Hawaii reports 685 new COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths
The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 685 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 388,104.
Four more deaths were also reported, bringing the state’s COVID death toll to 1,896.
Today, there are 55 patients with COVID in Hawaii hospitals, with five in intensive care. The weekly average of COVID patients in hospitals is at 63 per day, up from 59 per day the previous week, according to Healthcare Association of Hawaii data.
The state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, meanwhile, was at 105 a day, down from 107 as reported on May 3. The state’s average positivity rate was at 8.0%, the same as reported on May 3.
The seven-day average is based on an earlier set of seven days (April 29 to May 5) than the week-over-week infection count (May 2 to 8) because cases from the most recent three days may not have been reported yet.
Actual numbers are estimated to be several times higher since these figures do not include results from home test kits.
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The number of cases per 100,000 people in the state was at 7.4 compared with 7.6 the previous week.
Epidemiologists continue to monitor omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, also known as “Arcturus,” due to its growth advantage and growing presence worldwide.
Arcturus has been detected in Hawaii’s wastewater samples and test specimens.
The U.S. COVID-19 public health emergency expires on Thursday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced it will stop tracking COVID community levels in U.S. counties.
CDC will, however, continue to track COVID hospitalizations and intensive care admissions, along with COVID deaths. CDC will also continue genomic sequencing to keep track of new variants, along with wastewater monitoring of pathogens.
DOH has not yet indicated whether there will be any changes to its weekly COVID data summaries for Hawaii.
By island, there were 500 new cases reported on Oahu, 85 on Hawaii island, 63 on Maui, 30 on Kauai, three on Molokai, and one on Lanai. Another three infections were reported for Hawaii residents out of state.
To date, DOH reported about 27.8% of the state’s eligible population has received the updated bivalent booster.
Hawaii residents ages 65 or older and those who are immunocompromised are now eligible for a second bivalent booster.
