LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is reporting a record-high number of hospitalizations caused by COVID-19.
According to ADH, 1,376 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Arkansas. This surpasses the record high set on Jan. 11 of 1,371 hospitalizations.
Around the state, there is a total of 515 COVID-19 patients currently in the ICU and 286 on ventilators.
The ADH reports 191 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Northwest region with 84 in the ICU and 51 on ventilators.
In the River Valley, there are 143 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, 46 are in the ICU and 27 are on ventilators.
As of Aug. 9, the state is reporting a total of 22,815 active COVID-19 cases, 6,322 COVID-19 related deaths, and over 2.4 million vaccine doses have been administered.
To date, a total of 405,272 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Arkansas.
At this time hospitals aren't concerned with the number of ventilators or beds, but are worried about staffing.
Dr. Marti Sharkey with the City of Fayetteville says they are swamped and the continued increase in cases isn't a good situation. She says if we continue with this growth we will burn out our nursing staff, leaving patients without staff to care for them.
"We want to keep our hospitalization rates... get our hospitalization rates lower. And keep people out of the hospital and get our healthcare workers and our healthcare systems a much-needed break. And not keep asking them to do the impossible which they keep rising to the occasion and doing," Dr. Sharkey said.
Dr. Sharkey along with elected officials are pleading with Arkansans to get the vaccine.
Click here for a full map of COVID-19 cases in the state.