COVID-19 in Arkansas: Gov. Hutchinson announces more records in active cases and hospitalizations

by: Chris Counts

Posted: Jan 5, 2021 / 01:23 PM CST / Updated: Jan 5, 2021 / 02:52 PM CST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Hutchinson is announced Tuesday another record day of current active COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and patients on ventilators, with these spikes coming just after the holidays.

Hutchinson said the Arkansas Department of Health has added 4,107 new cases, making the total number of coronavirus cases 238,888. There were 36 new deaths within the past 24 hours, making the total number of deaths due to the virus 3,836.

There are currently 24,408 active cases of the virus in the state.

Hospitalizations over that same period rose by 27, totaling 1,323 current hospitalizations, with 12 new patients on ventilators, with 224 patients total currently using ventilators.

The state also is seeing a rise in numbers of front line workers receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, with 134,435 doses currently in the state and 37,884 people receiving the vaccine.

Hutchinson also outlined initial details of Phase 1-B and Phase 1-C of the vaccine rollout. Phase 1-B will start February 1 and be focused on those residents over the age of 70 and an expanded group of essential workers that includes various health care workers not on the front line of the fight with the virus along with additional levels of first responders and corrections staff.

The Pace 1-C rollout will focus on residents between the ages of 65 and 69, or those younger than 64 considered at high risk due to other health conditions. The essential worker pool in that rollout expands further into supply chains and infrastructure and includes transportation workers, food service staff and employees in the different utility services.