JONESBORO — The COVID Tracker map for Arkansas, produced each week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is more spotty, as more counties show reductions in new infections.
Except for the near-solid orange counties of Northeast Arkansas.
Orange on the map means a high community level of COVID-19. Of the nine NEA counties The Sun tracks each day, seven are in that highest category. Two others, Mississippi and Cross, are rated as medium.
While the northeast corner of the state is a near-solid orange, the northwest corner of Arkansas is a near-solid green, reflecting low community levels of the disease.
In fact, according to the CDC, Craighead County had 309.97 new cases per 100,000 population (342 total) between Aug. 4 and Wednesday.
Benton County (Bentonville-Rogers) had 107.83 per 100,000 (309 total) during the same period. Washington County (Fayetteville-Springdale) had 171 per 100,000 (409 total), according to the COVID Tracker. The U.S. Census Bureau places Benton County’s population at 279,141, Washington County at 239,187 and Craighead County at 110,332.
Pulaski County (Little Rock, with a population of 391,911, remains classified as high level. However, it’s infection rate is 221.73, or 39.8 percent lower than Craighead County.
However, there are some signs of improvement.
In the past week, Craighead’s infection level dropped by 21.4 percent from the previous level of 394.26. Greene County’s level dropped by 16.7 percent from 410.37 per 100,000 to 341.97.
Jackson County, with a level of 396.27, went the other way in the past week, according to the tracker, increasing by 136 percent. The previous level was 167.47.
Randolph County, which had a level of 322.98 last week, dropped by 37.9 percent to 200.47 cases per 100,000 in the previous seven days.
The COVID 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.
Mississippi and Cross counties, while classified as medium community levels, showed modest increases in cases in the previous seven days, according to the CDC data.
As of Wednesday, the CDC data showed Craighead County had a seven-day rolling average of 52 new cases. That average is increasing, as Friday’s report from the Arkansas Department of Health revealed 55 new cases for Craighead, on top of 79 reported on Thursday.
Statewide, Arkansas had 1,114 new cases and eight deaths, including two Craighead County residents.
Pulaski County accounted for 141 new cases, followed by 97 in Washington, 55 in Craigheasd and 53 in Faulkner County.
Active cases rose by 27 statewide to 11,790.
The number of COVID-infected patients who were hospitalized across the state dropped by 13 to 351, while Northeast Arkansas hospitals reported 10 fewer COVID admissions at 38.
