This week, Arkansas reached record highs for positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reported 1,265 confirmed and probable cases and 547 current hospitalizations. The day prior, KATV reported, in a story that included an interview with ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson, that only 101 of 1,002 ICU beds, or about 10%, are available.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health’s Educational Institutions Report released Thursday, there are 828 active cases among staff members, students, and teachers in the state’s public school districts. Total positive cases increased by 400 since the Monday report to 5,699, of which 4,181 are student cases. At colleges and universities, there are 369 active cases. The three institutions with the highest numbers of active cases are:
- University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with 58 cases
- Harding University in Searcy with 55 cases
- University of Central Arkansas in Conway with 39 cases
Total positive cases increased by 201 since the Monday report to 4,664 cases. Of these, 3,843 are student cases.
Some of the known football cancellations due to positive COVID-19 cases this week include:
- North Little Rock and Little Rock Southwest
- Hoxie and Corning
- Spring Hill and Mountain Pine
- Crossett and DeWitt
- Highland and Blytheville
- Pea Ridge and Vilonia
On our COVID-19 in Arkansas page this week, all the data in the COVID-19: Local Data dashboard have been updated through Monday. Some key data points:
By School District
There are 13 school districts in the red zone this week as of Monday, up from nine last week. Five of the districts were in the red zone in the prior week. School districts in the red zone have 50 or more new known infections per 10,000 residents in the community during a 14-day period. These districts are:
- Jackson County: 92 new known infections per 10K residents
- England: 77 new known infections per 10K residents
- Spring Hill: 76 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mammoth Spring: 73 new known infections per 10K residents
- Lawrence County: 70 new known infections per 10K residents
- Berryville: 66 new known infections per 10K residents
- Hoxie: 64 new known infections per 10K residents
- Cedar Ridge: 61 new known infections per 10K residents
- Magnolia: 60 new known infections per 10K residents
- Clarendon: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Viola: 59 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mulberry/Pleasant View: 56 new known infections per 10K residents
- Barton-Lexa: 54 new known infections per 10K residents
Tonight, six of the high schools in red-zone school districts have football games. Two of these schools are playing each other: England and Clarendon.
By Community
The communities with the highest new known infection rates per 10,000 residents as of Oct. 5:
- Pencil Bluff: 387 new known infections per 10K residents
- Oil Trough: 275 new known infections per 10K residents
- Altheimer: 137 new known infections per 10K residents
- Holly Grove: 130 new known infections per 10K residents
- Moro: 124 new known infections per 10K residents
- Tuckerman: 107 new known infections per 10K residents
- Swifton: 106 new known infections per 10K residents
- Weiner: 97 new known infections per 10K residents
- Elizabeth: 96 new known infections per 10K residents
- Mammoth Spring: 87 new known infections per 10K residents
By ZIP Code
The ZIP codes with the highest rates of new known infections as of Oct. 5:
- 71965: 387 new known infections per 10K residents
- 72564: 275 new known infections per 10K residents
- 72004: 137 new known infections per 10K residents
- 72069: 131 new known infections per 10K residents
72368: 125 new known infections per 10K residents
