections per 10K residents
- Greene County Tech: 84 new known infections per 10K residents
- Nashville: 82 new known infections per 10K residents
- Manila: 82 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hamburg: 82 new known infections per 10K residents
- Centerpoint: 82 new known infections per 10K residents
- Benton: 82 new known infections per 10K residents
- Prairie Grove: 81 new known infections per 10K residents
- McGehee: 81 new known infections per 10K residents
- Riverside: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Pocahontas: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Jonesboro: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dierks: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Brinkley: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bradford: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Atkins: 80 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lamar: 79 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mountain View: 78 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mount Ida: 78 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hazen: 78 new known infections per 10K residents
- Fayetteville: 78 new known infections per 10K residents
- Arkadelphia: 78 new known infections per 10K residents
- Siloam Springs: 77 new known infections per 10K residents
- Nemo Vista: 77 new known infections per 10K residents
- McCrory: 77 new known infections per 10K residents
- Jackson County: 77 new known infections per 10K residents
- Valley Springs: 76 new known infections per 10K residents
- Two Rivers: 76 new known infections per 10K residents
- Greenland: 75 new known infections per 10K residents
- Rogers: 74 new known infections per 10K residents
- Farmington: 74 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bryant: 74 new known infections per 10K residents
- Van Buren: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Stuttgart: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Quitman: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Malvern: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Magazine: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lincoln: 72 new known infections per 10K residents
- Jasper: 72 new known infections per 10K residents
- England: 72 new known infections per 10K residents
- Magnet Cove: 71 new known infections per 10K residents
- Clarendon: 71 new known infections per 10K residents
- Alma: 71 new known infections per 10K residents
- Western Yell County: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Huntsville: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Heber Springs: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cedar Ridge: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Alpena: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Searcy: 69 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lonoke: 69 new known infections per 10K residents
- Omaha: 68 new known infections per 10K residents
- Little Rock: 68 new known infections per 10K residents
- Clarksville: 68 new known infections per 10K residents
- Viola: 67 new known infections per 10K residents
- North Little Rock: 67 new known infections per 10K residents
- Marvell: 67 new known infections per 10K residents
- Sheridan: 66 new known infections per 10K residents
- Pulaski County Special: 66 new known infections per 10K residents
- Harrison: 66 new known infections per 10K residents
- Buffalo Island Central: 66 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lavaca: 65 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lake Hamilton: 65 new known infections per 10K residents
- Gravette: 65 new known infections per 10K residents
- County Line: 65 new known infections per 10K residents
- Rivercrest: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lee County: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dermott: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cabot: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Augusta: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mena: 63 new known infections per 10K residents
- Fort Smith: 63 new known infections per 10K residents
- East End: 63 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bauxite: 63 new known infections per 10K residents
- White Hall: 62 new known infections per 10K residents
- Ouachita River: 62 new known infections per 10K residents
- Jessieville: 62 new known infections per 10K residents
- Corning: 62 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cross County: 61 new known infections per 10K residents
- Yellville-Summit: 60 new known infections per 10K residents
- Prescott: 60 new known infections per 10K residents
- Horatio: 60 new known infections per 10K residents
- Marion: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lakeside #1: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Greenwood: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Earle: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Poyen: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lawrence County: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Guy-Perkins: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Charleston: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Carlisle: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bentonville: 58 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hope: 57 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hackett: 57 new known infections per 10K residents
- Decatur: 57 new known infections per 10K residents
- Conway: 57 new known infections per 10K residents
- Ozark Mountain: 56 new known infections per 10K residents
- Parkers Chapel: 55 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cedarville: 55 new known infections per 10K residents
- West Memphis: 54 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mineral Springs: 54 new known infections per 10K residents
- Gosnell: 54 new known infections per 10K residents
- Crossett: 54 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mountain Home: 53 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lakeside: 53 new known infections per 10K residents
- Harmony Grove (Saline County): 53 new known infections per 10K residents
- Deer/Mt. Judea: 53 new known infections per 10K residents
- Camden Fairview: 53 new known infections per 10K residents
- Riverview: 52 new known infections per 10K residents
- Maynard: 52 new known infections per 10K residents
- DeQueen: 52 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mulberry/Pleasant View: 51 new known infections per 10K residents
- Forrest City: 51 new known infections per 10K residents
- El Dorado: 51 new known infections per 10K residents
- Shirley: 50 new known infections per 10K residents
- Rector: 50 new known infections per 10K residents
- Marmaduke: 50 new known infections per 10K residents
- Helena/West Helena: 50 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hector: 50 new known infections per 10K residents
By Community
The communities with the highest new known infection rates per 10,000 residents:
- Wilmot: 236 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bay: 219 new known infections per 10K residents
- Bearden: 206 new known infections per 10K residents
- Dumas: 199 new known infections per 10K residents
- Paron: 191 new known infections per 10K residents
- Ozan: 187 new known infections per 10K residents
- Warren: 179 new known infections per 10K residents
- McKinney: 179 new known infections per 10K residents
- Delaware: 176 new known infections per 10K residents
- Kingsland: 172 new known infections per 10K residents
- Prattsville: 171 new known infections per 10K residents
By ZIP Code
The ZIP codes with the highest rates of new known infections:
- 71676: 236 new known infections per 10K residents
- 72411: 219 new known infections per 10K residents
- 71720: 207 new known infections per 10K residents
- 71639: 200 new known infections per 10K residents
- 72122: 192 new known infections per 10K residents
