More than 200 new cases of COVID-19 and four new coronavirus-related deaths were announced Wednesday by the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center.
Of the 202 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19, 197 were on Oahu, two were on Maui and Hawaii Island and Kauai each reported two cases. The four coronavirus-related deaths were among men over age 40 on Oahu.
With the new cases, Hawaii has now seen 3,958 cases of the novel coronavirus and 38 coronavirus-related deaths since Feb. 28.
Oahu has recorded the majority of the cases with 3,558 cases while Maui County has recorded 191 cases, Hawaii County 135 and Kauai County 51. Twenty-three residents have tested positive while out of the state.
Of the Hawaii residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, 1,665 of those cases have since recovered and been released from isolation. That includes 119 of the 135 known cases on Hawaii Island.
Statewide, 260 patients have required hospitalization, including five on Hawaii Island.
Community spread of the coronavirus, particularly on Oahu, continues to be the primary cause of new infections, the center said in a press release. There are multiple clusters of infections, including five distinct restaurant clusters; however, each involves a few employees at single locations, and no transmission to customers has been identified at this time. An employee potluck at Honolulu Hale is a potential transmission source for 11 cases of illness among City and County of Honolulu workers.
“The important factor to keep in mind is, community-associated infections continue to be the responsible for the surge in COVID-19 cases in the past week and a half. The virus is transmitted though droplets, and that’s why wearing masks and distancing is so important,” Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said. “We must all continue these and other safe practices.”
The deaths of two of the Oahu men, both over 60-years-old, were reported Tuesday but included in case counts Wednesday, according to the center. The third and fourth deaths reported Wednesday are men 40-59 years old, at least one of whom had underlying health conditions.
Investigations into all of the deaths are ongoing, according to the center.
Of the 38 people who have died, 31 were from Oahu, six from Maui and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.
The interisland quarantine rule that ended June 16 was partially reinstated on Tuesday. People arriving on Oahu from the other islands won’t need to quarantine, but travelers arriving in the other counties from other islands will. Travelers arriving from out of state are also under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
To report violations in Hawaii County of Gov. David Ige’s emergency proclamations and orders, call (808) 935-0031.