LITTLE ROCK — New cases of COVID-19 continued to decline Friday in Arkansas.
The state reported 565 confirmed and probable cases of the virus. Active cases decreased to 12,573.
“Our new and active cases continue the downward trend that we’ve seen over the past few days,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. “We have made progress, and we can see the benefit of wearing a mask, watching our distance, and washing our hands.”
Winter weather may be part of the downward trend in new cases. Arkansas Center for Health Improvement President Dr. Joe Thompson said in an interview that it “might be a good event to actually clamp down” on transmission.
Thirteen more deaths were linked to the virus on Friday, bringing the total to 5,573.
The number patients hospitalized with the virus stayed the same at 712.
The state logged 7,338 daily PCR tests and 1,152 antigen tests.
Nearly 63 percent of the 718,200 coronavirus vaccines in the state had been given Friday.
Hutchinson said in the statement that Arkansas received more than 47,000 vaccine doses Thursday.