March 17-23, 2022 COVID-19 update: 5 deaths, 827 new infections in Hawaiʻi

The state Department of Health is reporting a COVID-19 count of 827 new cases over the past week, between March 17-23, 2022. This comes following a record high of 6,252 new cases reported in a single day 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 transitioned from daily to weekly COVID-19 data reporting effective March 9, 2022. Case counts and vaccination updates are now published every Wednesday.

The latest weekly count includes 68 cases on Maui, 53 on Hawaiʻi Island, 84 on Kauaʻi, two on Molokaʻi, 0 on Lānaʻi, and 103 out of state.  There are 517 new COVID-19 cases on Oʻahu.

The latest data represents a total of 1,283 “active” cases statewide over two weeks. This is well below the delta peak of 11,500. Maui County’s seven day average of cases is now 7.3 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 this week’s 827 cases, there are 677 cases identified as confirmed, and 150 probable cases were added to the count.  The confirmed cases included: 452 on O‘ahu (+65 probable); 33 on Hawai‘i Island (+20 probable); 46 on Maui (+22 probable); 36 on Kaua‘i (+48 probable); two on Molokaʻi; 0 on Lānaʻi; and 108 Hawai‘i resident diagnosed while out of state (-5 probable).

Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 deaths increased to 1,373, with five new deaths reported over the past week.

*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 12. The countyʻs test positivity rate is now 2.3%, and the statewide positivity rate is now 2.9%.

Statewide, with data through March 24, there are 19 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 two people in the ICU for COVID-19 statewide, and two COVID-19 patients on ventilators. 

As of 9 a.m. on March 23, 2022, the latest data available, there are three 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 three vaccinated (including one boosted), and 0 unvaccinated. Of the three 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 22, 2022, an estimated 2,829,840 doses of vaccine have been administered statewide, including 550,317 third doses. The state’s total population is 1,415,857.  The DOH reports that 84.1% of the state population has had one dose of vaccination, and 76.8% have completed two doses; and 38.3% 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 38% with additional doses.

Of the 25,866 confirmed cases documented in Maui County over the course of the pandemic, Kīhei has the most current infections on island over the past two weeks with 38 cases. This is followed by Wailuku with 29 cases, Kahului with 28, Makawao with 23, Lahaina with 22, Haʻikū and with 11 cases. Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Spreckelsville, and Hāna in East Maui had 0-10 cases over two weeks.

The new cases bring the cumulative total of cases to 239,591 (confirmed and probable) statewide, reported since Feb. 28, 2020.

The cumulative total of cases in Maui County is 25,866 confirmed cases over the course of the pandemic.  To date, there have been 886 confirmed cases on the island Molokaʻi, 618 on Lāna‘i and 24,362 on Maui.

There are 25,866 confirmed cases documented in Maui County over the course of the pandemic, plus an additional 3,996 probable cases, bringing the total cases attributed to the county to 29,862.

To date, there have been 1,373 COVID-19 related deaths in Hawaiʻi including: 1,013 on Oʻahu, 135 in Maui County, 184 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 | 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 is available on Fridays 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