Thursday, December 17, 2020
Times-Democrat News Staff
Piggott Community Hospital medical director Dr. J.T. Dewitt received the first COVID-19 vaccine in Clay County, as the initial batch was delivered on Wednesday morning. Administering the dose is Shelly Samples, RN, who coordinates issues with infectious diseases along with serving as the trauma program director at the local hospital.
TD photo/Tim Blair
The first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine were distributed this week, with Piggott Community Hospital getting 80 doses in their initial shipment. The arrival comes as the virus continues to run rampant in the country, state and region and as Arkansas sets a new one-day record for deaths at 58 on Wednesday. In the past several days the impact of the expected Thanksgiving Spike are being felt, although the number of those hospitalized has stabilized. An additional death was also reported in Clay County over the weekend, raising the toll to 25 as the positivity rate was over
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Times-Democrat News Staff
An explosion of COVID-19 cases in the region, and throughout Arkansas, is straining healthcare providers as the after-effects of the Thanksgiving season are being felt. An expected increase in positive cases linked to the recent holiday is now in full-swing, prompting officials to further warn of gatherings related to Christmas and New Years.
The positivity rate in Clay County was reported at 17.2 percent last week, well above the 10 percent threshold which prompts concern. Other counties are also seeing increases, with Greene County reporting 19.8 percent of people tested returning a positive result.
The county and statewide numbers also continue to climb, as Clay County now has reported a total of 1,071 casesup 31 in just two days, with 172 of those still considered active. The number of deaths has remained steady this week, after climbing to 24 over the previous weekend. Of those, 19 were reported to be positive while th