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Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center Daily News Digest, August 27, 2020

Posted on Aug 27, 2020 in COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News

Department of Health:
Four Additional Deaths Reported and 306 New COVID-19 Cases
Three O‘ahu women and one (1) O‘ahu man, all who had been hospitalized with underlying medical conditions raise the coronavirus death toll in Hawai‘i to 55. Two of the women are in the 70 to 79-year-old age group and the other woman and the man are 80-years or older.

Today’s daily positivity rate for Hawaiʻi is 12% (306-cases divided by 2,478-tests). While the total number of cases reported today seems higher, the current percent of positive cases (6.8%) is approximately the same because cases are reporting earlier illness onsets and earlier specimen collection dates. To check the positivity rate over the past week:

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/, select the Lab Testing chart.

Of the cases reported today, 277 are adults and 29 are minors.

A full breakdown of ages among total cases in Hawaiʻi is available at:

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/, select the Age/Gender chart.

Currently, among all cases since March, the highest number of cases are among 18 to 29 year-olds and 30 to 39 year-olds. Pacific Islanders remain among the highest percentage of cases among ethnic groups. To view this data, select the race chart (link above). Case investigators continue to see COVID-19 clusters involving parties or gatherings in private homes (e.g., birthday parties, funerals, get-togethers, religious gatherings etc.). These gatherings have no masking and no distancing and mostly involve families and friends.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, August 27, 2020

Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since

2/28/2020

(including new cases)
O‘ahu 289 6,915
Hawai‘i 10 253
Maui 7 315
Kaua‘i 0 56
Moloka‘i 0 3
Lana‘i 0 0
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI 0 24
Total Cases 306 7,566
Deaths    4 55

Hospitalization count as of 8/26/20 at 5:30 pm: 13-Hawai‘i,28-Maui, 245-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i 

 Laboratory* Testing Data
There were 2,478 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.

Total Number of Individuals Tested

by Clinical and State Laboratories

 Positive Negative
188,153** 7,566 180,561
     

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting **26 test results were inconclusive

https://hawaiicovid19.com/ 

For more tables, charts and visualizations visit the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority: 
Hawai‘i Visitor Statistics Released for July 2020  
In July 2020, visitor arrivals to the State decreased 97.7-percent compared to a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary statistics released Thursday by HTA. A total of 22,562 visitors traveled to Hawai‘i by air service last month compared to 995,210 total visitors during the same period a year ago. All passengers arriving from out-of-state during July were required to abide by a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/5151/july-2020-visitor-statistics-press-release-final.pdf

1,829 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday 
On Monday, a total of 1,829 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 413 visitors and 677 returning residents. There was a total of 31 arriving flights. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday but does not show interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020 

  KONA  MAUI  O‘AHU  LĪHUʻE  TOTAL 
Crew 16 15 123   154
Transit   1 193   194
Military     89   89
Exempt     121   121
Relocate to Hawai‘i 14 7 160   181
Returning Resident 71 46 560   677
Visitor 36 20 357   413
GRAND TOTAL  137  89  1,603  0  1,829 
Flights 3 2 26 0 31

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/5102/082620-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

1,695 Passengers Arrive on Wednesday 
Yesterday, a total of 1,695 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 397 visitors and 548 returning residents. There was a total of 32 arriving flights. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday but does not show interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2020 

  KONA  MAUI  O‘AHU  LĪHUʻE  TOTAL 
Crew 11 14 140   165
Transit     217   217
Military     120   120
Exempt     142   142
Relocate to Hawai‘i   16 90   106
Returning Resident 32 45 471   548
Visitor 20 18 359   397
GRAND TOTAL  63  93  1,539  0  1,695 
Flights 3 2 27 0 32

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/5160/082720-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: 
DCCA Employee at State Office Tower Tests Positive for COVID-19  
DCCA announced Thursday that one of its employees has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee, who works at the Leiopapa A. Kamehameha building on South Beretania St. got their results back Wednesday night. The employee last worked in an 8th floor office on Aug. 16. The employee did not exhibit any symptoms during the rest of the work week and only began to feel ill over the following weekend, prompting a test on Monday, Aug. 24. Upon knowledge of the positive test result last night, the Office of Consumer Protection in Honolulu notified staff not to report to the office today and closed for the health and safety of everyone.

The department is working with DAGS to make arrangements for professional cleaning to properly sanitize and disinfect affected areas. The office will remain closed tomorrow, Aug. 28, as a precaution. Staff will continue to telework and respond to public inquiries received by phone or sent via email during normal business hours. Other DCCA offices, including OCP’s Hilo and Maui offices, are unaffected by the positive case. DCCA Director Catherine Awakuni Colón said, “We appreciate the employee’s mindfulness to heed the public messaging and stay home at the onset of feeling ill. Our department took quick action and contacted DOH to ensure proper protocols were followed as the health and safety of not only our employees, but also the visiting public has always been a primary concern.”

Hawai‘i State Judiciary: 
Two O‘ahu Judiciary Employees Test Positive for COVID-19  
A Ka‘ahumanu Hale (Circuit Court) employee and a Hale Ho‘omalu Juvenile Detention Facility employee have tested positive for COVID-19, the Hawai‘i State Judiciary announced Wednesday. The Ka‘ahumanu Hale employee last worked in the office on Aug.19 and didn’t exhibit symptoms until Aug. 24. They received a positive test Wednesday. DOH said that person posed no risk to anyone in the courthouse due to the length of time out of the office. The Hale Ho‘omalu employee last worked on Aug. 18 and received a positive test result Monday. Employees with close prolonged contact with the affected individual have been identified and told to self-quarantine. They have been advised to seek guidance from their medical providers and will return to work when medically appropriate to do so.

There are now seven confirmed positive cases for Judiciary employees statewide – six on O‘ahu and one on Hawai‘i island. Another Hale Ho‘omalu employee tested positive on Aug. 20, but that person had not been at work since Aug. 11 and posed no risk to anyone in the facility. In addition, a youth at Hale Ho‘omalu tested positive Saturday. The minor was already in medical isolation and did not have any contact with other juveniles.

Hale Ho‘omalu has an emergency operations plan and followed its protocols in response to the situation. The medical and administrative staff will continue to confer with DOH regarding any additional actions needed.

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/2020/08/two-oahu-judiciary-employees-test-positive-for-covid-19

Hawai‘i House of Representatives:
Human Services, Homeless Committee to Hold Briefing on Treating COVID-19 Patients  
The Human Services and Homeless Committee is set to hold a briefing Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, on the growing need to isolate, quarantine, and treat COVID-19 patients. The informational briefing includes updates on the status of transmission of COVID-19 within our homeless population. The committee chair, Joy San Buenaventura, will also ask participants to explain the plan, initiatives, and processes being implemented by DOH and other State agencies to quarantine and isolate individuals in order to contain the spread of COVID-19. Among those participating will be; the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness Scott Morishige, DOH Behavioral Administration Deputy Director Edward Mersereau, UH Associate Professor of Health Policy Dr. Victoria Fan, and DOH Adult Mental Health Division Chief Dr. Amy Curtis. The briefing will be held at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live. To watch:

https://olelo.org/ or https://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=31

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center 

Helpful Resources 

To report violators:  https://www.kauai.gov/KPD-Online-Reporting

To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or [email protected]

Non-emergency line (808) 935-3311

  • City & County of Honolulu

    Interisland passengers arriving on Oahu are not subject to the mandatory quarantine.

To report violators: 808-723-3900 or [email protected]

Dan Dennison
Lead Public Information Officer
Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center
[email protected]

Senior Communications Manager
Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources
Communications Office
[email protected]
(808) 587-0396