17 coronavirus cases tied to exercise classes at 2 Oahu gyms as statewide tally grows to 1,158

UPDATE: 2:20 p.m.

State Department of Health officials say that contact tracing has found 17 coronavirus cases tied to two Oahu commercial gyms.

They did not identify the gyms.

Officials said today that cases in both gyms are linked to one person who participated in exercise classes at each facility.

By their very nature, gyms that operate in closed spaces with poor ventilation and without physical distancing can be breeding grounds for all kinds of infections, including coronavirus,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said in a statement. “It is imperative that all gyms follow the safe practices required by state and county governments. These include proper physical distancing in work-out areas and in group classes, wearing of masks at all times, consistent and thorough disinfection of equipment and all surfaces.”

“It’s important for everyone to stay home if they are ill and not go to work or public areas,” she added.

The Health Department recommended visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s online safety tips for gyms and their customers.

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Hawaii health officials reported 28 new confirmed coronavirus cases today, bringing the statewide total number of infections since the start of the outbreak to 1,158.

Today’s new cases include 25 on Oahu, one each on Maui and the Big Island, and one Hawaii resident diagnosed out of state. The state Department of Health said the 22 of today’s new cases are residents and two are non-residents, while the residency of four is unknown at this time.

As of today, 292 infections in Hawaii are active cases, with a total of 847 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation,” about 73% of those infected. Seven new released cases were reported today. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation.

For the third straight day, Gov. David Ige and the four county mayors today continued to discuss a possible delay to the governor’s plan to allow travelers who test negative for COVID-19 to forego the 14-day quarantine for trans-Pacific arrivals, starting Aug 1. The reassessment of Ige’s plan comes after an uptick in infection cases locally and big spikes in many mainland states in the last weeks.

An announcement on Ige’s decision was not expected today, but the governor issued a statement this morning, saying, “The mayors and I have had productive meetings this week about the pre-travel testing program. We are assessing the current situation in Hawaii and on the mainland, and we’ll make an announcement when we are satisfied that the plans will protect the health and safety of our residents and guests.”

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Today’s statewide coronavirus case total includes 867 on Oahu, 131 in Maui County, 98 on Hawaii island, and 43 in Kauai County, according to health officials. The total also includes 19 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.

The state’s coronavirus death toll remains at 19. Thirteen of the deaths have been on Oahu and six on Maui.

Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases since the start of the outbreak, 125 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. Of the 124 hospitalizations within the state, 95 have been on Oahu, 25 on Maui, three on Hawaii island, and one on Kauai.

By county, Honolulu has seen 606 patients released from isolation, and Maui has had 116 patients released. Hawaii island has eight active infections, and Kauai County officials has six, according to the state Health Department.

Of the 92,234 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, just over 1.2% have been positive. Health officials counted 1,639 new test results in today’s tally.