March 9, 2022 COVID-19 update: 154 new infections in Hawaiʻi

The state Department of Health is reporting a COVID-19 count of 154 new cases today. This comes following a record high of 6,252 new cases reported on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Cases since then have been trending down, and hospitalizations on Maui have followed suit. 

The Hawai‘i Department of Health also reports that it is transitioning from daily to weekly COVID-19 data reporting effective immediately. Case counts and vaccination updates will be published every Wednesday beginning March 16.

Todayʻs count includes 20 cases on Maui, eight on Hawaiʻi Island, six on Kauaʻi, 0 on Molokaʻi, 0 on Lānaʻi, and 32 out of state.  There are 88 new COVID-19 cases on Oʻahu.

The latest data represents a total of 2,436 “active” cases statewide over two weeks. This is below the delta peak of 11,500. Maui County’s seven day average of cases is now 10.9 cases per 100,000. This is below the delta peak of 57.6 per 100,000 reported on Aug. 25, and the 412.1 per 100,000 reported on Jan. 21, 2022.

Of today’s 154 cases, there are 143 cases identified as confirmed, and 11 probable cases were added to the count.  The confirmed cases included: 80 on O‘ahu (+8 probable); eight on Hawai‘i Island; 19 on Maui (+1 probable); eight on Kaua‘i (-2 probable); 0 on Molokaʻi; 0 on Lānaʻi; and 28 Hawai‘i resident diagnosed while out of state (+4 probable).

Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 deaths remained unchanged at 1,354, with no new deaths reported today.

*Officials with the state Department of Health say that “because of the volume of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related deaths” going forward, the DOH “can no longer provide daily information including county of death, age range of the decedent, hospitalization status, gender, and whether or not the decedent had underlying conditions.” This information will be updated every Wednesday on the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division data dashboard.

In Maui County, the seven day average for new daily cases dropped to 18. The countyʻs test positivity rate is now 3.4%, and the statewide positivity rate is now 2.3%.

Statewide, with data through March 9, there are 61 people hospitalized with COVID-19, (down from a peak of 448 on Sept. 4), according to an update from the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency. HIEMA statistics show seven people in the ICU for COVID-19 statewide, and two COVID-19 patients on ventilators. 

As of 9 a.m. on March 9, 2022, the latest data available, there are 10 people hospitalized in Maui County with COVID-19, below both the 41 reported during the height of the delta surge in August 2021, and the previous omicron high of 56 reported on Jan. 28, 2022.  This includes four vaccinated (including one boosted), and six unvaccinated. Of the 10 COVID-19 hospitalizations, none are in the ICU, or on a ventilator.

*Note on ICU capacity:  The Maui hospital needs to have adequate ICU nurses to care for the ICU patients that are in beds and will staff up and down based on need. This means that although beds are listed as still “available,” staffing would be needed to accommodate occupancy. According to Maui Health, capacity and staffing statistics are not static numbers, and are constantly shifting throughout a 24 hour period, with staffing based on census/capacity. 

Through March 9, 2022, an estimated 2,816,807 doses of vaccine have been administered statewide, including 543,414 third doses. The state’s total population is 1,415,857.  The DOH reports that 83.9% of the state population has had one dose of vaccination, and 76.7% have completed two doses; and 37.8% have had a third dose. On Maui, the DOH reports that 78% of the total population in Maui County has initiated a vaccine, while 70% have completed a full course of vaccination, and 37% with additional doses.

Of the 25,714 confirmed cases documented in Maui County over the course of the pandemic, Wailuku has the most current infections on island over the past two weeks with 61 cases. Wailuku is currently the only location categorized in the dark blue category (for areas with 51-200 cases over two weeks). This is followed by Kīhei with 46 cases, Kahului with 42, Lahaina with 37, Makawao with 31, Kula with 19, and Haʻikū with 15 cases each. Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Spreckelsville, and Hāna in East Maui had 0-10 cases over two weeks.

The new cases today bring the cumulative total of cases to 237,518 (confirmed and probable) statewide, reported since Feb. 28, 2020.

The cumulative total of cases in Maui County is 25,714 confirmed cases over the course of the pandemic.  To date, there have been 881 confirmed cases on the island Molokaʻi, 616 on Lāna‘i and 24,217 on Maui.

There are 25,714 confirmed cases documented in Maui County over the course of the pandemic, plus an additional 3,952 probable cases, bringing the total cases attributed to the county to 29,666.

To date, there have been 1,354 COVID-19 related deaths in Hawaiʻi including: 998 on Oʻahu, 133 in Maui County, 182 on Hawaiʻi Island, 29 on Kauaʻi and 12 deaths in residents diagnosed while out-of-state.

QUARANTINE UPDATES:

COVID-19 Testing Availability on Maui:

Testing on Maui is available at the following locations:

• Lahaina: Lahaina Civic Center | Mondays and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.‍
• ‍Kīhei: 1280 S. Kīhei Road (behind Ace Hardware) | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. ‍
• ‍Kahului: 348 Lehuakona St. (at Maui Marketplace) | Wednesdays & Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Must pre-register to be tested, visit https://www.minitmed.com/pre-register-maui-covid-19. 

• Wailuku: Mauliola Pharmacy | 95 Mahalani Street, Rm 10 | 7 days a week, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | pre-register for appointment

Additional testing sites throughout the County of Maui are posted here.

COVID-19 Vaccination Availability:

The vaccine clinic at Maui Memorial Medical Center has expanded to Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. to accommodate the booster shot appointments. Additional vaccine sites available during the month are posted here.

22nd COVID-19 Emergency Proclamation; and Maui County Public Health Emergency Rules Available online

• Hawaiʻi’s indoor mask mandate to expire March 25, 2022
• Safe Travels program ends March 26, 2022
• Maui Memorial Medical Center reinstates allowance of regular visitors
• Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi announces end of the City’s COVID-19 emergency orders
• Mayor repealing Maui County Public Health Emergency Rules, effective March 1, 2022
• Vaccines no longer required to dine-in on Maui, starting Monday Feb. 21, 2022