NWA COVID-19 surge threatens to strain health care system

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Why it matters: As cases rise, so will the strain on the local health care system.

Details: These numbers are representative of Arkansas Children's Northwest, Community Clinic, Mercy Northwest Arkansas, Northwest Health, UAMS Northwest, Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and Washington Regional Medical Center.

Zoom out: COVID-19 cases statewide were up by 1,875 on Tuesday, the largest one-day increase in more than five months, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

• The number of people hospitalized in Arkansas Tuesday was 815, the highest since February.
• There were 313 patients in intensive care and 131 on ventilators.

Cam Patterson, UAMS chancellor, told the Associated Press that the increases are straining hospital resources.

The bottom line: Arkansas still has the highest COVID-19 case rate in the U.S., at 36 per 100,000 residents.

Of note: Gov. Asa Hutchinson extended his road trips and next week will travel to Mountain Home, Dumas, Heber Springs and Siloam Springs to try to convince the vaccine hesitant to get the shot.

Go deeper: Axios' national team continues to cover the issue from every angle:

• Axios-Ipsos poll: Convincing the unvaccinated
• Coronavirus vaccine resistance higher among mothers than fathers
• Conservative media diets tied to distrust in health officials