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Hawaii’s coronavirus cases now total 639 with 2 new cases reported

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                People flocked to Ala Moana Regional Park to exercise and relax on Monday. While Hawaii remains under Gov. David Ige’s “safer at home” order, some city and state restrictions have been eased as the coronavirus infection rate in the islands remains low.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM

People flocked to Ala Moana Regional Park to exercise and relax on Monday. While Hawaii remains under Gov. David Ige’s “safer at home” order, some city and state restrictions have been eased as the coronavirus infection rate in the islands remains low.

Hawaii’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen by two cases to a total of 639, the state Department of Health announced today.

Oahu and the Big Island each had one new case but the statewide total rose by only one because “as a result of updated information,” one case was also removed from Hawaii County, officials said.

Of all the confirmed statewide cases since the start of the outbreak, 82 have required hospitalizations, with one new hospitalization (on Oahu) reported today, health officials said.

As of today, 50 infections in Hawaii are active cases with a total of 572 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation” since the start of the outbreak. Seven new release cases (four on Oahu and three on Maui) were reported today. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation.

About 90% of the people who have been infected in Hawaii are now classified as released from isolation.

The state’s coronavirus death toll remains at 17. Eleven of the deaths have been on Oahu and six on Maui.

Today’s statewide coronavirus cases total includes 415 on Oahu, 117 in Maui County, 76 on Hawaii island, and 21 in Kauai County, according to health officials. The total also includes 10 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.

By county, Honolulu has seen 381 patients released from isolation (or 92%), and Maui has had 96 cases (82%) released. Kauai has no known active confirmed coronavirus cases, while the Big Island has one active case.

One hospitalization in the statewide count is a Hawaii resident who was diagnosed and treated outside the state, officials said. Of the 81 hospitalizations in the state, 57 have been on Oahu, 22 on Maui, and one each on the Big Island and Kauai.

Of the more than 38,995 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, just 1.6% have been positive. Health officials count hundreds of new test results each day.

On Thursday, state health officials announced for the second time in a week that Hawaii had no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The Health Department’s daily count of new infections in Hawaii has not been in double digits since April 18 when officials reported 22 new cases. The daily count also has never been over four new cases this month.

Hawaii’s success in flattening the infection-rate curve — and lowest-in-the-nation coronavirus mortality rate — has led state and county governments to start a gradual easing of emergency orders and restrictions designed to slow the spread of the disease.

RELATED STORY: Less than 1% of tested Hawaii Pacific Health workers have coronavirus antibodies

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