LIHU‘E — Tuesday, the state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office announced the island’s seventh COVID-19-related fatality as well as 32 new infections.
The fatality was a female Kaua‘i resident in her 90s who was hospitalized. This is the fifth COVID-19-related death in August.
“We extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of this individual,” Mayor Derek Kawakami said in a Tuesday release.
Tuesday’s cases are two visitors and 30 residents, 10 children and 22 adults.
Five of the cases are related to travel, two linked to mainland and three to interisland travel. The remaining 27 cases are labeled community-acquired. Twenty are close contacts of previously announced cases or are tied to one of the county’s active clusters. The remaining seven community-acquired cases have no known source of infection.
This report brings the number of active cases to 276, with four hospitalized. According to the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, two of the county’s 11 intensive-care-unit beds are being used by COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday. Three other ICU beds are in use for non-COVID-19-related care. Cumulatively, the county has reported 40 hospitalizations throughout the pandemic.
In the month of August, the county reported 804 COVID-19 cases, the majority of which, 92%, were in residents, according to press-release data sent out by the county. Only 63 cases were in visitors.
About 28% of cases reported in August were among children.
Only about a quarter of the cases were related to travel, with community spread accounting for 610 confirmed infections.
“I continue to urge our community to come together and shift our behavior,” Kawakami said. “We must avoid travel unless necessary, avoid gathering in large groups, and if you have to gather, gather outside. Wear your masks, stay home if you’re sick, and get tested and get
vaccinated. There is no guarantee that these actions will be enough, but they are our best hope to avoid a shutdown.”
On Monday, during the county’s weekly COVID-19 briefing, Kawakami reported seven active clusters, including two social gatherings, two places of worship, one shelter, Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center, one educational facility, and one occupational cluster in a construction company.
According to the state’s Department of Public Safety, KCCC reported four new positive inmate tests on Tuesday, as well as three staff cases. There are currently 20 inmates actively positive and 20 in medical isolation. Sixty-three of 84 inmates have recovered.
To date, the county has seen 1,412 cumulative cases reported on island.
Today, the county’s free mobile-testing van is available for walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center. Testing is also free and available at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis. Free drive-thru testing is also available at Lihu‘e Pharmacy from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
