HONOLULU — the state Department of Health and private laboratories have detected a COVID-9 variant on three islands, including Kaua‘i.
As of Tuesday, nine samples of the L452R variant have been identified, and four specimens that exhibit a molecular clue associated with the UK B1.1.7 have been found. This indicates the B1.1.7 variant may be present in Hawai‘i.
Of the nine L452R variants identified so far, one was from Maui, one from Kaua‘i, and seven were from O‘ahu. Four individuals carrying the L452R variant had a history of travel to or from the U.S. mainland (three California, one Utah), including two returning residents.
Investigation is ongoing into one Maui case and four O‘ahu cases that had no history of travel.
Expedited whole genome sequencing is being performed on the specimens containing the molecular clue to determine whether they are the B1.1.7 variant. Sequencing is expected to be completed late this week. The Department of Health will announce results immediately upon completion.
The B1.1.7 variant is highly transmissible. It has not previously been detected in Hawai‘i.
Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc. provided two specimens to the DOH with the B1.1.7 molecular clue, and the DOH found two specimens with this clue among the samples it proactively collects.
The DOH State Laboratories Division continues to work in partnership with private-sector laboratories to collect and examine specimens of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
Overall, 3.4% of 264 specimens that had WGS completed in the month of January were identified as having the L452R variant. Three of the samples that yielded the L452R variant had been collected in late December, indicating the variant has been present in the state for at least five to six weeks.
The L452R mutation is considered “under investigation” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has not been proven so far to be associated with increased transmissibility of COVID-19, and it is not associated with vaccine failure or decreased effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, the DOH said.
Two DOH divisions continue to proactively collect specimens from all parts of the state. The DOH lab began performing WGS in June 2020, and now performs WGS on approximately 300 samples per month. More than 900 samples from all of Hawai‘i’s counties have been analyzed.
DOH encourages everyone to continue practicing community-mitigation measures. Mask-wearing, physical-distancing and avoiding large crowds help slow the spread of COVID-19 variants. It is also important to get a COVID-19 vaccine when eligible under the state’s vaccination program, the DOH said.
They found the B.1.1.7 variant strain on Kaua’i. More contagious. It is 17 times more mutations than the other COVID-19. We are not getting closer to herd immunity. According Dr. Fauci, of which there is a sweater made out from him and on Amazon if you wanted one, things are just about to get worse. He mentions in an article that COVID-19 protocols will last through the summer and possibly early fall. Face mask worn. The variant strain was detected last year in September in Southeast England. It has now hit Hawai’i. Although not certain how this virus got into Hawai’i, the vaccines are meant to suppress the virus and stop it. That means the protocols will be ever more followed and will need to be monitored publicly and everywhere. It was observed that Bank of Hawai’i is doing a temperature test before you enter the banks. So it is beginning to take shape and form of what Dr. Fauci has been describing all along. Herd immunity is what they’re hoping for. I don’t know the genetic interpretation of the genes and its process. I do know that they are using a animal protein and injecting it into the human gene in hopes this protein will kill the virus. But that is where it ends. How far into this process to herd immunity still very much uncertain. Hopefully the protocols will safe guard the people who do care about health. And it will lead to a more cautious approach so we don’t catch any coronavirus.
This is frightening but not unexpected. People must continue to mask, double masking is better. Still seeing most tourists here on the walkway in front of Dukes/Marriott NOT wearing masks. This new UK variant is extremely virulent and people should not think that just because they are outdoors they do not need to take precautions. Please everyone, do the right thing and mask up. And don’t forget, noses must be covered!
The sky is falling the sky is falling.
Quick, let’s shut down even more!!!!
Oh wait, we can’t, There’s nothing left to shut down.
But let’s make sure we keep the Kupuna softball league open though. Wouldn’t want out livelihoods to get in the way of their game.
Anti tourism? Nah nah nah…..
Transparency? Nah nah nah
This is entirely YOUR doing, Mayor Kawakami. Thank you so much!
I hope it was worth whatever donations to your next election Big Tourism and Big Ag paid you in exchange for re-opening the island.
Kawakami is anti tourism.
The only thing transparent is that.
