COVID-19 average case count down

LIHU‘E — Another death attributed to COVID-19 was reported on Kaua‘i this week. During Thursday’s COVID briefing, Kaua‘i County Managing Director Mike Dahilig said she was a female resident in her 90s who was not hospitalized.

The number of COVID-19 deaths on Kaua‘i now stands at 30, according to the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency.

“We continue to see high case counts in our long-term-care facilities and have several workplace clusters,” Dahilig said.

While Kaua‘i’s average daily COVID-19 case count declined over the past week, it’s still believed to be rising.

Dahilig said the seven-day average is now 65 cases a day, down from 71 cases a day last week.

“That doesn’t include home tests, so the actual number is higher,” he said.

There are currently nine people on Kaua‘i hospitalized due to COVID-19, according to the HiEMA. Three of them are in intensive care. None were using ventilators.

HiEMA reported that Kaua‘i had 435 new cases in the past week, bringing its total confirmed cases to 14,705.

Statewide, the count went down slightly as well, from over 1,200 a day down to 1,085 a day last week.

The county’s COVID test positivity rate was 26.5%, up slightly from last week, and above the state rate of 19.2%.

Dahilig urged people not to go to work if they are sick. He said those with cold-like symptoms but testing negative for COVID are asked to remain at home “as you may have the flu, a bad cold, or may be developing COVID 19.”

“In order to prevent clusters in your workplace, we recommend implementing masking and distancing for your employees,” he said.

The free mobile COVID-19 testing van is closed today but will reopen on Saturday at the Hanalei Neighborhood Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a. The free Lihu‘e Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall testing center will reopen with normal hours Monday.