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Department of Health reports rising COVID-19 cases, expands testing capacity
Summary
Arkansas Department of Health staff told the committee cumulative COVID-19 cases were 9,426 and deaths 154; test positivity was about 5.9% with recent daily increases; DOH described efforts to expand lab capacity and contact tracing and said baseline testing of long-term-care facilities is underway.
Dr. Jennifer Dillahase, epidemiologist at the Arkansas Department of Health, briefed the Senate committee on the state's COVID-19 situation and testing plans.
Dillahase said Arkansas had recorded 9,426 cumulative cases and 154 deaths and that over the prior weekend the state logged 775 new cases, with rapid growth concentrated in Northwest Arkansas (Benton and Washington counties). "Our test positivity rate is 5.9 percent," she said, noting some recent daily values above 7% tied to increased case detection. The health department reported running more than 158,000 tests to date and said it is increasing laboratory capacity with high-throughput equipment capable of up to 1,000 tests per day.
The department described scaling up contact-tracing and case-investigation capacity (roughly 240 staff members were engaged at the time of testimony) and a request for qualifications to contract for testing-and-staffing oversight to ensure sustainable operations when academic partners are less available.
Committee members asked for more granular and timely county-level reporting (active versus cumulative cases) and for a breakdown of how many tests represent pre-procedure screening versus community testing. Dillahase said DOH can work to present active-case data and to clarify how negative tests without county information are reconciled in the dashboard.
On long-term-care settings, the department said it is pursuing baseline testing of all nursing homes and assisted-living facilities with a goal of completing statewide baseline testing by the end of the month to support safe visitation protocols.
