LIHU‘E — COVID-19 case counts were on the rise last week. And it’s not just here, but across the state, Managing Director Mike Dahilig said during the county’s weekly update on the COVID-19 situation on Thursday.
“Kaua‘i’s seven-day average is at 27 cases a day, up from the 23 cases, last week,” Dahilig said. “Statewide, the average is 574 cases a day, up from the 558 cases the week before. The actual numbers are higher because this data does not include home tests. Our hospitals and healthcare system are managing cases and have adequate capacity.”
Kaua‘i District Deputy Health Officer Lauren Guest said the BA5 variant is even more easily transmitted than earlier variants.
“The BA5 variant causes re-infections at high rates among people who have had COVID at any time, even recently, and among those who have been vaccinated,” Guest said on the mayor’s weekly update video. “Being fully vaccinated and boosted provides strong — though not 100 percent — protection against severe disease.”
The Center for Disease Control listed Kaua‘i County at the “high” range for COVID transmission, Guest said.
“We can all take precautions to protect ourselves and help slow the spread of COVID while our community is at ‘High’ risk,” she said.
Some of those precautions include wearing a well-fitting mask indoors, getting up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters, avoiding large crowds, and opting for gathering outdoors.
“If you test positive, contact your healthcare provider to see if you should receive treatment for COVID,” Guest said. “The treatments are most effective if taken as soon as possible after you get sick.”
Guest said an individual can give COVID to someone else for as long as 10 days after getting sick.
“Although isolation is recommended for only five days, you should be very careful to wear a mask whenever you are around other people for an additional five days, so you don’t accidentally spread COVID,” Guest said. “Everyone, age six months and older, should get vaccinated. And, everyone has a choice of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.”
“The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the NovaVax COVID vaccine for emergency use, and this week, the CDC recommended it as an option for adults 18 years and older who have not yet been vaccinated,” Guest said. “NovaVax is not yet available, but we expect it to arrive, soon. We will provide updates on when this vaccine become available on Kaua‘i.”
Guest said starting next week, the Department of Health’s Kaua‘i District Health Office will conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER. This survey will assess the community’s perception of Kaua‘i’s COVID-19 response, and current household emergency preparedness.
“Survey responses will help us understand how the community sees our COVID-19 response efforts over the past two years,” Guest said. “It will build upon what we’ve learned from prior CASPER surveys about household emergency preparedness.”
During the period between July 26 to 29, survey teams made up of DOH staff with support from the Kaua‘i Medical Reserve Corps., and the American Red Cross will be going door-to-door to 30 randomly selected census blocks. Seven houses within each census block will be surveyed. Only selected households are eligible to participate.
Team members will carry identification cards and wear vests identifying themselves as part of the DOH survey team. Survey teams will wear face masks, and practice physical distancing. The selected households may also complete the survey by phone.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential. Survey teams will not collect names, or addresses.
“We greatly appreciate the participation of Kaua‘i residents in this island-wide survey effort that enables the Kaua‘i District Health Office to meet our community’s needs before, during, and after a disaster,” Guest said.
