LIHU‘E — Thursday, the Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported eight new cases of COVID-19.
These cases are all residents in seven adults and one child. Five of the cases are related to travel, three were specific to mainland travel and the other two interisland. The remaining three cases are considered community-acquired and are not close contacts of previously announced cases. They have no known source of infection.
Statewide, DOH reported the highest single-day case count at 655 new infections since the pandemic started. These numbers were reported to the state on Tuesday, which is why the numbers vary from county-reported numbers.
There are 155 in the hospital, according to the state.
DOH Director Libby Char reported that of those hospitalized in the state, 95% are unvaccinated. The state’s COVID-19 Data dashboard lists that hospitalized cases show that 27 are in intensive care units, and 29 are on ventilators.
Char said that about 300 out of 10,000 unvaccinated people will get COVID, whereas out of 10,000 vaccinated, it would be about six people.
Thursday’s new cases on Kaua‘i bring the number of active cases to 71, with three hospitalized, and 650 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 599 confirmed locally, six probable, and 45 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.
“Masks and vaccination remain our most effective tools for slowing the spread of the delta variant,” Kaua‘i District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman said in a press release. “Kaua‘i is seeing a steady increase in cases. Please wear masks consistently — over your nose and mouth — when indoors in public places. And if you haven’t already done so, get vaccinated.”
