LIHU‘E — The state Department of Education reported 325 confirmed COVID-19 cases between Aug. 7 and Friday, Aug. 13, associated with schools across the state.
Of those, 16 were reported in schools on Kaua‘i.
Kapa‘a High School reported six cases, Kapa‘a Elementary two, Waimea High two, Waimea Canyon Middle one, Kilauea School reported one, King Kaumuali‘i Elementary two and Kaua‘i High School one.
However, the DOE report did erroneously reports two cases at Kapa‘a High School in Hawai‘i Island’s Kau-Kea‘au-Pahoa complex and attributed three Kailua Elementary cases as part of the Kaua‘i complex.
The state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported on Aug. 12 that a single educational-setting cluster resulted in 22 confirmed cases.
“The total case count is higher this week, but considering the size of our organization — more than 200,000 students and employees across the department — and the level of transmission occurring in the broader community, I think it’s a testament to our schools’ safety protocols that we saw 70 confirmed cases over the past week that had an impact to a HIDOE campus,” interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a release.
Two weeks ago, the DOE reported 105 cases, but this past week was the first full week of classes.
“Although, ideally, we’d want no cases, it’s important to commend our schools for working diligently to minimize exposure and prevent the spread of COVID by enforcing the core essential strategies, including promoting vaccinations for all who are eligible,” Hayashi said.
The state’s overall report excludes 50 cases where the infected individual was neither on campus nor whose case required any disinfection of DOE facilities, the department said. Cases reported during the week that still require confirmation or processing are not included in the total.
State DOH Director Dr. Libby Char has said that the correlation between reopening schools and a spike in cases would happen. “We expected to see some cases because we are bringing 200,000 people together, but the schools are doing really well,” Char said.
“They have identified a number of cases, but it has primarily been people who have been infected at home and then are coming to school or work. The good thing is the DOE’s mechanism is catching these people, identifying them and then helping to keep them off campus or from spreading within the campus,” she said.
All DOE employees will be required to be tested weekly for COVID-19 beginning Monday, Aug. 23, or provide proof of full vaccination. This requirement applies to all DOE employees, including salaried and casuals/substitutes, as well as volunteers.
DOE employees who opt not to be vaccinated will be required to be tested weekly for COVID-19 at the employee’s expense and during non-work hours, according to a release. Employees will need to upload vaccination status to the department’s human-resource system or provide weekly test results there.
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Sabrina Bodon, editor, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
