LIHU‘E —Kaua‘i now has a total of 4 active COVID-19 cases on the island, as two new virus cases were confirmed Tuesday evening, and officials are saying one of the new cases is directly linked to interisland travel.
Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami announced the two new cases in a public social media address on Wednesday, saying “it is a good reminder that any off-island travel poses risks, especially as the cases across the state and nation continue to rise. Travel only if you must.”
The two new cases bring the cumulative number of cases to date to 47.
All four active cases are in isolation, and their close contacts are in quarantine.
One of the new cases is an adult resident who had close contact on Kaua‘i with an interisland traveler, according to Kawakami, who then tested positive for COVID-19 upon their return home.
The other new case is an adult resident who recently returned from mainland travel.
“During the past week, there have been significant numbers of new cases in multiple locations on O‘ahu, and we are carefully watching that situation,” Kawakami said Wednesday. “Many of those cases involve social gatherings where individuals failed to follow the guidelines of wearing masks and keeping at least a six-foot distance from non-household members.”
Wednesday afternoon, the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center reported a total new case count of 108 statewide; 98 on O‘ahu, nine on Maui and two on Kaua‘i, attributing the sharp uptick to a delay in reporting because of Hurricane Douglas.
A total of 5,160 tests were processed between Saturday and Wednesday. Normally, about 1,000-2,000 tests are processed each day.
However, for the past several days, the state has been reporting record-breaking numbers of new cases — mostly on O‘ahu.
“The dramatic increase in cases reported today was anticipated based on recent trends since the Fourth of July weekend, which continue,” said State Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson. “We are seeing an increase in small and large social gatherings, including gatherings on beaches and in our parks, at homes and in workplaces.”
He also pointed out recent increases in cases associated with bars, gyms other establishments where physical distancing and masking is not regularly practiced.
“Based on data collected on cases through our investigations and contact tracing, we are recommending that strategic actions be taken to further restrict activities associated with these cases,” said Anderson.
Venues where multiple clusters have been identified, such as in bars and gyms, will “obviously be targeted,” said Anderson.
shut down the airlines and shut down the barges and shipping….!!
no more singing in church, it spreads the virus…
we demand action now !! haha
Are we going to keep the island quarantined for the next year? That’s how long it will take for a vaccine to be developed. Every business will be shut down by then, and the island economy will be in ruins. There won’t be a small business left standing.
Both these cases beg for more facts/analysis.
The recent returnee from the mainland patient: How recent? If less than 14 days, person must have been observing quarantine, so should have had approximately zero close contacts, right? Or did this person risk infecting family members who wouldn’t have been subject to any quarantine requirement–and, hopefully, aren’t of the “masks are government tyranny” persuasion. Was person actually observing quarantine? If more than 14 days, then the end-of-quarantine criteria are suspect.
The close contact with interisland traveler patient: So, the interisland traveler made it both ways without failing the 100.4/symptom questions checks and only became symptomatic/got tested upon return to home island? What does that suggest about the current interisland travel rules?
I hope responsible people are asking these kinds of questions too.
The only way to shut this virus down is two weeks of shut down nationwide. Until a vaccine that is the only way. This could have all been avoided and still could be. Hope we can last 97 days!
Kauaidoug, this dog agrees. Woof!
It’s so sad to know so many people in the tourist industry have been laid off or lost their jobs, but for all those who think it is an easy decision to stop people from visiting Hawaii what would you do, let thousands in each and every day drive up your death rates of covid19 people and destroy lives and families, I certainly wouldn’t want that decision but if you think that is all worth it then go for it, but it will be a mistake you have to live with for many years. No easy answer for sure, but some people think it is.
The virus is on the Island.If the Island had not shut down you would have the herd immunity and this would be over.
…or a lot of people would be dead and tourists would keep bringing it, the system would be overburdened and the medical staff would also have succumbed, people needing other medical care would be out of luck because the hospitals were overrun and even more death/misery would cause the reputation of the island to become that of a death trap instead of a tourist trap.
Kapahi, seriously? Are you a forensic epidemiologist? Or a dangerous finger-pointing and screaming young girl in Salem long ago…
Could have come from a lot of people.