COVID-19 delta variant spreads to all major Hawaii counties

State health officials reiterated their plea that Hawaii residents get vaccinated as soon as possible as the dangerous delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the islands. On Friday the Department of Health announced that the variant has now been detected on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island and is expected to become dominant in about a month.

“Every additional week is a chance for this virus to take hold even more strongly in our community and spread even more quickly,” said Kauai District Health Officer Janet Berreman during a Friday news conference. “So time is really of the essence in getting as many people as we can vaccinated in order to really slow the spread of this particular variant.”

As of Friday, 57% of Hawaii’s population of 1.4 million people had been fully vaccinated, and 62% had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The vaccination rate drops significantly with age, according to state Health Department data. More than 93% of all residents 65 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and the vast majority are fully vaccinated. For residents ages 12 to 29, the percentage receiving at least one dose drops to 45%. Children under 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine.

The delta variant has been detected during routine genome sequencing conducted by the Health Department. The sampling provides a snapshot of what was occurring about three weeks ago. Health officials announced Tuesday that the sequencing suggested community spread of the variant. The latest information further confirms health officials’ belief that the variant will soon become dominant in Hawaii, as is expected in the rest of the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has called the delta variant the “greatest threat” to the nation’s efforts to eradicate the coronavirus. The variant, first detected in India, comprises an estimated 20% of new cases in the U.S. That rate is expected to double every two weeks.

Out of 45 recent samples collected in Hawaii between May 31 and June 10, about one-fifth of the cases involved the delta variant, according to State Laboratories Division Administrator Edward Desmond.

Thirteen cases of the delta variant — nine on Oahu, two on Maui, one on Kauai and one on Hawaii island — have now been detected in Hawaii, including at least one that is a “breakthrough” case in someone who had been vaccinated against COVID. Such cases are expected as the vaccines aren’t 100% effective. Health officials stressed that even in rare breakthrough cases, being vaccinated can significantly reduce the chance of severe illness, hospitalization and death. The vaccine also has proved highly effective at reducing the spread of COVID, even in people who contract the virus.

While Hawaii’s overall vaccination rate remains high compared with other states, the pace of vaccinations has dropped dramatically in recent weeks, and health officials worry about large pockets of unvaccinated residents. There continue to be outbreaks in Hawaii’s correctional facilities and clusters tied to places of worship. Public schools are also set to reopen at the beginning of August, and children under 12 are not expected to be eligible for the vaccine until September or October.

There are now hundreds of places throughout the state where people can get free COVID vaccines, including pharmacies and hospitals. There are also numerous pop-up sites. Today, for example, people can also get vaccinated at the Honolulu Zoo between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and get free admission, as well as at Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii, a water park in Kapolei, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information on getting vaccinated can he found on the state’s COVID-19 portal at hawaii covid19.com/vaccine.

State Department of Health officials Friday reported one new corona­virus-related death and 48 new confirmed and probable infections statewide, bringing the state’s totals since the start of the pandemic to 514 fatalities and 37,532 cases. The new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 28 new cases on Oahu, nine on Maui, two on Hawaii island, two on Kauai and seven Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state.