Hawaii counts 485 cases of coronavirus; Active infection approximately 3000

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Hawaii Department of Health officials reported 485 new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus today, the second-highest daily total that brings the state’s total since the start of the pandemic to 42,410.

No new virus-related deaths were reported today, so the statewide COVID-19 death toll is still 537.

The state’s official coronavirus-related death toll includes 413 on Oahu, 61 on Maui, 58 on the Island of Hawaii, two on Kauai, and three Hawaiians who died outside the state. The death toll related to the coronavirus in the United States today is more than 613,000 and the number of infections nationwide is nearly 35 million.

Today’s case count was initially reported by Lt. Josh Greene in a social media post this morning.

The latest numbers come a day after the state reported 622 new infections, a combination of a highly contagious delta variant and a backlog of unaccounted cases earlier this week due to a problem with lab test results. Hawaii is in the midst of the largest increase in coronavirus cases so far this year, which has prompted state officials to escalate the urgency in their calls for unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated.

The number of confirmed and probable new infections reported today includes 315 new cases on Oahu, 101 on the island of Hawaii, 42 on Maui, 9 on Kauai, and 18 Hawaiians diagnosed out of state.

The total number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases by island since the start of the outbreak has reached 30,721 on Oahu, 5,125 on Maui, 4,051 in Hawaii County, 548 on Kauai, 117 on Lanai, and 81 on Molokai. There are also 1,767 Hawaiians diagnosed outside the state.

Of the state’s total number of infections, 2,996 are considered active. Three weeks ago that number was less than 700. Officials say they consider infections reported in the past 14 days “a proxy number for active cases.” The total number of active cases in the state today increased by 343.

By island, Oahu has 2,026 active cases, Big Island has 604 cases, Maui has 281 cases, Kwai has 383 cases, Lanai has two, and Molokai has no cases.

Health officials counted 6,691 new COVID-19 test results in today’s census, for a statewide positivity rate of about 7%. The state’s 7-day average positivity rate is 5.5%, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

The latest Hawaii COVID-19 vaccine summary says 1,754,544 vaccine doses have been administered through state and federal distribution programs as of Thursday. Health officials say 60.1% of the state’s population is now fully vaccinated, 66.9% have received at least one dose, and the state’s next update on vaccine doses will be on Monday.

The statistics released today reflect new cases of infection that were reported to the department on Thursday.

Of all confirmed cases in Hawaii, 2,708 have required hospitalization, with 14 new hospitalizations reported today.

Fifteen hospital admissions in the statewide total are Hawaiians diagnosed and treated outside the state. Of the 2,693 treated cases within the state, 2,192 were on Oahu, 316 on Maui, 163 on the Big Island, 16 on Kauai, five on Lanai, and one on Molokai.

According to an update Friday on the department’s Hawaii COVID-19 Data Dashboard, a total of 117 patients had the virus in Hawaii hospitals, with 23 in intensive care units and 12 on ventilators. The last time there were more than 100 COVID patients in Hawaii was on Jan. 29.

State health officials did not update their hospital daily count today, but this morning Green said in his Instagram message that 129 patients with the virus are now in Hawaii hospitals.

Previous coverage

Hawaii recorded 485 new cases of coronavirus today, one day after it recorded a record 622 new cases, according to Lt. Josh Green.

Green posted on Instagram this morning, before the Department of Health’s daily midday update, that 485 cases included 315 on Oahu, 101 on the Big Island, 42 on Maui County, and nine on Kauai. Green did not mention that the other 18 cases are presumed to be Hawaiians diagnosed outside the state.

Green also said there were 129 virus patients hospitalized in the state today, up from 117 on Friday, and that the statewide test positivity rate was 5.5%.

The latest numbers come a day after the state reported 622 new infections, a combination of a highly contagious delta variant and a backlog of unaccounted cases earlier this week due to a problem with lab test results. Hawaii is in the midst of the largest increase in coronavirus cases so far this year, which has prompted state officials to step up the urgency in their calls for unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated.

This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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