Confirmed death toll climbs to 976
The total number of confirmed and probable cases of covid-19 in Arkansas surpassed 70,000 on Sunday as 12 additional deaths brought the confirmed death toll to 976, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Active confirmed and probable cases in the state ticked up to 6,171, according to the Department of Health, an increase of 56 from the previous day.
The 508 new confirmed cases reported Sunday represented a decline compared with Saturday's count of 727 confirmed and probable cases and Friday's single-day record of 1,107.
The number of confirmed and probable infections since the start of the pandemic was 70,219 in the state as of Sunday.
Describing the latest number as better, "but still too high," Gov. Asa Hutchinson sounded encouraged by the number of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests reported Saturday.
"We continue to see increased PCR testing numbers & this allows us to better determine where new cases are coming from," Hutchinson wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "Mask up, keep your distance, and enjoy the rest of your weekend."
