11 New COVID-19 Cases in Hawaii: Total Now at 48

Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 positive cases rose to 48 on Saturday afternoon, March 21, with confirmation from the state Department of Health that there are 11 news cases including seven more on Oʻahu, and two more cases each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.

Maui Now has confirmed with the state Department of Health that the statewide totals for Hawaiʻi as of 12 p.m. HST on Saturday, March 21, 2020 are as follows:

Today’s Island-wide totals are as follows:

State total: 48
Oʻahu: 35 (7 new)
Maui: 7 (2 new)
Kauaʻi 3 (0 new)
Hawaiʻi Island: 3 (2 new)

***Please check back with Maui Now for an afternoon update as Governor David Ige is scheduled to provide more information in a live press conference at 3 p.m.

COVID-19 Daily Update
Be Considerate When Purchasing Food and Supplies

The DOH reminds the public to be judicious when shopping for food and essential goods so that kūpuna and others in need are able to purchase necessary items. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors Division continues to manage Hawai‘i’s commercial ports–the lifeline for Hawai‘i communities for food, medical supplies, clothing, household goods and more. There have been no interruptions to the supply chain as a result of COVID-19.
Who should be tested?

Most people who are sick do not need to be tested. There is no specific medicine to treat COVID-19, so whether you test positive or negative, management of your illness will be the same.

Individuals who are not sick should not be tested even if they have been exposed to COVID-19.

Individuals who are sick with respiratory illness (e.g., fever and cough or shortness of breath) AND who are at a higher risk for severe respiratory infections (e.g., older people, those with chronic medical conditions including immunosuppression) should call their usual source of healthcare to discuss whether they should be tested for COVID-19 and/or other infections such as influenza.

• A provider’s referral is required to receive testing.
• If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care center or community clinic in your area.

Anyone having difficulty breathing should seek medical care immediately. If possible, call your healthcare provider first so they are prepared to receive you.

Other people with mild illness should help protect our most vulnerable and conserve our precious supplies by practicing social distancing measures, monitoring their illness, and calling their healthcare provider if their symptoms worsen or persist.
Social Distancing

COVID-19 recommendations are changing the rules on how much physical distance individuals should keep from each other. Cancelling events that do not allow attendees to be at least six feet apart—the equivalent of two arms-length—and avoiding unnecessary physical meeting with others are proven strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus. The effectiveness of these initiatives largely depends on the cooperation and compliance from the public.
11 New Positive Cases on three islands

As of March 21, 2020, noon, there is a total of 48 confirmed or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. New positive results were received today for eleven individuals on three islands. Nine are Hawai‘i residents and two are non-residents. One person is hospitalized in intensive care, another person required a brief one-day hospitalization. Five people have a history of travel and six are pending investigation. In total, 41 cases are residents and 7 are non-residents.
COVID-19 Summary of Numbers as of March 21, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. HST

Total Number of Positive Cases Statewide             48

City & County of Honolulu                                          35

County of Maui                                                          7

County of Kaua‘i                                                        3

County of Hawai‘i                                                      3

Definition of Community Spread

Community spread is defined as cases that cannot be traced back to a traveler and have absolutely no travel related or involved connection with travel. We have been informed that there are residents of Hawai‘i who believe all COVID-19 positive cases originate from visitors to the state. Unfortunately, there is stigma developing against visitors in Hawai‘i. We’re asking the media to help people understand that of the 48 positive test results to date, 37 of them are the result of traveling residents. The majority of cases are residents who returned home after traveling. At this time, there may be residents returning home from a school that has closed or from other essential travel. It is important for all travelers to monitor their health for 14 days after traveling and to avoid exposing others and stay at home.

Thank you for your assistance in reducing and preventing stigma and increasing understanding during this rapidly changing situation.
Lab Testing

More than 2,200 tests performed for people in Hawai‘i by private clinical labs to date.

The DOH State Laboratories Division has tested 48 Persons Under Investigation (PUI) and 263 sentinel surveillance samples. The 263 sentinel surveillance tests have all been negative. These are representative samples taken from every county from people with flu-like symptoms who tested negative for influenza.

