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Two new coronavirus cases in Hawaii bring statewide total to 643

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Volunteers distribute free groceries to people in need at the Aloha Stadium parking lot this morning. While Hawaii has effectively flattened the coronavirus infection curve, the economic ramifications of the state’s response has left about a third of the workforce unemployed and tens of thousands of people in need of food assistance.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Volunteers distribute free groceries to people in need at the Aloha Stadium parking lot this morning. While Hawaii has effectively flattened the coronavirus infection curve, the economic ramifications of the state’s response has left about a third of the workforce unemployed and tens of thousands of people in need of food assistance.

Hawaii’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen by two cases to a total of 643, the state Department of Health announced today.

There was one new case each on Oahu and the Big Island, officials said. They said one case is an adult and the other is a minor, but gave no further details.

“The investigation of these cases is ongoing, and it’s not known whether either of the cases was travel-associated or community-associated,” according to the Health Department.

Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases since the start of the outbreak, 82 have required hospitalizations, with no new hospitalizations reported today, health officials said.

As of today, 48 infections in Hawaii are active cases with a total of 578 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation” since the start of the outbreak. No new release cases were reported today. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation.

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

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

Today’s statewide coronavirus cases total includes 416 on Oahu, 117 in Maui County, 79 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 385 patients released from isolation (or about 93%), and Maui has had 97 cases (83%) released. Kauai has no known active confirmed coronavirus cases, while the Big Island has three active cases.

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 42,024 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, just 1.5% have been positive. Health officials counted 819 new test results in today’s tally.

On Monday, state health officials announced for the third time in less than two weeks 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 state’s daily count also has never been over four new cases this month.

Hawaii’s low COVID-19 infection rate — and lowest-in-the-nation mortality rate — has led to the easing of some state and county emergency order restrictions, but has left state lawmakers scrambling to deal with the devastating fallout.

RELATED STORY: Hawaii forges new food network, provides food boxes and prepares meals for needy families on Oahu

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