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Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday there were "only eight ICU beds available in the state," which has seen COVID-19 drive a record spike in hospitalizations.

The big picture: Arkansas is third in the U.S. for new daily virus cases as the Delta variant surges, per the Associated Press, citing Johns Hopkins data. A judge last week temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a mask mandates ban. Hutchinson, a Republican, has said he regrets signing the bill.

Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike

"We saw the largest single-day increase in hospitalizations," eclipsing the previous COVID hospitalizations high, the governor said.

Asa Hutchinson, governor of Arkansas, during a community town hall to promote Covid-19 vaccinations  in Mountain Home, Arkansas, U.S., on Monday, July 16

 Gov. Asa Hutchinson during a  July town hall in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Photo: Liz Sanders/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Arkansas

Coronavirus

<p>Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday there were &quot;only eight ICU beds available in the state,&quot; which has seen COVID-19 drive a record spike in hospitalizations.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Arkansas is third in the U.S. for new daily virus cases as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Delta variant" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/variants-tracker/" data-vars-content-id="2aee520a-116a-4f06-9be2-3501965380dd" data-vars-headline="Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/variants-tracker/" target="_self">the Delta variant</a> surges, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per the Associated P" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-coronavirus-pandemic-7ed21edba1069f6c57e07c42540021fe" data-vars-content-id="2aee520a-116a-4f06-9be2-3501965380dd" data-vars-headline="Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-coronavirus-pandemic-7ed21edba1069f6c57e07c42540021fe" target="_blank">per the Associated P</a>ress, citing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Johns Hopkins data" data-vars-click-url="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/us/arkansas" data-vars-content-id="2aee520a-116a-4f06-9be2-3501965380dd" data-vars-headline="Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/us/arkansas" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins data</a>. A judge last week temporarily <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="blocked the state" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/arkansas-judge-blocks-statewide-mask-mandate-ban-bfafe80e-f071-4009-99ba-57a3127e0eaa.html" data-vars-content-id="2aee520a-116a-4f06-9be2-3501965380dd" data-vars-headline="Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/arkansas-judge-blocks-statewide-mask-mandate-ban-bfafe80e-f071-4009-99ba-57a3127e0eaa.html" target="_self">blocked the state</a> from enforcing a mask mandates ban. Hutchinson, a Republican, has said he <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="regrets signing the bill" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/arkansas-governor-ban-mask-mandate-coronavirus-558d8694-440a-423f-997b-c1cdeb2d6288.html" data-vars-content-id="2aee520a-116a-4f06-9be2-3501965380dd" data-vars-headline="Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/arkansas-governor-ban-mask-mandate-coronavirus-558d8694-440a-423f-997b-c1cdeb2d6288.html" target="_self">regrets signing the bill</a>.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/AsaHutchinson/status/1424832448081403905"></a></blockquote><div style="display:none"></div></div><span data-ad-status="NO_AD_LENGTH" data-ad-type="midStoryAd"></span>

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Arkansas has only 8 ICU beds free as COVID hospitalizations spike