2-1-1 Call Center for Information on COVID-19

The Aloha United Way call center is open daily between 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. For information or questions about COVID-19:

• Call 2-1-1 from any location in the state
• Text 877-275-6569
• Email info211@auw.org
• Visit health.hawaii.gov/covid19 or coronavirus.gov

Maui Cases: 

2 MAUI CASES ANNOUNCED 3.21.20: (details are forthcoming)

2 MAUI RESIDENTS WITH TRAVEL TO EUROPE: The County of Maui has confirmed today, March 19, that two adult Maui residents who recently returned from Europe together tested positive for COVID-19. They self isolated immediately upon return home and are being monitored by the State Department of Health.

DETAILS FORTHCOMING: (information still being gathered)

VISITOR TO West Maui: A visitor to Maui.  Executives with the Westin Nanea Ocean Ocean Villas, a Marriott Bonvoy property located in Kāʻanapali, confirmed that an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 is a guest. The resort notified owners and guests of the situation on Monday.  Plans are to relocate the infected individual to another facility for isolation.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: On Saturday, March 14, County of Maui officials were informed that the test result for one Person Under Investigation here on Maui was returned positive for Coronavirus or COVID-19. This is the first case for the island of Maui. The female visitor is currently in isolation and continues to be monitored by the state Department of Health. Health officials say the presumptive positive test result came from a private laboratory and is pending confirmation by a certified state public health laboratory. This case involves a flight attendant with Air Canada who is currently on Maui.  Gov. Ige said he believes the individual is a Canadian citizen. Symptom onset began on March 9. The last flight that the flight attendant took was March 8.  “We believe that any risk to any passengers on the previous flight is low,” said Gov. David Ige.  A specimen was collected on March 11.  The individual was exposed to a confirmed case in Germany on March 4. Because of the notification of exposure and symptoms, the flight attendant self isolated at the Royal Lahaina Resort hotel on Maui.  Following the positive result, the individual was moved by AMR to an isolation at a Lahaina clinic.

Other Cases of Maui Interest:

• On March 13, state officials confirmed that two visitors to the island of Kauaʻi (who had also visited Maui during their stay) tested positive for the coronavirus or COVID-19, becoming the third and fourth presumptive positive tests in Hawaiʻi.  Authorities have since said the couple is originally from Indiana. They stayed at a hotel in Lahaina, Maui from March 2 to 8 before traveling to Kauaʻi. Both sought urgent care while on Maui before flying to Kauaʻi.  At least three healthcare workers (one on Kauaʻi and two on Maui) have been excluded from work because of possible exposure from the couple.
• The state’s first presumptive positive case was announced March 6. That individual was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise in Mexico from Feb. 11-21. After arriving in Mexico, the individual traveled home to Honolulu with no symptoms. While home in Honolulu, the individual became ill on March 1, sought medical care and was tested on March 6. There were more than 50 individuals who continued on from that cruise to a subsequent cruise aboard the same ship in the Hawaiian Islands. At least 21 individuals–19 crew members and two passengers–on the cruise ship, the Grand Princess, tested positive for COVID-19. When in Hawaiʻi and made stops on Kauaʻi on Feb 26, in Honolulu on Feb. 27, in Lahaina, Maui on Feb. 28 and in Hilo, Hawaiʻi on Feb. 29,” said Gov. Ige.
• A 50-year-old Colorado woman who was in Hawaiʻi for a two week trip in February, says she has since tested positive for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. It is important to note that it is unclear where the woman contracted the virus and there are others in her area of Colorado that have tested positive–none of them to date are personal contacts of hers, to her knowledge.

Maui Quick Links:

• Maui Now’s Coronavirus Section, click here.
• Maui Now’s Running List of Closures, Cancellations, Postponed Items and Notices for Maui.
• Mayor Victorino’s Emergency Rules begin at 7:45 a.m. on Friday, March 20