LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In the first week of school for many Arkansas students, the rise in COVID-19 cases and surge in hospitalizations due to the delta variant are concerning health officials as well as parents.
The Arkansas Department of Health is reporting that there are nearly 1,400 active COVID-19 cases in public schools across the state.
Since the beginning of August, there have been a total of 2,127 positive cases among staff and students in Arkansas's public schools, with 1,347 of those cases active as of Monday, Aug. 16.
Below you can find recent data and key facts on the virus in the state.
Key facts to know:
- Total cases: 425,551 (+2,685)
- Total deaths: 6,565 (+26)
- Currently hospitalized: 1,372 (-38)
- Fully immunized: 1,140,447 (+5,196)
"Today's COVID-19 report shows 26 deaths. These deaths are fellow Arkansans, neighbors, and friends, and they are mostly avoidable with the vaccine," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on Wednesday.
"We will look at trends and the impact on schools during my weekly update tomorrow."
There are a total of 15 ICU beds available in the entire state although the amount of COVID hospitalizations dropped by 38 on Wednesday.
Around 47% of ICU beds are COVID patients.