“Only as many as four” of the 2,800 trans-Pacific travelers arriving on Hawaii Island between Thursday and Saturday received a positive COVID-19 test, Lt. Gov. Josh Green said Monday.
Green, a practicing West Hawaii physician, noted that the state is still “waiting for confirmation” of the positive results returned during rapid testing at Hawaii Island airports. Hawaii County requires the rapid test, in addition to a negative 72-hour preflight COVID-19 test required by the state, in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine.
The remaining 2,796 rapid tests conducted were negative, he said.
“So, it’s been pretty safe,” he said, adding the state will continue to assess the Safe Travels program.
Also Monday, health officials reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Hawaii Island, bringing the island’s total case count to 1,059.
The new Hawaii Island cases were among 39 positive results announced by the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center bringing the statewide tally to 14,068. Oahu reported 31 new cases while one resident was diagnosed with the virus while outside the state.
As of noon Monday, 2,990 of those known cases were considered active, including 284 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, 1,012 COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization, including 57 on Hawaii Island, according to the center’s noon update.
The state reported no new coronavirus-related deaths on Monday.
Of the 187 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed and reported to date among Hawaii residents to date, 150 were on Oahu, 18 were on Maui, 18 were on Hawaii Island, and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.
The state has yet to confirm the last 21 coronavirus-related deaths reported Hawaii Island. Twenty-seven of the deaths were among residents of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo and another seven died at Hilo Medical Center, four at Life Care Center of Hilo and two at Kona Community Hospital.