Laws Drug Store pharmacy technician Cassie Yeakley (right) administers a free Covid-19 booster shot to Nathan Williams Friday in Fort Smith. Williams said he also received his two initial vaccine immunizations from Laws Drug Store at his workplace. Go to nwaonline.com/211113Daily/ to see more photos. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Covid-19 hospitalizations in Northwest Arkansas and across the state continued their upward trend this week.
Sixty-two patients were hospitalized in Northwest Arkansas on Friday, up from from 50 a week earlier, according to the Northwest Arkansas Council. The all-time high was 173 patients Aug. 11, and the low since then was 31 hospitalizations Nov. 5.
The average age of hospitalized covid-19 patients in the region Friday was 44; the youngest was 19 and the oldest 90.
In the River Valley, 21 patients were hospitalized at Baptist Health in Fort Smith Friday, up from 19 last week, including 14 in covid-19 critical care units and seven on ventilators, according to spokeswoman Alicia Agent. One patient was hospitalized with covid-19 at Baptist Health in Van Buren.
At Mercy Fort Smith, 20 patients were hospitalized with covid-19 Friday, up from 16 the previous week, including three in intensive care units, said spokeswoman Mardi Taylor.
Statewide, 471 patients were hospitalized with the virus Friday, 208 were in ICU and 98 were on ventilators, according to Danyelle McNeill, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Health. In comparison, 433 were hospitalized last week, including 171 in ICU and 80 on ventilators.
There were 1,093 new cases in the state Friday, down slightly from 1,174 one week earlier, according to the Department of Health.
Benton County led the state with 100 new cases Friday, followed by Washington County with 76 new cases and Pulaski County with 64, according to the department. In the River Valley, Sebastian County had 56 new cases and Crawford County had 22 on Friday.
In comparison, there were 112 new cases in Benton County a week ago, 88 in Washington County, 57 in Sebastian County and 26 in Crawford County, according to the department.
There were 30 new deaths in the four-county area this week for a total of 1,735 since the pandemic began, according to the Department of Health.
Percentages of population vaccinated
County^Partially Vaccinated^Fully Vaccinated^Third Dose
Benton^10.2%^50.3%^11.4%
Crawford^7.7%^43.4%^9.0%
Sebastian^9.7%^44.2%^9.3%
Washington^11.5%^51.9%^11.5%
Source: Arkansas Department of Health