HONOLULU — There are currently 71 people statewide hospitalized with COVID-19, including five in intensive care units. Less than a month ago, there were no coronavirus cases in intensive care, Hawaii News Now reported.
Hilton Raethel, CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, said cases are rising more slowly now than earlier in the pandemic and are manageable.
“However, we don’t know how high these numbers are going to go. If we get to 100 patients in our hospitals, that will start to cause more concern,” he said.
About 30% of Hawaii hospital patients had COVID-19 during the pandemic’s delta and omicron surges. Right now, that number stands at about 3%.
The state Department of Health said Hawaii had a seven-day average of 515 new cases as of Monday, up from 435 the previous week. The figure doesn’t include those who tested positive using at-home tests but still shows a steady rise in infections over the past few weeks.
Hawaii public health officials are encouraging people to wear their masks indoors and when they can’t keep their distance from others not in their household.