LIHU‘E — A Kaua‘i resident has tested positive for COVID-19 following a voluntary post-travel test from the County of Kaua‘i, the state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office announced Sunday.
The new case is an adult male resident who recently returned home from the mainland, receiving a quarantine exemption by testing negative prior to flying to Kaua‘i through the state’s Safe Travels program.
The resident is now in isolation, and one close contact is in quarantine.
“We know COVID-19 can cause mild or no symptoms in some people, and exposure can happen when traveling,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i district health officer.
“Getting a free test three or more days after you return from travel is a responsible thing to do to keep our community safe and healthy. Mahalo to all of the travelers who have been tested,” she said.
The county’s post-travel test is free to all returning trans-Pacific travelers who are Kaua‘i residents. A similar voluntary post-travel test is also being offered to trans-Pacific travelers who are visitors to the island.
To be eligible for the county’s post-travel-testing program, residents or visitors must have participated in the state’s pre-travel testing program and are asked to take the post-travel test no sooner than 72 hours following arrival on Kaua‘i.
“The county’s post-travel-testing program adds another layer of protection for our community, and we are thankful that this resident was responsible and considerate to participate on his own accord,” said Mayor Derek Kawakami said.
“Although it is not required, we encourage everyone — residents and visitors — to take a post-travel test, especially if you have recently traveled out of state.”
The new case brings Kaua‘i’s
current active cases to one, with six individuals in quarantine. The investigation of the most recent case is ongoing. The island’s cumulative total of cases to date is now at 61, with one probable case.
The DOH reported 121 new positive cases for Sunday, including 49 on O‘ahu, 16 on Lana‘i, two on Maui, 51 on Hawai‘i Island and two from out of state. This brings the state’s cumulative total to 14,672 cases reported since Feb. 28. Two previous cases were removed due to updated laboratory information.
The Associated Press said that about half of all U.S. states have seen their highest daily coronavirus infection numbers so far at some point during October. The country, as a whole, came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.
Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases were reported Saturday, just short of the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Prior to that, the most cases reported in the U.S. on a single day was 77,362 in July.
