No New COVID-19 Cases in Hawai‘i, Total Remains at 640, Nearly 92% Recovered

For the third time this month, there have been no new reported cases of coronavirus in Hawaiʻi.

As of noon on Monday, May 18, 2020, there are 640 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with no new cases in the state.  This is the fourth time since the outbreak was tracked at the end of February that the new case tally has been zero.  Zero cases were also reported on Thursday May 14, Friday, May 8 and on Friday, March 13.

To date, 574 people (92.1%) have recovered including 96 in Maui County.  There are currently 49 active cases in the state.  Mayor Victorino said that as of Monday, May 18, there is just one active case at the Maui Memorial Medical Center.

The breakdown by island includes the following:

• Oʻahu: 415 confirmed positive,
• Maui County: 117 confirmed positive,
• Hawaiʻi Island: 77 confirmed positive; and
• Kauaʻi: 21 confirmed positive.
• Hawaiʻi residents who were diagnosed outside of Hawaiʻi: 10 confirmed positive.
• Pending cases, where the island of residency has not been determined: 0

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health reports that there were 574 individuals released from isolation; and 82 cases (13%) that have required hospitalization. A total of 579 patients (90%) were residents.

*Positive cases include presumptive and confirmed cases, and Hawaiʻi residents and non-residents; data are preliminary and subject to change. Note that CDC provides case counts according to states of residence.

^†Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria (Isolation should be maintained until at least 3 days (72 hours) after resolution of fever and myalgia without the use of antipyretics OR at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, whichever is longer). (The cases that have died and one case that has left the jurisdiction have been removed from these counts).

^‡One case is a Lānaʻi resident whose exposure is on Maui Island and who will be remaining on Maui Island for the interim. 

Maui County now has six COVID-19 related deaths.

• Maui reported its first COVID-19 related death on Monday, April 6, of an adult male over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions and exposure to travelers.
• The second Maui death was announced on Wednesday, April 8, and was an unattended death.
• A third death in Maui County reportedly occurred on April 7, but was reported in the state count on Friday, April 10.  The third case involved an elderly individual who was in the chronic care unit.
• The fourth case was confirmed on April 19, and was an adult male from Washington state in the 40-59-year age group who had no previous medical conditions. State health officials say the man’s exposure history may be travel-related.  The man had been hospitalized for an extended period in serious condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
• The fifth Maui case occurred on Monday April 20 and involved a man who had underlying health conditions. He had been in the hospital at Maui Memorial Medical Center since late last year.  This person’s death is considered related to the MMMC cluster.
• The sixth Maui case was reported on May 3, 2020. The case involves a woman, over the age of 60, with underlying medical conditions. She had been in the hospital at Maui Memorial Medical Center since late February. Her infection occurred in mid-April. “COVID-19 is not believed to be the primary cause of death, due to her other serious illnesses, but may have been a contributing factor to her passing,” health officials said.

Other Highlights for Maui County:

The County of Maui will start allowing passive recreation at beaches effective on Saturday, May 16.  This is for a trial period only of two weeks (from May 16 to 30) and will be reassessed.

Also the 98th Maui Fair, which was scheduled to take place over four days in October, is cancelled for this year due to public health concerns.  Organizers say the event was cancelled at the request of the County and will be held sometime next year.

Governor David Ige’s Safer-at-Home order will likely be extended to the end of June, according to new information shared by the Governor on May 14.

Under the Governor’s latest “Safer-at-Home” order for phased reopening of businesses in Hawaiʻi, certain retail businesses reopened in parts of the state including Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Counties on Thursday, May 7.  Certain retail shops at shopping malls in Maui County opened on Monday, May 11th.

On Tuesday, May 5, Governor David Ige unveiled details of his 7th Supplemental Proclamation, that allows for the next phase includes the reopening to include: non-food agriculture such as landscaping, floral and ornamental; astronomical observatories and support facilities; car washes; and pet grooming services.  This also includes some retail operations.

On Monday, May 4, a patient on Maui who was diagnosed with COVID-19 over a month ago and had been on a ventilator, was greeted with a celebratory exit from hospital staff who lined the halls upon her departure. The single mom of three came into the Maui Memorial Medical Center 36 days prior and had a slow process to recovery, according to a hospital spokesperson.  Also, Maui Health re-opened the Maui East unit as a medical surgical unit and it is no longer serving as a COVID-19 unit.

