Hawaii Island reports 15 new COVID-19 cases

State health officials reported Sunday 70 new COVID-19 cases, including 15 on Hawaii Island, 53 on Oahu and two in Maui County.

With the new cases, the statewide COVID-19 tally reached 12,804 while Hawaii Island’s total number of cases since Feb. 28 hit 810, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. According to the Department of Health, 87 cases have onset dates within 28 days in the Kailua-Kona area and 109 cases have onset dates within the past 28 days in the Hilo area.

“The high increase of new cases is of great concern and demonstrates the critical need of following the preventive polices of face coverings, distancing, and gatherings. Much of this increase is due to clusters at the University of Nations in Kona and the Life Care Center in Hilo,” Hawaii County Civil Defense said Sunday. “The Department of Health and County of Hawaii are working with both to ensure that the virus is contained and to provide care for the individuals affected.”

As of noon Sunday, 2,358 of those known cases were considered active, including 177 cases on Hawaii Island. An active case is defined as an individual who has tested positive for the coronavirus and is being monitored by the Department of Health.

Statewide, 889 COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization, including 44 on Hawaii Island, according to the center’s noon update.

Of the 156 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed and reported to date among Hawaii residents to date, 128 were on Oahu, 12 were on Maui, 15 were on Hawaii Island, and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.