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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.CO
A person grabbed a COVID-19 testing swab, Jan. 5, at Fort Ruger Park, also known as Triangle Park, in Kahala. The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 7,149 new COVID-19 infections over the previous week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 265,571 cases.
The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 7,149 new COVID-19 infections over the previous week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 265,571 cases.
DOH also reported 12 more deaths, bringing the state’s COVID death toll to 1,446.
The state’s 7-day average of new cases today was reported at 925 compared to 722 on May 11, representing the eighth consecutive, weekly increase. That weekly average surpasses the highest average during the peak of the delta surge.
The state’s average positivity rate, meanwhile, jumped to 16.9% from 14.3% last week. It is the ninth week in a row that DOH has recorded an increase in the positivity rate. On Kauai County, the average positivity rate increased to 23.0% from 20.3% last week.
By island, there were 4,922 new infections reported on Oahu, 850 on Hawaii island, 746 on Maui, 460 on Kauai, 26 on Molokai and 18 on Lanai. Another 27 infections were reported out of state.
DOH Director Dr. Libby Char said on “Spotlight Hawaii” Friday that she believes average daily case counts are five to six times higher than reported, given that results from home test kits are not officially tallied.
There are 126 patients with COVID-19 in Hawaii hospitals today, according to the state dashboard, up from 91 last week. Of the 126, five are in intensive care and three on ventilators.
The number of patients with COVID in Hawaii hospitals surpassed 100 on Saturday, with 102, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. It increased to 119 on Sunday, and then to 130 on Tuesday before falling back to 126 today.
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