LIHU‘E — The state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported eight new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.
Saturday’s cases are all residents, and include seven adults and one child. Three of the cases are related to travel — two mainland and one interisland. The remaining five cases are considered community-acquired. Three of the community-acquired infections are close contacts of previously announced cases. The other two have no known source of infection. One of the cases was tested elsewhere and did not receive a positive result until after their return to Kaua‘i.
All active cases are in isolation, and close contacts are being identified, offered testing and directed to quarantine. Investigations are ongoing.
Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 56, with two hospitalized, and 608 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 560 confirmed locally, three probable, and 45 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.
Anyone with symptoms or feeling sick should isolate immediately, stay away from household members, and not go out — including to work or school — unless seeking testing or getting health care. Those who have been vaccinated should still be tested if they believe they may have been exposed, or if they feel sick.
The Kaua‘i District Health Office team continues to investigate thoroughly every case reported on Kaua‘i.
The staff interviews everyone who tests positive to get information about how they may have become infected and who they may have exposed during their infectious period.
Each person who is identified as a close contact is called by a contact tracer and notified of their exposure. They are instructed to monitor for symptoms, and are offered testing.
All unvaccinated close contacts are instructed to quarantine. The KDHO staff is in daily contact with cases and close contacts for the duration of their isolation or quarantine periods. This is a labor-intensive-but-effective public-health approach to disease control, and the DOH said it is fortunate to have been able to continue robust case investigation and contact tracing.
Many cases are in residents who have traveled. Anyone planning a trip is urged to be vaccinated before leaving. Whether vaccinated or not, the DOH recommends following Hawai‘i’s prudent rules, wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings and getting tested three to five days after return to Kaua‘i.
Vaccination is free and widely available on the island, including on weekends and evenings and at pop-up vaccination opportunities at community sites. Many vaccination sites accept walk-ins. Residents aged 18 and older are eligible for any vaccine available at pharmacy, hospitals and clinics.
The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in those 12 years and older, and are currently available at Wilcox Medical Center, Lihu‘e Longs and Puhi Safeway. For details on vaccination sites, visit kauai.gov/vaccine.
Free testing is available at the Lihu‘e Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, a mobile testing van is available for free walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center on Wednesdays, Kilauea Neighborhood Center on Thursdays, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center on Fridays, Hanalei Neighborhood Center on Saturdays and Kapa‘a Neighborhood Center on Sundays.
Testing performed at the convention hall and through the mobile testing van is rapid PCR. Same-day results are sent via email.
For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit kauai.gov/COVID-19.
I’d like to apologize to the people I made fun of or bragged to about me getting the vaccine and them being horrible people. Well I got the vaccine and I also ended up getting covid. Even though I was vaccinated and still spread it to others unbeknownst to me at the time. Because I believed from what I was told was
That We couldn’t pass it on. My humble apologies.
You are forgiven and hope you are feeling better soon. It is tough to know what to choose with all of the information bombarded us and the media/social pressure to do ‘what’s right”. One must dig deep and study to find every twist in this pandemic pretzel. Europe’s reporting has a lot of good information . . .
Last night I got through watching a church service on the mainland. They wear no face mask. Do the churches on Kauai feel this way. God will heal us.
And then go ahead with wearing face mask else where where required.
2 people in hospital on Kauai with Covid / Dealta =0.000002%,
Or 1 out of 35,000 people, 2 to of 70,000.
And 8 people are infected, who will develop natural immunity, and become NON Contagious, as well they will be part of Herd Immunity.
We need more people to be positive and develop immunity and become non contagious and Herd Immunity.
Bring in more visitors and let us strengthen our immune systems naturally by way of getting infected without symptoms.
My old math challenged friend,
2 out of 70,000 is .0029%. You’re only off by 1000X.
Math has rules. You don’t get to randomly make up the number of 0’s you put in front of the percent sign.
Wake up ! Do you realized positive case Increase after somany people get the jab vaccine cause the variant ,testing is unreliable.ab island if fear ! Build your immunity up that is the name of the game .more people died from the jab than true case of covid.stop keep spreading misinformation .and hurting people .