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Hawaii records 1 new coronavirus death and 89 new infections statewide

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Travelers keep their smartphones out with a QR code as they wait in line to be screened after arriving at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on trans-pacific flights on Thursday, the first day of Hawaii’s new pre-travel coronavirus testing program for arriving passengers. See more photos <a href="https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/10/15/photo-gallery/first-out-of-state-travelers-arrive-under-new-pre-travel-testing-program/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Travelers keep their smartphones out with a QR code as they wait in line to be screened after arriving at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on trans-pacific flights on Thursday, the first day of Hawaii’s new pre-travel coronavirus testing program for arriving passengers. See more photos here.

UPDATE: 4:20 p.m.

The latest coronavirus-related death announced earlier today was an Oahu woman over the age of 80, who had an underlying condition and was hospitalized at the time of her death, state health officials said this afternoon.

In addition, the Hilo Medical Center said that another person with COVID-19 died at the hospital Thursday, bringing Hawaii island’s unofficial virus death toll to 39.

The state Health Department has only verified 15 Hawaii island deaths as coronavirus-related, and has said the other fatalities are pending verification of medical records.

Hilo Medical officials also said this afternoon that three people with the virus are currently in the hospital.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Hawaii recorded one new coronavirus-related death on Oahu and 89 new infections statewide, bringing the totals since the start of the pandemic to 185 fatalities and 13,853 cases, health officials said today.

No additional details on the latest fatality were immediately released. The state Department of Health reported a total of 17 additional coronavirus deaths so far this week, but seven of those were from August and September.

The department’s official state death toll includes 148 on Oahu, 18 each on Hawaii island and Maui, and one Kauai resident who died on the mainland.

Hilo Medical Center said Thursday that the Big Island’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 38, however state health officials have yet to verify coronavirus as a factor in 20 of those Big Island deaths.

The U.S. coronavirus death toll is over 218,000 today.

As of today, 2,721 infections are considered active cases statewide, with a total of 10,947 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation,” or 79% of those infected, according to the state’s official count. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation. Officials reported 32 new releases today.

Today’s new infection cases include 68 on Oahu, and 21 on Hawaii island. As a result of updated information, one Honolulu case was re-categorized to Hawaii island, according to the Health Department.

State health officials said they counted 3,654 tests in today’s count for a 2.4% statewide positivity rate.

Today’s total coronavirus cases by county since the start of the outbreak are 12,317 on Oahu, 1,026 in Hawaii County, 411 in Maui County and 59 in Kauai County. There are also 40 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.

>> RELATED STORY: Final count of passengers arriving in Hawaii Thursday tops 10,000

By county, Honolulu has seen 9,756 patients released from isolation, Hawaii County has had 758 releases, Maui has seen 375 patients released. Kauai has no active cases.

Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases, 988 have required hospitalizations, with 10 new hospitalizations — nine on Oahu and one on Hawaii island — reported today by state health officials. Two hospitalizations in the statewide count are Hawaii residents who were diagnosed and treated outside the state. Of the 986 hospitalizations in the state, 873 have been on Oahu, 57 on Maui, 55 on Hawaii island and one on Kauai.

Oahu’s seven-day average case count must stay below 100 and its seven-day average positivity rate must be below 5% for 14 consecutive days to move to the next level of economic opening on Oct. 22. Oahu’s seven-day average case count was 61 today, the 17th straight day below 100, while the seven-day average positivity rate was 3.1%, the 23nd straight day below 5%, according to the health department and Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

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