LIHU‘E — Since Dec. 1, the county has reported 20 infections. Of that, seven were travel-related and 13 deemed community transmission.
The county last reported new cases on Saturday, with the addition of three, all of which were community-acquired. In that reporting, the county stated that all three cases, of one adult and two children, were all from different households.
According to the county’s COVID-19 tracker, there are currently 15 active cases on island and 71 close contacts in quarantine. All active cases are in isolation, and one is hospitalized on O‘ahu. No new cases were reported Monday.
A little over two weeks after Thanksgiving, Mayor Derek Kawakami, joined by Kaua‘i District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman, noted a “relatively low” infection rate he said during Monday’s COVID-19 update.
“That means that most people in our community understood and heeded the guidelines to celebrate differently this year,” Berreman said Monday. “Most of us avoided big holiday gatherings, limited our travels, and used masks and distancing as additional layers of protection. The lack of a surge in case counts here on Kaua‘i is an indication that this special care had its effect.”
Holiday gatherings, Berreman said, can be the source of disease spread, and with festivities on-going, it’s important to continue vigilance.
“That is why our messaging has emphasized the importance of taking special care around holidays — avoiding large gatherings, maintaining distancing, and wearing masks any time you are in the presence of people from outside your immediate household,” Berreman continued.
And while the country moves toward mass-vaccination efforts, Berreman reminded residents that, “it will take several months to achieve significant levels of vaccination.”
“Until that occurs, we need to keep taking special care,” Berreman said. “Please wear your mask any time you are outside your home, keep appropriate distance, avoid large gatherings, and limit your holiday travel.”
Monday, the state’s Department of Health reported 190 new COVID-19 cases, including 158 on O‘ahu, 15 on the Hawai‘i Island, 15 on Maui and two residents diagnosed outside the state.
There are two free surge testing events left as part of a partnership between the Department of Health and the county.
On Sunday, Dec. 20, testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium in Lihu‘e. The final session will be at the Byran J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a. Testing is free for all, and it’s recommended to preregister at kauai.gov/test.
