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Hawaii records new coronavirus-related death, 30 additional infections

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / MAY 18
                                A couple wore masks with varying degrees while walking along Ala Moana Regional Park last month.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / MAY 18

A couple wore masks with varying degrees while walking along Ala Moana Regional Park last month.

Hawaii Department of Health officials today reported one new coronavirus-related deaths and 30 new confirmed and probable infections statewide, bringing the state’s totals since the start of the pandemic to 507 fatalities and 37,134 cases.

No further information was immediately available regarding the latest death.

The U.S. coronavirus-related death toll today is just over 600,000 and the nationwide infection tally is nearly 33.5 million.

Today’s new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 24 new cases on Oahu, three on Maui, one on Hawaii island, one on Kauai and one Hawaii resident diagnosed outside the state.

State health officials began including probable infections in its total case counts last month. Probable infections include people who never received a confirmatory test but are believed to have had the virus because of their known exposure and symptoms or because of a positive antigen test.

The total number of confirmed and probable coronavirus cases by island since the start of the outbreak are 27,534 on Oahu, 4,613 on Maui, 3,151 in Hawaii County, 339 on Kauai, 115 on Lanai and 79 on Molokai. There are also 1,303 Hawaii residents who were diagnosed outside of the state.

Today’s probable infections since the start of the pandemic added to the counts today include 815 on Maui, 768 on Oahu, 65 on Hawaii island, 24 on Molokai, four on Kauai, three on Lanai and 52 residents diagnosed outside the state. One probable infection was removed from the Hawaii island tally by state officials today.

The statistics released today reflect the new infection cases reported to the department on Monday.

Health officials also said today that, of the state’s total infection count, 699 cases were considered to be active. Officials say they consider infections reported in the past 14 days to be a “proxy number for active cases.” The state’s total number of active cases increased by 10 today.

By island, Oahu has 348 active cases, the Big Island has 182, Maui has 153 and Kauai has 16.

Health officials counted 4,499 new COVID-19 test results in today’s tally, for a 0.67% statewide positivity rate. The state’s 7-day average positivity rate is 1.0%, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard.

The latest Hawaii COVID-19 vaccine summary said that 1,621,282 vaccine doses have been administered through state and federal distribution programs as of Tuesdasy. Health officials say that more than 55% of the state’s population is now fully vaccinated, and 61% having received at least one shot.

Of all the confirmed Hawaii infection cases, 2,402 have required hospitalizations, with 12 new hospitalizations reported today.

Ten hospitalizations in the overall statewide count are Hawaii residents who were diagnosed and treated outside the state. Of the 2,392 hospitalizations within the state, 1,980 have been on Oahu, 268 on Maui, 129 on the Big Island, nine on Kauai, five on Lanai and on on Molokai.

According to the latest information from the department’s Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard, a total of 32 patients with the virus were in Hawaii hospitals as of Tuesday, with eight in intensive care units and three on ventilators.

Oahu on Friday moved into the less-restrictive Tier 4 of the city’s four-tier economic recovery plan. The change allows social gatherings of up to 25 people at outdoor venues, including at parks and beaches, but the group size for indoor social gatherings remains at 10 people.

The seven-day average case count for Oahu is 24 and the seven-day average positivity rate is 1.1%, state health officials said today.


This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.


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