LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i District Health Office reported a new positive case of COVID-19 among an adult female visitor yesterday.
The visitor had participated in both the state’s pre-travel testing program and also tested negative in a voluntary post-arrival test, a press release stated.
“This is a traveler who followed both the mandatory and voluntary testing programs and still tested positive days later,” Kaua‘i District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman said in a statement Wednesday. “This case shows us that travelers who become infected near or after the pre-travel test may not test positive for several days after their arrival.”
The infectious period for COVID-19 starts about two days before symptoms, and the disease is spreadable for about 10 days.
The county has two post-arrival testing options, one for residents and one for visitors. To qualify, travelers must have participated in the pre-test Safe Travels program. Residents can access the test for free, while visitors must pay about $150 but are offered about $150 in vouchers.
Berreman explained that travelers should aim to take the test between three days and a week after arrival.
“We thank all those who have participated in the voluntary testing program,” Mayor Derek Kawakami said Wednesday in his Daily COVID-19 Update.
This case joins two more active cases, one travel-related and the other deemed community spread. All three of these cases are in isolation.
A contact tracing investigation is on-going. The county reports 11 close contacts in Department of Health-directed quarantines.
The county has a cumulative case count of 63, including one probable case.
Yesterday, the state announced 62 new cases, of which 41 cases are on O‘ahu, five cases on the Big Island, nine cases from Maui County, one case is from Kaua‘i and six residents diagnosed out of state.
For more information on the post-travel tests, modified quarantines and COVID-19 related mandates, visit the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency website at kauai.gov/COVID-19.
