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Hawaii sees 2 coronavirus-related deaths and 271 new cases as statewide tally grows to 9,473

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                The H-3 freeway was closed for COVID-19 surge testing Thursday <a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/09/04/hawaii-news/h-3-testing-turnout-rises-as-state-flouts-the-feds-again/" target="_self">despite objections from the federal government</a>.
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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

The H-3 freeway was closed for COVID-19 surge testing Thursday despite objections from the federal government.

Hawaii Department of Health officials today reported two new coronavirus-related deaths and 271 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide totals since the beginning of the pandemic to 81 fatalities and 9,473 cases.

Two Oahu residents, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 80s, both had underlying health conditions and were hospitalized with COVID-19 before they died, state health officials said this afternoon. The recent Hawaii County deaths reported by the Hilo Medical Center do not appear to be counted in today’s tally.

The Hilo Medical Center late Thursday reported the fifth COVID-19 death this week at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, as part of an outbreak there with a total 61 residents and employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. State health officials told the Star-Advertiser on Thursday the Hawaii County deaths are pending verification.

A total of 69 deaths have been on Oahu, eight on Maui, three on the Big Island, while one was a Kauai resident who died on the mainland. The U.S. death toll is over 187,000 today.

The total new cases today included 236 on Oahu, 34 on Hawaii island and one in Maui County.

As of today, 6,537 infections are considered active cases statewide, with a total of 2,855 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation,” or about 30% of those infected. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation. Seventy-seven new release cases — 70 on Oahu, four in Maui County and three in Hawaii County — were reported today.

Today’s total coronavirus cases by county since the start of the outbreak included 8,575 on Oahu, 469 in Hawaii County, 347 in Maui County, and 57 in Kauai County. There are also 25 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.

Hawaii’s run of triple-digit increases in daily new COVID-19 cases in August prompted state, city and federal government to partner in a free surge testing program on Oahu to administer tests to 90,000 people over roughly three weeks. Go to doIneedacovid19test.com for more information.

>> RELATED: Embattled state epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park put on paid leave

Officials counted 7,669 new tests in today’s tally, with today’s 271 positive cases representing 3% of the total tested. Of the 221,391 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii since the start of the outbreak, a total of 4.3% have been positive. Of the 16,384 coronavirus surge tests so far, less than 1% have been positive.

Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases, 583 have required hospitalizations, with 10 new hospitalizations — eight on Oahu and two in Hawaii County — reported today, health officials said.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green said today there are now 571 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in Hawaii hospitals, with 50 of them in intensive care units and 37 on ventilators. He said that 150, or 61%, of the state’s 244 ICU beds, and 85, or 19%, of Hawaii’s 459 ventilators are now in use, by both coronavirus and non-virus patients.

Two hospitalizations in the statewide count are Hawaii residents who were diagnosed and treated outside the state. Of the 581 hospitalizations within the state, 516 have been on Oahu, 45 on Maui, 19 on Hawaii island, and one on Kauai.

By county, Honolulu has seen 2,392 patients released from isolation, Hawaii County has had 208 releases, Maui has seen 200 patients released, and Kaui has had 55 patients released.

>> RELATED: Labor Day weekend to test Oahu’s ‘social gathering’ ban


This breaking news story will be updated again.


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