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The Hawaii Department of Health says there are now 74 confirmed cases of the omicron variant in the state, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise with two new coronavirus-related deaths and 961 new infections reported Wednesday.
DOH’s State Laboratories Division confirmed the additional omicron cases through whole genome sequencing of specimens collected statewide, with the latest batch of 24 collected between Dec. 7 and 13.
All omicron cases detected thus far are on Oahu, but the lab will be sequencing two specimens from Maui and four from Hawaii island suspected to be omicron due to a molecular clue.
“None of this is a surprise when omicron is introduced into a region,” said Edward Desmond, State Laboratories Division administrator. “It expands and becomes a predominant strain usually within a couple weeks to a month. We’ve had omicron confirmed in Hawaii for about three and a half weeks now. So these findings are not at all surprising. And the omicron variant is either already or about to become the predominant variant in our state.”
Based on worldwide reports, omicron doubles about every one-and-a-half to three days compared to about every two weeks with the delta variant.
“This is much quicker, and it’s spreading like wildfire compared to delta, which was considered a very transmissible strain,” Desmond said.
It also means that whole genome sequencing will not be able to keep up with the rapid speed of omicron’s spread across the islands in real time.
“We assume omicron is likely spreading widely already in our communities,” said Dr. Janet Berreman of the Kauai District Health Office. “We say that based on the fact that we’ve detected these cases here and that we are seeing exponential growth so widely in our state.”
That includes the neighbor islands, where there might be no confirmed cases yet but which are also experiencing a rapid rise in coronavirus infections and are likely to have omicron circulating in the community.
DOH continues to urge all eligible residents to get booster shots and exercise caution during the holiday period as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state are rising.
Since the start of the pandemic, Hawaii has seen a total of 1,074 coronavirus-related fatalities and 95,254 cases. The latest two deaths occurred on Hawaii island and Maui, according to DOH.
The seven-day daily average of new cases statewide grew to 726 on Wednesday, a 616% increase over 14 days ago, while the average positivity rate rose to 7.5%.
Wednesday’s 961 new infections followed Tuesday’s report of 707 cases and Monday’s tally of 840.
Also Wednesday, 68 coronavirus patients were hospitalized across the state, up from 60 on Tuesday, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 dashboard. Eleven of those patients were in intensive care and eight were on ventilators.
With omicron now circulating in Hawaii, health experts warn of a spike during Christmas and New Year’s.
“The biggest message we can get out there is boost,” said DOH spokesman Brooks Baehr. “Boost, boost, boost. We are seeing an explosion of omicron and if you’ve only received your first two shots, you do not have sufficient protection from omicron. It’s imperative that those who are eligible get boosted. The older you are the more important that is.”
All Hawaii residents ages 16 and older are eligible for booster doses if it has been at least six months since the initial vaccine series. All who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago are also eligible for a booster.
The Queen’s Health Systems had 31 COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday morning, according to Dr. Todd Allen, senior vice president and chief quality officer.
“That’s twice the number we had two weeks ago, so along with the uptick in the community we’re beginning to see an uptick in hospitalizations,” he said. “Typically they lag by about two weeks in our experience.”
Queen’s hospital beds are close to full, as is typical during this time of year, Allen said, but the facility is readying for a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the next two months.
Teams are preparing supplies and keeping patients safe by using personal protective equipment and enhancing screenings and handwashing, he said.
In mid-December, The Queen’s Medical Center reported six staff and a patient may have been infected with the omicron variant. While those seven individuals have been confirmed to have had COVID-19, DOH has not confirmed whether they had the omicron variant.
Given how contagious omicron is, Allen encourages all in the community to get vaccinated and boosted to stay out of hospitals.
“There’s a lot of good evidence that shows with omicron, someone who’s vaccinated and even someone who’s boosted still might get sick but have much less chance of getting into the hospital, and certainly the ICU,” he said. “That’s our best strategy right now.”
Queen’s has administered 360,214 COVID-19 doses statewide to date, including about 8,500 to children ages 5 to 11.
Hawaii Pacific Health has administered more than 313,000 doses at mobile vaccine clinics across Oahu and Kauai, in addition to its clinics at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and the Straub and Wilcox medical centers.
HPH said there has been a significant increase in vaccinations this week and last week, particularly for keiki ages 5 to 11.
Its clinics will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Baehr said residents should assume that omicron is “in our community, on our doorstep and knocking on our door.”
To gather safely this holiday season, DOH advises that residents limit gatherings to household members, celebrate with fully vaccinated and boosted people, wear masks indoors, maintain social distancing and gather outdoors when possible.
More than 500 locations statewide offer COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. More information is available at hawaiicovid19.com.
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