A Big Island patient under investigation for possible COVID-19 has tested negative for the coronavirus.
Hilo Medical Center spokeswoman Elena Cabatu said the state Department of Health confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the test for the patient came back negative for the coronavirus. The patient was in isolation at the hospital and will continue to be treated for a respiratory illness until he or she is ready to be discharged.
The patient was one of three people state officials announced were under investigation for possible COVID-19 shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday. The others were located on Oahu and Maui, Health Director Bruce Anderson said.
Anderson did not provide additional details, however, Cabatu said the patient had come in “a few days ago” off of a cruise ship and was sick. He was subsequently admitted.
Chief Medical Officer Jon Martell said when this individual came into HMC, its protocol was followed rapidly — the patient was masked and placed in the proper setting, with employees wearing protective gear.
Martell said every patient and visitor coming into the HMC Emergency Department is screened at the door following state Department of Health recommendations for who might be considered a “person under investigation.”
A person under investigation means the individuals meets the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for investigation and testing.
Those who fall under that criteria are given a mask immediately and escorted to a negative pressure room.
Anderson said Tuesday that now that the state is able to test for the newly identified form of coronavirus, results should be back within a few hours, which was the case with the state confirming within three hours of the press conference one negative test result.
“That’s a huge advantage for us. Normally, that would take about a week,” he said. If a test in Hawaii returns as a positive, it will be sent for confirmation at the CDC in Atlanta.
It’s also unclear if the person who was under investigation but tested negative was one of a handful of Hawaii Island residents who were self-monitoring with public health supervision for COVID-19 as of Monday.
As of Monday, five Hawaii Island residents were among 91 people in the state self-monitoring with public health supervision for COVID-19, according to the most recent update from the State of Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. The majority of the residents — 83 — are on Oahu with two on Kauai and one on Maui.
The 91 individuals were identified through screening by federal officials at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. These numbers fluctuate often as travelers arrive, depart, or begin and end their self-monitoring with supervision by DOH.
Two individuals in Hawaii who previously were identified as “persons under investigation” have tested negative for COVID-19, Anderson said.
The coronavirus has sickened more than 91,000 worldwide and killed more than 3,100, the vast majority in mainland China.
“Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaii. DOH is actively preparing for possible cases and working with state, county, and federal partners including the medical community in Hawaii,” the State of Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center said in a press release Monday.
COVID-19 information is also available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Ilocano languages under “Resources” at the DOH website at https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/advisories/novel-coronavirus-2019.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald reporter Stephanie Salmons contributed to this report.