Maui Coronavirus Updates

5 New Cases of COVID-19: Hawaii State Total 95

March 25, 2020, 12:25 PM HST
Play
Listen to this Article
5 minutesLoading Audio... Article will play after ad...
Playing in :00
A
A
A

As of noon on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, the state total count of positive coronavirus cases was 95, including 4 new cases on Oʻahu; and one new case each on Maui and Kauaʻi.  Maui’s island count is now 13.

Yesterday’s count was revised upward to account for a discrepancy created with the reclassification of cases by residency.  The current cases take into account the removal of an individual who was initially reported as Hawaii’s first COVID-19 death, but was removed from the list because of an internal testing error.

***The information below is provided courtesy the state Department of Health: 

As COVID-19 spreads globally and nationally, while the majority of cases identified in Hawaii have been introduced into our state by travelers, especially Hawaii residents, we all need to practice social distancing (i.e., maintaining at least 6 ft distance or 2 arm’s length from others) as well as other important infection prevention measures (e.g., wash hands, clean surfaces regularly) to prevent widespread community transmission. Social distancing can reduce the spread of disease, prevent our healthcare system from being overburdened, and protect the most vulnerable members in our community from infection.  If you get sick, please stay home—get rest and drink plenty of fluids. If you are older or have an underlying medical condition and become ill, call your doctor.

For an interactive tool with guidance on who should seek medical care, visit: CDC’s COVID-19 Self-Checker

Who should be tested?

  • Only certain people who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 need to be tested. Symptoms include:
    • Fever
    • Cough or Shortness of breath
  • Most people who are sick do NOT need to be tested, even if they may have been exposed to COVID-19
    • There is no specific medicine to treat COVID-19
    • The management of illness is the same whether you test negative or positive
  • Individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 AND who are at higher risk for severe disease (older people, those with chronic medical conditions and immunosuppression) should call their usual healthcare provider who will help them determine whether they should be tested for COVID-19 and/or other respiratory infections, such as influenza. If you do not have a provider, call an urgent care or community clinic in your area.
  • Anyone having difficulty breathing should seek medical care immediately. If possible, call ahead to let your provider know about your symptoms.
  • People with mild illness who are young and healthy can help protect our most vulnerable community members and conserve precious medical resources by managing their illness at home, isolating from others, and calling a healthcare provider if their symptoms worsen or persist.
  • For an interactive tool with guidance on who should seek medical care, visit: CDC’s COVID-19 Self-Checker
  • For those who may be tested at a screening site, please contact the healthcare provider who ordered your test regarding your results as they are responsible for notifying you of your result and providing you guidance regarding your health.  Please do not call the Department of Health as your information is not provided to us unless your results are positive.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

The virus is primarily spread by prolonged close contact when respiratory droplets from an infected person pass to an uninfected person.

The symptoms of the disease can include fever, cough or shortness of breath.

There is no vaccine for the disease and no specific treatment besides supportive care.

The best way to prevent the disease from spreading is to practice good hygiene (e.g., washing your hands and covering your cough) and social distancing (i.e., reducing the potential for close contact between people who are sick and people who are healthy).

If you become ill with a fever AND cough or shortness of breath:

  • Stay home and avoid contact with others
  • If you think you may need medical care, try to call ahead to the doctor’s office or an emergency room and let them know about your symptoms
  • If you need immediate medical care, call 911
  • COVID-19 Home Care Guide (HDOH)
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

 

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you prefer to speak to someone about COVID-19 you can call Aloha United Way at 2-1-1.

Trained operators are available from 7am – 10pm to answer all COVID-19 questions.

Cases in the US:

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

As of 9:00 AM, March 25, 2020 there have been 54,453 total cases detected in the U.S.

This represents an increase of 10,779 cases in the past day. There have been 737 total deaths (increase of 193 in the past day).

Worldwide Cases:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in a number of other countries and the situation is changing rapidly.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is urging all residents to avoid travel to areas with a high burden of the disease especially if you are elderly or have underlying medical conditions. 

If you are considering international travel, check CDC’s Travelers’ Health website for country-specific health information and alerts and the U.S. State Department Travel website for travel restrictions that may affect your itinerary.

Impact in Hawaii

Cases in Hawaii:

There have been 95 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaii. Of those 95 cases, 5% have been hospitalized, and over 80% were residents returning from other areas.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is urging all residents to act now to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities (see ‘What Can I Do?’, below). 

HDOH is expanding existing statewide influenza surveillance to include testing for COVID-19 to identify cases of community spread of the new coronavirus. For more information see: COVID-19 Sentinel Surveillance.