On Wednesday, April 29, Mayor Victorino identified a short list parks, golf courses and local businesses that quality for limited opening under the first phase of a reopening that began on May 1, 2020.

On Tuesday, April 28, local government leaders visited and toured the outside of Maui Memorial Medical Center in compliance with the hospital’s COVID-19 no-visitor policy, and received an update from Maui Health on response efforts at the facility.

On Tuesday, April 28, officials confirmed that an elderly Lānaʻi woman contracted COVID-19 while she was hospitalized at the Maui Memorial Medical Center.  The woman initially tested negative for COVID-19, but a recent test came back positive.  She will remain on Maui until she is healthy enough to return home to Lānaʻi and she no longer poses a risk of transmitting the virus to others.  The case is documented as a Maui Island case and there are still no confirmed positive cases on the island of Lānaʻi.

Maui Health on Monday, April 27, confirmed that a Maui Medical Group hospitalist who provides care to patients at Maui Memorial Medical Center has tested positive for COVID-19.  The provider was tested for COVID-19 two weeks prior by Maui Medical Group, was asymptomatic, and the results were negative. The provider then became symptomatic and self-quarantined at home.  On Friday April 24, a repeat test was performed and on Sunday April 26, the results returned positive for COVID-19.

A joint statement was released on Wednesday evening, April 22, from Mayor Michael Victorino and Merriman’s Kapalua restaurant confirming the location of the restaurant grouping from March, which consisted of three COVID-19 positive individuals and between 65 and 100 exposed contacts.  Health officials say the grouping does not currently pose a significant risk to the community and refrained from labeling it a “cluster.”

Two individuals from the Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center on Waiʻale Road in Wailuku on Maui were moved to a Department of Health quarantine facility after one of them tested positive for COVID-19.  The other man who was awaiting test results has since received word that his test came back negative and he was released from quarantine. Monique Yamashita, Executive Director at the facility said 48 individuals including staff and guests were tested on April 24 during a mass testing event.  She provided us with an update on May 1 saying all tests came back negative.  Also the eight staff that had contact with the COVID-19 positive individual were back to work within a week after all tests came back negative. Yamashita said the facility is still being vigilant with the continued use of PPEs, washing hands and taking other precautions to protect staff and guests.

Update: (5.18.20) All Prior Cases of COVID-19 at Hale Makua are Now Negative: Two home health patients with Hale Makua Health Services and a nursing home resident from Hale Makua Kahului are now negative for COVID-19. The asymptomatic resident who had tested positive has since received two consecutive test results showing they are negative for COVID-19. As for the home health cases, one client has been released from isolation and had recovered in April; and the other client has recently received two negative COVID-19 tests so has been released from quarantine as well.

Maui Now learned that a mother who underwent a caesarean section delivery at the Maui Memorial Medical Center in April later tested positive for COVID-19.  The source of infection at this time is unknown however, Maui Health noted that the hospital “has never had an OB patient, provider or employee test positive for COVID-19.” Employees in that department were tested in April, with all results returned as negative.

There was also a confirmed case of a physical therapy worker at the Kula Hospital who tested positive for COVID-19.  A total of 16 individuals who received care were tested and so far, no positive cases have been reported as a result.

The Maui positive count includes at least one resident of the rural community of Hāna in East Maui and at least two residents of Molokaʻi.

Maui Memorial Cluster Update (5.7.20)

The state Department of Health says that as of April 30, there are 60 COVID-19 positive cases, including 38 staff and 22 patients under investigation as potentially associated with the cluster.

That differs from the Maui Health count, which as of May 5, 2020, was 46–including 39 staff and 7 patients.  Maui Health says that of that number, 24 staff/providers have recovered.

State Health officials say their investigation is ongoing to determine whether COVID-19 infection occurred as a result of the outbreak or whether they may have had the infection related to another exposure. Several hundred healthcare personnel and patients were tested in the course of this investigation. The DOH says they are awaiting a more accurate estimate of total tested from MMMC infection control.

The DOH explains that the investigation is ongoing and “that may account for discrepancies between MMMC numbers and DOH numbers.”

DOH is recommending the facility repeat in-service training for staff on proper PPE use, and other protective measures. DOH officials say “it appears the outbreak may have been driven by a single healthcare worker who was allowed to work while ill.”