Hawaii public schools continue to see more infections linked to COVID-19

The number of coronavirus cases continues to climb at the state’s public schools as the Department of Education on Friday reported 557 new staff or student cases over the past week.

Infections have steadily risen across the state since the start of the school year Aug. 3. Last week’s total of school-related COVID-19 cases was 383 — up from 325 the week before.

All told, there have been 1,570 cases linked to Hawaii public schools since July 1.

Despite the growing numbers, DOE officials insist the schools remain safe for students, teachers and staff members. They said the department has no known cases of students getting sick with COVID-19 at school, and there is no evidence of clusters on any of the campuses.

“As cases increase in the broader community, we are seeing a similar increase in cases in our schools,” interim schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi said Thursday in a letter to parents. “It is important to note that unlike the spread seen in the community, our data is showing spread has been very limited on campuses.”

Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, with the state’s largest enrollment, is leading the way with 52 cases since the department began reporting as required by law at the beginning of July.

Waipahu High School has been hit with the second most infections with 36, followed by Kapolei (34), Farrington (30), Kahului Elementary (29) and Hilo High School (29).

Only 23 of the department’s 257 schools have escaped the virus, including Washington Middle School in Honolulu, Nanakuli Elementary, Lanai High &Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, Honouliuli Middle and Aina Haina Elementary schools.

DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said the number of quarantined students is not being tracked on a systemwide level. The department, she said, tracks confirmed and probable cases only, while the schools manage their quarantined students independently.

The department Friday also unveiled an interactive dashboard on its website showing confirmed COVID- 19 case data compiled at its schools and offices.

Hayashi said the dashboard is designed with parents in mind and as part of an effort to improve transparency.

“We encourage everyone to take a look at the data for themselves and see what we’re seeing — that schools are not amplifiers of COVID- 19 transmission because of the mitigation protocols schools are enforcing,” Hayashi said in a news release.

The dashboard lists confirmed and probable COVID-19 case information from the state, district, complex area and school levels. Case counts are displayed by date reported and as a cumulative running total since July 1.

The dashboard also includes the date each case was reported to the department and the date the positively tested person was last on a campus.

The single largest daily reporting of infections, according to the data, occurred Monday, with 170 cases reported from 93 schools. That beat the previous high mark of 108 cases reported from 70 schools Aug. 16.

Data will be updated daily, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), prior to the close of business at bit.ly/hidoe-covid- updates, officials said, with daily case counts reflecting confirmed cases reported the day prior.

The dashboard reporting system is expected to replace the department’s Friday news releases of weekly case reports, they said.