Hawai‘i Reports 19 New COVID-19 Cases Today, Most on O‘ahu

There are 19 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–16 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and three new cases where island residency is pending identification.  This brings the statewide count to 1,311 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.

State health officials say many of the new cases have been linked to social gatherings where face masks and physical distancing was not consistently used. There were 1,817 additional COVID-19 tests reported today via electronic laboratory reporting, bringing the statewide total number of individuals tested by Clinical and State Laboratories to 101,204. (99,881were returned negative and 14 test results were inconclusive).

To date, 975 people (75.6%) have recovered including 120 (93%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 314 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui. As of July 14 at 4:30 p.m., there were 31 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi.

The breakdown by island includes the following:

• Oʻahu: 1002 confirmed positive (717 released from isolation);
• Maui County: 135 confirmed positive (120 released from isolation);
• Hawaiʻi Island: 107 confirmed positive (97 released from isolation); and
• Kauaʻi: 43 confirmed positive (41 released from isolation).
• Hawaiʻi residents who were diagnosed outside of Hawaiʻi: 21 confirmed positive (and one death)
• Pending cases, where the island of residency has not been determined: 3

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health reports that there were 975 individuals released from isolation; and 138 cases (11%) that have required hospitalization.  At least 1,206 patients (92%) were residents.

Of the 135 cases in Maui County, at least 120 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).

Age breakdown is not available by county; however there is a breakdown of the statewide count.  Of the 1243 cases recorded *as of July 13 statewide (there are now 1311 cases as of July 16, 2020): 119 were 0-19 years old (one of which required hospitalization); 434 were 20-39 years old (10 of which required hospitalization); 406 were 40-59 years old (35 of which required hospitalization); and 284 were 60+ years old (82 of which required hospitalization).

The Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division on Monday reported three deaths of Hawaiʻi residents from coronavirus.  These three cases bring to 22 the total number of COVID-19 related deaths reported in Hawaiʻi since the pandemic began.

Saturday had the greatest single day number of reported cases (42) since DOH began tracking cases in late February.

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: 

On Monday, July 13, Gov. David Ige announced he is delaying the launch of the state’s pre-travel testing program by a month to Sept. 1, 2020. He also announced the extension of Hawai‘i’s 14-day quarantine on trans-Pacific travel to the end of August. The governor said he still believes in the program and reports that the state has made progress, but said spikes on the mainland and here at home have stalled the program that many equate to the reopening of tourism in Hawaiʻi.

The state had previously announced plans to start a pre-travel COVID-19 testing program on Aug. 1, 2020, however Monday’s announcement delays implementation. 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.

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 has since selected NEC Corporation, NEC Corporation of America and their partner, Infrared Cameras Inc., to provide thermal temperature screening and facial imaging technology at Hawaiʻi’s public airports.

The thermal temperature screening equipment will be installed immediately at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Kahului Airport, Līhuʻe Airport, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole and Hilo International Airport. 

• Phase 1 will have the temperature scanners installed this month at the gates currently being used for arriving trans-Pacific flights.
• Phase 2 will have the temperature scanners installed at the remaining gates in the coming weeks.
• Phase 3 expects to have the facial imaging equipment installed by Dec. 31, 2020.