BREAKING: Another Triple-Digit Record for Hawai‘i: 124 New COVID-19 Cases

Hawaiʻi recorded another triple-digit record breaking day for new COVID-19 infections with a total of 124 new cases in the state on Thursday.  Today’s cases include: 121 new cases on Oʻahu and four new cases in Maui County.

The state Department of Health reports that as a result of updated information, one case on Hawaiʻi island was recategorized to Oʻahu.

This marks the second consecutive day that new cases have risen into the triple-digits.  It’s also the state’s highest case count for a single-day since the pandemic began.

Island highlights are as follows:

• Oʻahu: 1637 total, 944 recovered, 19 deaths
• Maui: 167 total, 126 recovered, six deaths
• Hawaiʻi County: 115 total, 114 recovered
• Kauaʻi County: 47 total, 42 recovered
• Hawaiʻi Residents Diagnosed Out-of-State: 23 total, one death of a Kauaʻi resident who was hospitalized in Arizona.
• Pending: 0

This comes after record high daily totals reported on Thursday (55), Friday (60) and Saturday (73). There were also 64 cases reported on Sunday, 28 cases on Monday, 47 cases on Tuesday and 109 cases on Wednesday.

• New Single-Day Record: 109 New COVID-19 Cases in Hawai‘i (98 on O‘ahu, 9 on Maui, 2 on Kaua‘i)
• 64 New Covid-19 Cases in Hawai‘i on Sunday: 55 on O‘ahu, 7 on Maui, 2 on Kaua‘i
• Third Consecutive Day of Record High Numbers on Saturday, July 25 with 73 New COVID-19 Cases
• Second Day of Record High Numbers on Friday July 24 with 60 New COVID-19 Cases in Hawaii
• Record High Numbers on Thursday, July 23 with 55 New COVID-19 Cases in Hawaii

In Maui County, cases with onset in the last 28 days have been in all areas of Maui Island except for the East Maui zip code of 96713.  Of the 167 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, Spreckelsville, Kula and Haʻikū (6-10 cases); and Hāna and Molokaʻi (1-5 cases each).

Age breakdown is not available by county; however there is a breakdown of the statewide count.  Of the 1688 (excludes 22 residents diagnosed out of state) cases recorded *as of July 27 statewide (updated weekly): 171 were 0-19 years old (one of which required hospitalization); 617 were 20-39 years old (13 of which required hospitalization); 551 were 40-59 years old (41 of which required hospitalization; and four deaths); and 349 were 60+ years old (88 of which required hospitalization; and 21 deaths).

Hawai‘i’s Triple Digit Case Count Has Officials Considering Reinstatement of Measures

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino will be making several recommendations amid record triple-digit single day increases in new COVID-19 cases.  While state officials said yesterday’s increase was anticipated, the governor said he would be working with the mayors to reinstate some of the measures that were relaxed in recent weeks.

Governor David Ige on Wednesday said he would be looking at social gatherings of no more than 10 individuals, revisit the closure of bars, and limit social gatherings at beaches and parks.

Mayor Victorino’s recommendations on Maui include the following:

Reducing the limit on outdoor gatherings from 100 to 25
Reducing the limit on indoor gatherings from 50 to 10
Banning structures at beach parks, including tents and umbrellas.

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.

A separate quarantine in place for interisland travel was lifted on Tuesday, June 16.; however, on Friday July 24, amid record increases in cases statewide, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino asked Governor David Ige to reinstate the 14-Day interisland quarantine.  As of the time of this posting, no decision had been made on the request. Upon lifting the interisland quarantine, the state implemented thermal screening, a new interisland travel form and a more robust contact tracing program.

This applies only to air travel within the state, and anyone arriving into the state is still subject to a 14-day quarantine as outlined above.  

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 was 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.

Maui Public Schools Prepare for Start of Fall Semester in August

The Hawaiʻi Board of Education will review a proposal TODAY at 1 p.m. that seeks to move the start date for students from the previously announced Aug. 4 date to Aug. 17 instead.

The state Department of Education had previously announced plans to re-opening classrooms in August for the Fall semester.  Schools have three options to choose from: fully reopen with every student on campus for in-person instruction; come in on a rotating schedule with students doing both distance learning and in-person instruction; or do a full distance learning program. State School Superintendent Christina Kishimoto said models for individual schools are determined by the principals of respective schools.

Since the recent rise in cases, state officials continue to monitor school plans.
• COVID-19 Update: Low Level of Community Spread on Maui, School Assessment