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FAYETTEVILLE — The state has underreported the number of covid-19 tests done in Washington County, according to a spokeswoman from the Arkansas Department of Health.
A total of 55,142 tests have been done in the county as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the department. The department had reported 31,808 tests one week ago.
Although the number of reported tests jumped, the number of cases didn’t.
Most of the unreported tests were negative, said Meg Mirivel, director of health communications in the Health Department.
Washington County had a cumulative 6,582 cases Friday, an increase from about 350 on Aug. 14. The county had 217 active cases as of Friday.
Mirivel was unable to answer questions Friday afternoon about exactly how the testing numbers didn’t make it into the previously reported data or the time frame for when the tests were performed. Someone who works in data at the department should be able to provide more detail next week, she said.
The department has consistently reported significantly more tests in Benton County than in Washington County. On May 22, the department reported 3,869 tests in Washington County and 8,108 in Benton County. Yet, the total number of cases were 212 and 213, respectively, on that day.
In Benton County, 56,573 tests have been done as of Friday. Benton County had 5,046 cases, including 199 active cases.
Washington County had a positivity rate of 12% as of Friday, meaning 12% of all covid-19 tests done were positive, according to the Health Department. Benton County had a 9% positivity rate. State officials, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson, have said they would like to see positivity rates under 10%. The statewide rate is 8%.
Hospitals in Benton and Washington counties had 32 patients in covid-19 units as of Friday, according to a statement from the region’s largest health care organizations by Martine Pollard, a spokeswoman at Mercy Health System.
Thirty patients in the region were on ventilators. The number includes patients with and without covid-19, according to the statement.
State officials frequently remind residents anyone can get tested at the Benton or Washington county health units.
Most other testing sites in Northwest Arkansas have been prioritizing people who have covid-19 symptoms amid concerns about the availability of testing material since early July, according to a joint statement from 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.
Mercy Health System collected specimens to be tested from 12,254 people from March 20 through Wednesday, the latest data available, according to Jennifer Cook, spokeswoman. People who suspect they have covid-19 must call Mercy, be screened and make an appointment before going to its evaluation site in Bentonville.
Community Clinic, which has three coronavirus screening sites in Northwest Arkansas, collected 16,489 specimens from people from March 30 through Thursday, according to Abbie Luzius, community development manager for Community Clinic. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to call before coming to a clinic.
The state Health Department began testing May 18 at county health units, including Fayetteville and Rogers. The Fayetteville unit collected 9,011 specimens, and the Rogers had 4,837 as of Thursday, according to the department. The Siloam Springs and Springdale units collected 134 and 3,930 specimens, respectively. The numbers include testing done offsite, such as testing events.
Washington Regional Health System collected 13,950 specimens to be tested from people from March 16 through Thursday at its screening clinics, according to Cynthia Crowder, spokeswoman. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to call before going to the clinics.
Specimens to be tested for covid-19 are collected via nasal and mouth swabs.
Screening sites
Covid-19 testing and/or screening is available at the following:
• Washington County Health Unit: 3270 Wimberly Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 521-8181 to make an appointment.
• Benton County Health Unit: 1200 W. Walnut St. Suite 2200 in Rogers. Patients should call (479) 986-1300 to make an appointment.
• Walmart/Quest testing site: 7-9 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients must schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com or MyQuest app.
• UAMS digital screening: www.uamshealth.com/healthnow.
• UAMS hotline: (800) 632-4502.
• Washington Regional hotline: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, (479) 463-2055.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 3318 N. North Hills Blvd. in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 1301 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 808 U.S. Highway 65 in Harrison.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 2301 W. Pleasant Grove Road Suite 101 in Rogers.
• Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 3300 W. Sunset Ave. in Springdale.
• Washington Regional Family Clinic drive-through screening clinic: 8 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday, 146 Passion Play Road, Suite A in Eureka Springs.
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital hotline for child health: (800) 743-3616.
• Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 500 S. Mount Olive St., No. 200 in Siloam Springs.
• Community Clinic Rogers Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1233 W. Poplar St. in Rogers.
• Community Clinic Springdale Medical and Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300 in Springdale..
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine South: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2523 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1109 S. West End St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-3630 to make an appointment.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine Pinnacle Hills: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3730 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Suite 2 in Rogers. Patients must make an appointment by calling (479) 464-5599.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Urgent Care Wedington: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Sunday, 1188 N. Salem Road, Suite 6 in Fayetteville.
• Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3380 N. Futrall Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 442-7322 to schedule a telemedicine screening appointment.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: mana.md/covid-19-screening/.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500.
• MedExpress Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 1160 S. 40th St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-2971 to make an appointment.
• Northwest Medical Center: 601 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Northwest Medical Center: 2158 Butterfield Coach Road, Suite 100 in Springdale. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Mercy Coronavirus Evaluation Site: Mercy Convenient Care, 3101 S.E. 14th St. in Bentonville. Patients must call (479) 717-7585 beforehand to make an appointment to be screened.
• Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care may call (800) 691-8387.
Alex Golden can be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAalexgolden.
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