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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
A surfer walks on the Kapiolani Park Beach jetty Friday with the Sheraton Waikiki and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel as a backdrop. Waikiki’s hotel industry has been devastated by the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine on trans-Pacific arrivals to combat the spread of coronavirus in the islands.
Hawaii recorded 17 new coronavirus cases today, raising the statewide total of infections to 723.
Today’s new cases are all on Oahu, and all but one are adults.
Health officials said two of the new cases “are related to a household cluster, where 12 individuals have now tested positive.”
They said 300 residents in surrounding households have been tested and all have tested negative, except for those in the Waipahu household experiencing an outbreak.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said in a news release, “We always knew with the reopening of activities and businesses across the state we would see increases in coronavirus infections. Two of the cases reported today did require hospitalization but our statewide bed capacity remains strong. However, these new cases are reminders for all of us to maintain safe practices to prevent even higher case surges which could threaten our state’s health care capacity.”
Health officials again stressed the importance of physical distancing, wearing masks, frequent hand washing, and staying home if sick.
Hawaii has seen an upsurge in cases in June after a relatively mild May. The department reported 15 new cases Friday — the first time the state’s daily count was in double digits since mid-April.
Still, Gov. David Ige reassured the public Friday that the state is prepared for any uptick in infections.
As of today, 78 infections in Hawaii are active cases with a total of 628 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation” since the start of the outbreak in February. One new release case on Oahu was reported today. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation.
About 87% of the Hawaii people who have been infected are now classified as released from isolation.
By county, Honolulu has seen 414 patients released from isolation, and Maui has had 113 patients released. Both Kauai and the Big Island have no active infection cases.
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 489 on Oahu, 120 in Maui County, 81 on Hawaii island, and 21 in Kauai County, according to health officials. The total also includes 12 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.
Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases since the start of the outbreak, 88 have required hospitalizations, with two new hospitalizations on Oahu reported today, health officials said.
One hospitalization in the statewide count is a Hawaii resident who was diagnosed and treated outside the state, officials said. Of the 88 hospitalizations in the state, 64 have been on Oahu, 22 on Maui, and one each on the Big Island and Kauai.
Of the more than 60,322 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, about 1.2% have been positive. Health officials counted 984 new test results in today’s tally.
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