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The % of tests in Arkansas that return a positive result is 6.9%. That number has steadily gone down as Arkansas has ramped up testing. It was over 20% less than 2 weeks ago. That decline is a very good thing. But the statewide % positive masks what& #39;s happening in the counties.
Of the 35 counties with more than 4 cases, 30 of them have a higher % positive rate than the state average of 6.9%. Only five counties have a lower % positive than the state average. (Not all of the counties are labeled on the chart due to space.)
The chart below illustrates how many counties are have a lower % positive rate than the statewide level of 6.9% (the orange pie slice). Five counties have a % positive rate greater than 20%, 5 have a positive rate between 15-20%, 11 between 7-10% positive, and 9 between 7-10%.
So, while Pope County (the lowest % positive at 2.25%) has tested 753 people, Clark County (the highest % positive at 44.2%) has tested 61 people. Clark County has 27 cases, while Pope County has 17. This isn& #39;t to say we shouldn& #39;t be testing like crazy in Pope County.
We should be testing in Pope County. Their positive cases have jumped from 8 to 17 in the past 4 days. But we should also be testing in Clark County, where there is clearly a cluster but they& #39;ve only reported 5 new results in the past 4 days.
)This is no disparagement on the five counties that have low returns of positive tests. They& #39;re doing it right. So, kudos to Pope, Ashley, Benton, Garland, and Polk counties.)
It would be easy to say, "the more tests you do, the lower your % positive will be." Well, not necessarily. Pulaski County has done 1,151 tests, the most out of any county in Arkansas. Their % positive rate is 15.2%, more than double the statewide number.
Quick point on why I left out counties with fewer than 4 positive tests. The state does not provide a specific number if counties have less than 4 positive tests - they instead just say "1-4." The data is imprecise and doesn& #39;t lend to an accurate % positive.
To sum up: The 6.9% positive rate in Arkansas is not the full story. Most counties in Arkansas are higher (some much higher) in the percentage of tests returning positive.
