No new coronavirus cases in Hawaii as statewide tally remains 643
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii’s shutdown of tourism and other economic activity to fight the spread of COVID-19 has left hundreds of thousands of residents unemployed or working reduced hours, leaving many in need of food assistance. Here, volunteers Pam Medeiros-Mercado, left, and Michael Nakasato, principal of Hakipuu Academy, organize bagged food for pickup at Windward Mall on Friday.
Once again, Hawaii health officials today reported no new coronavirus cases in the islands as the statewide infection count remains at 643.
It is the fifth time in May that Hawaii had no confirmed new cases of COVID-19 in the state Department of Health’s daily tally. The statewide new case count has never been over four in May. Both Oahu and Maui have had just two new cases each in the last 10 days and Kauai has had no new cases in six weeks.
The state’s flattened infection-rate curve and lowest-in-the-nation COVID-19 mortality rate have been increasing pressure on state and county leaders to continue easing economic restrictions that have left roughly a quarter of Hawaii’s workforce unemployed.
As of today, 35 infections in Hawaii are active cases with a total of 591 patients now classified by health officials as “released from isolation” since the start of the outbreak. Two new release cases — one each on Oahu and the Big Island — were reported today. The category counts those infected people who have met the criteria for being released from isolation.
More than 91% of the Hawaii people who have been infected are now classified as released from isolation.
By county, Honolulu has seen 389 patients released from isolation (or 94%), Maui has had 105 cases (89%) released, and the Big Island has 78 (96%). Kauai has no known active confirmed coronavirus cases.
The state’s coronavirus death toll remains unchanged at 17. Eleven of the deaths have been on Oahu and six on Maui.
Of all the confirmed Hawaii cases since the start of the outbreak, 84 have required hospitalizations, with no new hospitalizations reported today, health officials said.
One hospitalization in the statewide count is a Hawaii resident who was diagnosed and treated outside the state, officials said. Of the 83 hospitalizations in the state, 59 have been on Oahu, 22 on Maui, and one each on the Big Island and Kauai.
Today’s statewide coronavirus cases total includes 414 on Oahu, 118 in Maui County, 81 on Hawaii island, and 20 in Kauai County, according to health officials. The total also includes 10 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside of the state.
Of the more than 43,523 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, about 1.4% have been positive. Health officials typically count hundreds of new test results each day.
The Health Department’s daily count of new infections in Hawaii has not been in double digits since April 18 when officials reported 22 new cases.
RELATED STORY: As tourism stalls, military spending continues to boost Hawaii’s economy
