Sixth death reported at Hilo veterans home; 34 new COVID-19 cases

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Hawaii County Civil Defense on Friday morning reported a sixth death at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo.

“Our greatest condolences to their families,” the agency’s message reads.

Meanwhile, state health officials reported 34 new cases of the novel coronavirus on the island, bringing Hawaii County’s total case count to 469 since Feb. 28.

The 34 Hawaii Island cases announced Friday were among 271 new cases across the state, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. To date, 9,473 Hawaii residents have tested positive.

Oahu reported 236 new cases, bringing the state’s most populous island’s total count to 8,575 while Maui County reported a single case, raising its count to 347. Kauai County’s tally held steady at 57. To date, 25 residents have also tested positive while out of the state.

Of the 9,473 cases identified in Hawaii since Feb. 28, some 6,618 of those cases are still considered active. That includes 261 of the known cases on Hawaii Island.

Statewide, 583 COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization, including 19 on Hawaii Island, according to the center’s noon update.

The center also reported two new coronavirus-related death on Oahu. The victims were a man in the 60- to 69-year-old age group and a woman, older than age 80. Both had underlying health conditions and had been hospitalized.

Of the 81 deaths reported among Hawaii residents, 69 were on Oahu, eight were on Maui, three were on Hawaii Island, and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.

The center has yet to report Hawaii Island’s latest three deaths. The department said it must confirm the death through a verification process before releasing the information. If confirmed, the statewide death toll will stand at 84.