LIHU‘E — Tuesday, the state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported nine new cases of COVID-19.
All of these cases are residents, including two children and seven adults.
Five of the cases are related to mainland travel. The remaining four cases are considered community-acquired. Three of the community-acquired infections are close contacts of a previously announced case or are tied to an active cluster. The remaining case has no known source of infection as investigators have been unable to reach them after repeated attempts or they have refused to provide information.
Tuesday’s cases bring the number of active cases to 81, with seven hospitalized. According to the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, as of Tuesday afternoon one is in the intensive-care unit, and one COVID-19 patient is on a ventilator.
To date, the county had recorded 3,364 cumulative cases.
Free testing is available at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A list of free testing locations and hours can be found at kauai.gov/COVIDtest.
A free mobile testing van is available for walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center today, Kilauea Neighborhood Center on Thursdays, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center on Fridays, Hanalei Neighborhood Center on Saturdays and the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a on Sundays.
A list of testing options can be found at kauai.gov/covidtest.
A free pediatric vaccine for ages 5 to 11 is available seven days a week at Walmart and Longs Drugs at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e. Walmart accepts walk-ins, and appointments are recommended at Longs at cvs.com/vaccine. There will also be a keiki walk-in at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea today from 2 to 5 p.m.
This Saturday, Dec. 18, Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i will hold mobile vaccine clinics at their Kapa‘a and Waimea medical clinics from 9 to 11 a.m. Walk-ins are accepted and no appointments are needed.
All adults are now eligible for booster doses of vaccines.
A list of vaccination locations and hours can be found at kauai.gov/vaccine.
I continue to be confused by the whole group of COVID infections consistently being referred to as related to “mainland travel”. Does this mean that if these people had not traveled to the mainland, they would not have gotten COVID? Does it mean that when a person travels to the mainland they automatically get COVID? Or does this mean that unvaccinated people are traveling to the mainland and then return to the island with COVID? Just wondering.