More fear propaganda to keep
us living in fear and destroy our lives. Has anyone considered the mental health crisis and it’s long lasting effects. Look at statistics. Same number of people have died state to state , nation to nation in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and so on. Heart disease deaths have went down first time in 30 years. Cancer deaths have dropped. Flu deaths have almost disappeared. Only thing that changed is now every death is listed as Covid. When will we get our freedom back. Look at the writing on the wall people. This is a sham. This “pandemic” is bankrupting us. Mainlanders are buying up the whole island. We need our jobs back. We need the freedom to travel. We need tourism or soon tourists will be all of Kauai’s residents. Homes are unaffordable to the wages paid on this island to the majority. Home prices are going up and up. Rent will follow. It’s already unaffordable for most. Masks are an act of servitude. Healthy people are not passing the virus. All your immune systems have been dramatically weakened. Our politicians are selling us out. This has fast tracked gentrification by 20 years. Kauai won’t be Kauai for much longer. America will no longer know what freedom looks like. Welcome to the future dystopian communist regime. You all let fear of a false threat destroy our livelihoods. Stop this madness. And your vaccine is the true danger. Why have France and Australia suspended Covid vaccines? It’s because they know they don’t work and the results can be disastrous. The vaccines sterilize women , this is in the pharmaceutical company’s own literature. People are testing positive for HIV that take vaccine. Many people are dying from vaccine. All the deaths and adverse effects are being censored or distorted by social media and mainstream media. Wake up people before it’s too late. I’m afraid it may be already. Free men don’t ask for permission. You are all slaves and happy to be prisoners. When the dust settles many will be homeless and destitute. How bad does it need to get before we stand up and say enough is enough. We need freedom! Without it what’s the point of living. Freedom over false security. Read your history books. False flags are the systems main form of control over the masses. And you all are taking it just like they want.
These facts and stats you are claiming are inaccurate to say the least. If you are going to make sweeping claims like this, cite your sources. Much like our former president, you are spreading falsehoods as facts. Misinformation is indeed the problem, and you seem to be part of the problem. For example, your claim of the vaccines causing infertility is debunked here, amongst many other sources:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/10/covid-vaccine-debunking-claims-causes-infertility-sterilization/6497018002/
Kauai is 95% dependent upon tourism unfortunately. Instead of spending your time spinning conspiracy theories, focus on bringing back agriculture as a source of livelihood on the island, if indeed you are a farmer. You are correct that the rich Zuckerberg types are flocking here, which is very unfortunate. But instead of whining about it, let’s lean on them and force them to contribute back to the island. Help with affordable housing. Provide local jobs. Etc.
Despite all the hoopla, numbers, jargon, fear promotion, pseudo science talk, it still boils down to the same old ageless at least 550 million years of the same old phenomena that it is a NORMAL trait in Virus and Bacteria to mutate and variate for the purpose of their own survival.
It is so common and in such great numbers that disease Virus and disease Bacteria change by way of mutation and variance as they move from 1 person or group, or from 1 city, state, country or from 1 zone on earth to another. When virus mutate and variate they change complicated shape of their convoluted configuration.
For example mutational variance changes of disease virus moving from the cold weather seasonal climate of the Northern Hemisphere to the seasonal change of climate in the Southern Hemisphere (opposite winter seasons), these mutational variances are constant season after year perennially.
Even scientists have a saying: “The only Constant in the Universe is Change”. In other words, changes in disease virus are also constantly changing.
But why do virus mutate and variate? Because it is a phenomena, it is what virus do to SURVIVE and continue as virus into the future.
That’s right, disease virus, like Covid19, etc., they constantly mutate and form a variant of themselves in order to survive, to stay 1 step ahead, so to speak, of its enemy.
And who or what are the enemies that kill disease virus and bacteria?
The natural enemy of Disease Virus and Bacteria are the Immune Systems of the Vertebrate species that the virus infect. Humans are just 1 of 40,000 vertebrate species alive on earth right now, meaning there are trillions of vertebrates on earth.
All vertebrates, are those living things with a brain, brain stem, and spinal cord, with a skull and spinal vertebrae to house and protect the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.
Humans, besides being Vertebrates, also have Immune Systems, like all vertebrates have, that kill, destroy, deactivate disease Virus.
The requirement of the Immune System is to exactly bio-identically match human immune system made antibodies with the ever changing disease virus, like Covid.
There are un-countable numbers of virus configurations that need matching, as in the correct key to a lock. The keys that close the locks are our Antibodies, and the locks in this example are the virus. The human immune system has many types of immune defense cells, antibodies are some of them.
Fortunately the human Immune System has been scientifically calculated, (with financial help from the US National Institute of Health), to be able to make a Million Trillion combinations of antibody configurations to match the virus configurations. That’s a million times a trillion different antibody configurations to match virus configurations. (How can they count that many?)
Some scientists understand that it is extremely important to use ones own immune system to make the bio-identical match of human antibodies to the disease virus.
There seems to be a sequential mapping of our year after year exposure and infection (with or without symptoms, as many as 98% get zero to mild symptoms) by the virus that somehow relies on accumulation of exposure / infection that readies the immune system memory to next years incoming virus.
Your immune system may do best not missing single year of virus exposure/ infection and natural immune response to “fortify” the immune system continual year after year virus exposure.
It is also understood by many scientists that pharmaceutical laboratories CANNOT ever bio-identically match and make a manmade virus (put in a vaccine) that will be the same as nature made virus, with ever changing variations of virus configuration.
Thus while the human immune system will make antibodies against the injected synthetic virus or synthetic antibody stimulus particles (vaccine); your immune system without the real exposure / infection will not make antibodies against the disease virus, which this dragged out season is Covid-19 virus and its variants.
The vaccine therefore serves only to burden the immune system with unnecessary antibody production against an UN-real antigenic fake virus.
