LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Public health researchers in Arkansas called the rapid rise in coronavirus cases in the state a “raging forest fire” Tuesday morning just before more than 1,800 new cases were reported by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Health officials reported 1,875 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and 970 new active cases, pushing the total case count to 367,007 and active case count to 11,475.

Even with the increases in new cases, state officials said that there are no additional deaths reported from Monday leaving the total at 6,007.

The ADH reported that 815 Arkansans are now hospitalized from the virus, which is an increase of 49 from Monday. There are also 131 on ventilators, an increase of two from Monday.

The number of Arkansans becoming fully immunized currently sits at 1,031367, an increase of 2,417 in the last 24 hours.

For partially immunized Arkansans the number sits at 253,008, an increase of 2,987 in the last 24 hours.

The report from UAMS also notes that Arkansas leads the country in new cases per capita and has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation.

Governor Asa Hutchinson released a statement regarding the new numbers:

The good news is that we have no new deaths in today’s COVID report, but the increase in hospitalizations and active cases is a trend we must turn around. The increase in cases will only stop when we follow guidelines and get the vaccine shot. The vaccine keeps people alive.

Gov. Hutchinson