LIHU‘E — Monday, the Kaua‘i District Health Office reported one new case of COVID-19 in a female resident. The source of the infection is travel-related.
As a result of holiday travel, District Health Office Dr. Janet Berreman said high case counts were directly linked to out-of-state travel.
Between Dec. 25 to Jan. 8, the county reported 28 COVID-19 infections. Of this, 21 were either a traveler or had direct contact with one, Berreman said.
In that time span, seven cases were deemed community-acquired, with two having no known connection to travel. The other five were close contacts of those who had direct contact with travelers.
Of the 28 cases in the last two weeks, of which only 18 are still currently active, only two had “no known link to travel,” Berreman explained.
“This highlights continued concerns about out-of-state travel, and our need to continued heightened safety precautions,” Berreman said Monday. “If you have traveled, please be extra cautious for the 10 days after you return, and comply with the Kauai quarantine requirements. If you feel sick, or if you are just concerned, please get tested.”
Late last week, Berreman gave some more insight on recent cases, noting that many were among whole families.
“We are seeing entire families test positive after traveling to the mainland,” Berreman said in a statement. “This is a reminder that with the high rate of infection on the mainland, it is dangerous to travel there at this time.”
The county currently has 18 active cases of the 195 the island has reported to-date. Of this, 168 were diagnosed on island.
On Monday, the state’s Department of Health reported 172 new COVID-19 cases. of this, 108 were on O‘ahu, 33 on Maui, 20 on Hawai‘i Island, one on Kaua‘i and 10 residents diagnosed out-of-state. The state reported numbers processed on Saturday and may differ from those reported by the individual county offices.
