New Big Island COVID cases: 34

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Health officials reported 34 new cases of COVID-19 on Hawaii Island on Friday, bringing the island’s total case count to 1,154.

The new Hawaii Island cases were among 131 positive results announced by the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center, bringing the statewide tally to 14,464 since Feb. 28. Oahu reported 67 new cases while Maui reported one new case, 28 new cases on Lanai and one out of state. That brings the total to 49 confirmed cases on Lanai. DOH has identified a couple of large social gatherings that have likely contributed to this community outbreak. Some are also attributed to household transmission. One case had a history of travel to Oahu, but there is no clear tie to the other cases. MDHO is actively performing contact tracing and investigation of the cases. DOH is engaging with the Lanai health care community to enhance outreach, testing, and contact tracing.

As of noon Thursday, 3,172 of the 14,464 known cases were considered active, including 328 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, 1,057 COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization, including 61 on Hawaii Island, according to the center’s noon update. Three COVID-19 deaths were reported Friday by DOH. All three were on Oahu. Two deaths involved males, 80+ years old, who were hospitalized with underlying medical conditions. The third death was a female, 80+ years old, who was also hospitalized with underlying medical conditions.

Of the 209 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed and reported to date among Hawaii residents to date, 162 were on Oahu, 18 were on Maui, 28 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 12 of the 40 coronavirus-related deaths reported on 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.