Screening is being conducted at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) by federal authorities to identify travelers from countries with restrictions that require quarantine or public health supervision.

Anyone arriving in Hawaii after having having traveled to areas with widespread sustained community transmission is being asked to stay home and monitor their health for 14 days from the time they left the affected area.

What can I do?

 

  1. Protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
  2. Prepare for what to do if COVID-19 becomes widespread in our communities.

 

Protect – Following everyday preventive actions can prevent or slow down the spread of respiratory illness in the community:

  • Stay home if you start to feel ill
  • Wash your hands often
    • Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
    • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes
    • Use a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
    • If you don’t have a tissue, use your elbow
  • Clean and disinfect
    • Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household
      cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Get the flu shot
    • People with seasonal influenza will exhibit similar signs and symptoms as COVID-19 (fever and cough). If more people are protected against influenza, this will reduce confusion and the burden on our healthcare system.

 

Prepare – You can prepare now for the potential spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii:

  • Stock up on all prescription medications and other basic household items like food and cleaning products so you can care for yourself and your family at home if someone becomes ill. Supplies of these items may be affected in the event of a pandemic. Anyone who becomes ill and who is a household contact of someone who is ill should stay home and avoid social contact as much as possible.
  • Plan for the possibility of continued school closures, cancelled events and activities.
  • Consider talking to your employer about your organization’s strategies for preventing the spread of illness in the workplace (e.g., alternative scheduling, telecommuting, online meetings).
  • Practice social distancing measures like limiting your time spent around groups and avoiding unnecessary close contact with people (e.g., handshakes, aloha kiss).

If you are planning on traveling, you should stay informed of the latest travel alerts and information related to COVID-19 for the area you are traveling to.

CDC recommends that all persons should defer any travel on cruise ships worldwide because of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission onboard ships.

Travelers from areas where there is confirmed widespread community transmission should:

  • Self-monitor their health for 14 days after they left that location
    • Watch your health, and if you have a thermometer, take your temperature 2 times a day
  • Remain at home and practice social distancing
    • Avoid large gatherings
    • Maintain a distance of approximately 6 feet from others as much as possible

If you become ill with a fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or cough, and have recently left an area having widespread community transmissionof COVID-19 or have had prolonged close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19:

  • Stay home and avoid contact with others except for seeking medical care.
  • If you need medical care, call ahead to your doctor’s office or an emergency room and let them know about your travel history. If you need emergent medical care, call 911.
  • If you have difficulty accessing medical care or have questions about how to care for yourself at home

 

What HDOH is doing

Vigilance and Monitoring  

  • We are actively working to detect potential cases of COVID-19 as early as possible by monitoring our disease surveillance systems to identify persons that require investigation and testing and are reviewing internal protocols to ensure proper management of cases.
  • We are working with our federal airport partners (U.S. Customs and Border Protections and CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine) who are performing enhanced screening to identify travelers returning from China. Our disease investigation staff are actively monitoring these individuals with daily phone calls to record their temperature and confirm that they are avoiding contact with the public.
  • We are in constant communication with the CDC, public health partners in other jurisdictions, and our local legislators and state officials to ensure Hawaii is aware of new developments in the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • Over the past 15 years we have been developing and refining our respiratory disease surveillance systems following CDC guidelines. This system includes sentinel influenza-like illness surveillance sites, virologic surveillance, pneumonia and influenza associated mortality, and cluster/outbreak investigations.  We are monitoring these systems on a daily basis looking for changes that might indicate the presence of COVID-19 in Hawaii.

Preparation and Prevention  

  •  We are working with the medical community to issue Medical Advisories and Alerts and to ensure that hospitals and providers are following infection control recommendations and are prepared to detect and treat any patient with symptoms and travel history consistent with COVID-19.
  • We are communicating regularly with our local partners in the travel industry and schools to address their concerns and ensure the latest and most accurate guidance and information are being shared with their staff (see Workplace Guidance and Guidance for Schools and Universities below).

Resources

(Note: If the “updated date” on a loaded PDF does not match the date on the links below, try refreshing the PDF  [by pressing Ctrl+F5, or clicking the refresh button while holding the Ctrl key] )

 

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Information for Specific Groups

For more detailed and up-to-date information, visit CDC’s website.

For general questions about COVID-19, you can call Aloha United Way at 211 (dial 2-1-1)

Information for Clinicians

For more information, see our updates for clinicians page.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsored Content

Looking for locally based talent?
Post a Job Listing

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Stay in-the-know with daily or weekly
headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Cancel
×

Comments

This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Maui Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments