JONESBORO —Northeast Arkansas continued to have among the highest community levels of COVID-19 in the state, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC’s weekly COVID-19 Data Tracker, released Thursday night, showed the highest level in Randolph County, with a rate opf 395.37 new cases per 100,000 population. The CDC based that rating on 60 new cases between Sept. 8 and Wednesday.
The COVID-19 tracker compares standardized data across the U.S. In addition to new infections, it factors in hospitalizations and staffing levels at those hospitals serving those counties.
Last week, the CDC’s data showed Jackson and Craighead counties had the highest numbers in the state. But Randolph County’s levels were higher this week than Jackson County’s last week.
Between Sept. 8 and Wednesday, the CDC showed Craighead County had recorded 370 new cases for a rate of 304.54. That’s down from the 364.35 rate the previous week. Jackson County’s 65 cases in the previous seven days was 340.93, down from 370.84 the previous week.
Greene County’s 99 new cases translated to a ratge of 220.63 per 100,000. That’s down from 240.49 the previous week.
In Northeast Arkansas, Craighead, Clay, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Poinsett and Randolph are rated as high community levels, shown in orange on the CDC map.
Mississippi County remains medium level or yellow, and Cross County is rated as low level.
Friday’s report from the Arkansas Department of Health would appear to offer some hope, as only 660 new cases were reported statewide, compared to 1,148 on Sept. 9 and 1,219 on Sept. 2.
Of Friday’s new cases, Pulaski County had 178, followed by Benton County, 45, Washington County with 34 and Craighead County with 29. Craighead County had 65 new cases on Sept. 9.
The state disclosed six deaths Friday, including one in Randolph County.
Active cases dropped by 360 statewide to 8,853, while Craighead County’s active cases dropped by 30 to 563.
Clay, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi Poinsett and Randolph counties all had slight declines in active cases. Greene County’s active cases increased by one, while they were unchanged in Cross County.
COVID-related hospitalizations dropped by 12 to 265 statewide, and dropped by two in Northeast Arkansas to to 44.
Friday Northeast Arkansas COVID-19 cases by county:
Craighead – 29 new cases, 563 active cases.
Greene – 19 new cases, 180 active cases.
Lawrence – 4 new cases, 76 active cases.
Poinsett – 10 new cases, 102 active cases.
Mississippi – 17 new cases, 214 active cases.
Jackson – 10 new cases, 123 active cases.
Randolph – 5 new cases, 103 active cases.
Cross – 3 new cases, 47 active cases.
Clay – 4 new cases, 55 active cases.
