West Hawaii has seen ‘majority’ of new COVID-19 cases in past 2 weeks

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State health officials reported on Monday 64 new cases of COVID-19 across the state, including four on Hawaii Island.

With the new cases, the Aloha State’s total case count reached 16,010 while Hawaii Island’s tally hit 1,409, according to the Hawaii Emergnecy Management Agency. The majority of the cases reported Monday were on Oahu, which saw an increase of 53, while Kauai reported two and five residents were diagnosed while traveling outside the state.

In the past 14 days, Hawaii Island’s COVID-19 case count has increased by 179 cases, according to data provided by the agency. Eighty-three of those cases were in the Kailua-Kona area and another 16 were in South Kohala. Hilo reported 23 cases during that time.

Hawaii County Civil Defense said Monday that most of the cases were not travel related, “which means the virus is being transmitted within the community.”

“Data from the Department of Health clearly shows that the majority of those now being affected on Hawaii Island are between 1 and 40 years of age and are West Hawaii based,” Civil Defense said, noting that testing is being scheduled for the Kona area.

Statewide, 75 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Monday afternoon, including 10 on Hawaii Island. Kona Community Hospital reported early Monday evening that it had three patients in its intensive care unit and two patients in its “med surg” acute care unit. Two of those patients were using ventilators.

No new coronavirus-related deaths was announced by the state on Monday. Of the 220 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed and reported to date, 172 were on Oahu, 17 were on Maui, one on Lanai, 31 were on Hawaii Island and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.

Hawaii County Civil Defense also reported no new deaths, leaving the total number of fatalities on Hawaii Island at 48. Twenty-seven of the deaths were among residents of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo and four were at Kona Community Hospital. The state has yet to confirm 17 of the deaths reported to date on Hawaii Island.