Arkansas hospitals placed 33 new covid-19 patients on ventilators Tuesday, according to the state’s department of health, bringing the total to 205 patients struggling for life on the machines. Sadly, that’s the highest number of patients on ventilators since January, according to the
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and it’s due largely to the state’s desperately low vaccination rates.
The number of covid-19 patients currently hospitalized in Arkansas is 1,025, another high that hasn’t been seen since January of this year. The state recorded 2,052 new cases on Tuesday, with 10 new deaths from the disease.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, tweeted about the depressing milestones on Tuesday, urging residents to get vaccinated.
“Today our hospitalizations crossed the 1,000 mark. I will meet with my COVID Task Force tomorrow morning to discuss ways to increase hospital capacity. Vaccines are the best antidote for our increasing numbers; the best antidote for fear is counsel from a trustworthy advisor,” Hutchinson
tweeted.