Since 98% of the people process disease virus like Covid-19 virus and its variants with zero to only mild symptoms.
And since 99.8% of people under 70 recover 100% to the disease virus, it seems that all attention for prevention should be directed to those over 70 years old; AND who have existing diseases and their toxic (poisonous) and lethal prescription drugs.
People with existing diseases, like obesity, diabetes, heart and hypertension blood pressure disease, cancers, and liver, kidney, and lung disease, taking multiple prescription drugs and medications are at all times are prone to develop complications and die.
And if they happen to have the virus as well, the doctor will blame the Covid virus or its variants. The doctors are also paid more for treating the virus.
In the meantime chronic diseases and taking prescription drugs for decades will continue to end people’s lives, with or without virus complication.
So protect seniors especially in assisted living centers.
Nutrition is a major part of survival and proper adequate immune response to a virus.
Follow the Natural Path to avoid the ROAD to RUIN.
In my dream,
–I have all the money in the world to buy all the 4500+ TVRs who are shuttered due to the pandemic (and whose owners are mostly grumbling investors from the mainland) and convert them into low-cost housing for locals.
–I would retrain all tourism-dependent workers with skills that allow them to be competitive in the IT global market, esp. now that most corporations on the mainland allow their staff to work anywhere. They can earn more and stay in Kauai.
–I would help every home to cultivate their own vegetable gardens. Any excess harvest we can share with our neighbors, donate to the schools, and soup kitchens.
–I would help all local small businesses to be pandemic-proof. Business owners must know to pivot and open other revenue streams when a crisis occurs. Gone are days when businesses cater to only one type of customer. Gone are the days when workers only know one type of skill. If you have a small business selling Kauai products, sure you’re online. Your buyers are not only the tourists who happen to be on-island. You have people around the world willing to buy. If you’re a hotel worker who’s unemployed, learn new skills in another line of work.
I think these are all obtainable and worth pursuing. The first one is probably the most daunting, but maybe a middle ground there.
As to diversifying the economy as some have said in above comments, how do you take a bartender, a maid, janitor, waitress, rental car car-washer, surf instructor, tour driver, taxi driver, etc., and teach them computer skills fit for IT companies.
We must come to grips with the fact that Kaua’i is its own NATURAL RESOURCE that does not need RENEWING, as the Tradewinds bring us the rain that perpetually “greens” the island, fills the rivers and streams and reservoirs, as well as carves the mountain faces, shades us with clouds, displays Rainbows and spews waterfalls over mountains cliffs, feeds the crops, and fruit trees, and the fragrant and beautiful flowers, cleans the beaches and shoreline.
What more of natural resources could any one place have…for FREE, and the island is always willing to share its abundance from God.
While Kauai provides all this for the Lucky 70K who live here; our return of gratitude is, as it should be, providing to others, a stay and tropical experience bar none on one of the most beautiful islands on earth, not to mention safe from the world’s common harms, for us and those others lucky enough to visit here.
Our collective thank you for being able to live here whether born here or flown here is to share all this of Kauai, with those who need a break from their routine life locked down, really for an entire city lifetime, and getting the reward of visiting here. Those whose natural resource is working in coal mines, oil fields, skyscrapers, and the inner city drudging life held captive by a job more akin to slavery.
For all their hard work supporting the nation we rely on, the least we can do for them is to have them come enjoy a few days, a few weeks in a real paradise. This is the minimum we can offer them while they live off different degrees of minimum wage.
They, the outsides, from worldwide, share the thousands of products they provide for us, that we take for granted every day, that they slave to make and provide for us as well as getting it here.
They make 95% of our food, 95% of our entertainment, 95% of our toys for young and old, they bring us fuel to drive our cars, boats, motorcycles, lawn mowers, and equipment uncountable, they bring us Costco, Home Depot, Ross, Walmart, and countless other conveniences, and the food we cannot live without.
And some of us would be so selfish as to deny them their few days until they hope and possibly experience “Until We Meet Again”, with tears in their eyes on flying off to their darkened cold hovels rich or poor.
We are the care takers of this aina and must respect all of it and what it really is…a NATURAL RESOURCE for the many who need to tolerate where they have to live whether it be East or West, North or South of us.
The Hawaiian Culture is Aloha and Welcome, how can our Mayor turn them away with a pointless quarantine.
They need us now more than ever, and we them as well.
And no shame, we need their currency to serve and protect our Kupuna over 70 years old with decades long diseases and living daily on toxic and lethal prescription drugs that take their lives.
Let the others go back to their island jobs as 99.9% have no long lasting issue with these passing virus and their normal mutations and variant changes.
Of course those who make their goodly incomes from disease want to perpetuate this pan-dilemma.
But since both the Kanaka Maoli, the Original Man, who landed here long ago, and as well since the Lurline and Pan Am spanned the Pacific, “Arrivals” have been who we sell our God Given Natural Resources to that God laid freely at our feet. Aloha and Maha the Aina and all that exists here. Kaua’i is Godly, so be that way.
E Komo Mai…!