DOH urges caution as COVID-19 cases rise statewide
Posted on May 31, 2022 in Capitol Connection, Featured, Main
Vaxing and boosting are more important than ever.
The signs are all around us as COVID-19 case counts climb and the state Department of Health is keeping a close eye on hospitalizations. Health director Dr. Libby Char told the Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawai‘i’ last month that there’s “an awful lot of COVID in the community” and “We’re seeing the numbers take off again.” Part of the challenge is that the true number of daily new infections could be five to six times higher because home test kit results aren’t included in the official counts.
What’s Dr. Char’s advice, especially during graduation season and heading into summer travel? “Avoid large gatherings,, wear your mask, get vaxed and boosted, stay home when you’re sick and call your health care provider for treatment, especially within five days of a positive test,” Dr. Char said. “Be smart in making decisions about your activities. As a community, we’ve been pretty solid from the get-go, but we’ll be watching the trends in the coming weeks.” DOH is adopting federal guidance in recommending boosters for children ages 5 through 11, five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. It’s also recommending a second booster for people 50 and older and those 12 and older who are immunocompromised. For updated information, including the latest treatment options and coronavirus prevalence by county, go to https://hawaiicovid19.com/. The public can order up to three rounds of free COVID-19 home tests at covid.gov/tests.