23 New COVID-19 Cases in Hawai‘i Brings State Total to 1,243

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health reports that there were 911 individuals released from isolation; and 128 cases (10%) that have required hospitalization. A total of 1,138 patients (92%) were residents.

Of the 135 cases in Maui County, at least 119 have been released from isolation, and 25 have required hospitalization.  Based on the current numbers, there are nine active cases in Maui County.

To date, there have been 22 COVID-19 related deaths in Hawaiʻi, including 15 on Oʻahu, six in Maui County, and one Kauaʻi resident who was hospitalized in Arizona. Hawaiʻi has the lowest mortality rate in the US at 1.3 deaths per 100,000.

In Maui County, cases with onset in the last 28 days have been in the Lahaina, Makawao, Kīhei and Wailuku zip codes.  Of the 133 cases documented in Maui County over the course of the pandemic, Wailuku, Kahului and Lahaina had the most cases (more than 20 cases each); followed by Kīhei (11-20 cases); Makawao and Spreckelsville (6-10 cases); and Kula, Hāna, Haʻikū and Molokaʻi (1-5 cases each).

Maui County 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 involved 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.

Quarantine Updates: 

Hawaii News Now is reporting that Gov. Ige has announced plans to extend the state’s planned implementation of a pre-travel testing program by at least a month to the end of August.  The announcement was reportedly made at a meeting of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness.  Gov. Ige is expected to address the media regarding his plans during a press briefing at 2:30 this afternoon.

Two weeks ago, the state announced plans to start a pre-travel COVID-19 testing program on Aug. 1, 2020.  Under the program, trans-pacific travelers could get a test 72-hours prior to arrival.  Under the program, those testing negative for the virus would have been allowed to forgo the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine.  With three weeks before the program is set to roll out, specifics on logistics have yet to be released.

Mayor Victorino expressed reservations about re-opening trans-Pacific travel and rolling out the state’s pre-travel testing program on the previously announced Aug. 1 date.

On Friday, Mayor Victorino made comments during a media briefing saying, “Many of us have seen surges not only on Oʻahu but in the mainland.  Many of those are prime markets–say for example California.  So the concern is there; there is no question in my mind. And so for most of us we are looking at a later date than Aug. 1; however, if things were to change quite substantially and quite rapidly on the other side of the coin, like we were about a month ago when we were having very few cases here in Hawaiʻi, and many of the states that we’re talking about now… they were doing well because they were shut down.  They were on stay at home orders.  If we see changes in that area and numbers start to decrease, we may reconsider another date.”

Mayor Victorino continued saying, “I would hate to put a date that forces people to say ‘well you said this.’  Let me say for less of a better term, I’m going to give you my best guesstimation… Sept. 1.  Now, if anything else happens and it can be done earlier, safely with the well being and health of our people, I’d consider it at that point. But the call is going to be made by the state, by the governor and the Department of Health and Gen. Hara and that group of people with our consultation of course.”

A separate quarantine in place for interisland travel was lifted on Tuesday, June 16.  This applies only to air travel within the state, and anyone arriving into the state would still be subject to a 14-day quarantine as outlined above.  Upon lifting the interisland quarantine, the state has implemented thermal screening, a new interisland travel form and a more robust contact tracing program.

The state is also reviewing several different companies as part of a procurement process to implement a facial recognition program at the airport as part of its screening process for COVID-19.