Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 24, 2021

Posted on Feb 24, 2021 in COVID-19

Department of Health:

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/

Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates

The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary is included each Wednesday.

50 New COVID-19 Cases and Four Additional Deaths Reported

DOH reports 50 new cases of coronavirus today. The department reported four (4)

additional deaths:

Oʻahu

1 man, 60-69 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

1 woman, 90-99 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

Maui

1 man, 60-69 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

1 woman, 80-89 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

This report includes cases up until Monday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website daily: HawaiiCOVID19.com/data-dashboard.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Feb. 22, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	16	21,845
Hawai‘i	2	2,236
Maui	24	2,095
Kaua‘i	1	182
Moloka‘i	0	27
Lānaʻi	0	108
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	7	827
Total Cases	50	27,320
Deaths	4	435

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 2/23/21 – Hawai‘i-2, Maui-8, O‘ahu-24, Kauaʻi-0

Hawai‘i Shares Best Cluster Management Practices with the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance that has helped Hawai‘i to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Hawai‘i returns the favor by providing the CDC with lessons learned from a cluster last year. It was traced to three fitness centers highlighted in a scientific paper, published today, in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

The investigation was performed by a team led by Dr. Sarah Kemble, acting state epidemiologist, who served as the principal investigator and lead researcher.

“This publication is an acknowledgement of the caliber of work being done by Hawai‘i’s public health team,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to the collective body of knowledge for other states to use.”

At the time of the outbreak, face masks were not required in fitness centers. However, as a result of work done by the DOH last July, Honolulu began requiring everyone to wear face coverings in fitness facilities, including during exercise. Read more in the full news release:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/hawaii-department-of-health-presents-best-practices-on-managing-clusters-with-cdc/

Department of Public Safety:

Statewide Inmate Testing Continues

COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted statewide at all facilities. The total active positive inmate cases at the Maui Community Correctional Center remain unchanged at 26. All other correctional facility inmate populations remain clear of the virus. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) reported 17 negative inmate test results and the Halawa Correctional Facility reported four (4) negative staff results. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

January 2021 Hawai‘i Vacation Rental Performance Report

Today the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority released its monthly Vacation Rental Performance Report and the supply of vacation rentals in Hawai‘i during January 2021 was down 44.3% compared to the same time last year. The demand was also down 73.9%, resulting in an average monthly unit occupancy of 38.7 percent. In comparison, Hawai‘i’s hotels had an average occupancy rate of 23.3 percent in January 2021. To read the full report:

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/6773/hta-january-2021-hawaii-vacation-rental-performance-final.pdf

8,394 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday

Yesterday, a total of 8,394 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 4,563 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,271 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system.

To view more: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/

Helpful Resources

Trusted Testing and Travel Partners:

The state of Hawai‘i only accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners. For the full list of domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county, international and airline partners or information on how to become a Trusted Testing Partner, go to:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/

Safe Travels Hawai‘i Program:
Program overview: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/

FAQs: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/

Email: [email protected]

Call Center Number: 1-800-GO-HAWAII

COVID-19 Vaccine Status in Hawai‘i and FAQs:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/

Vaccine Call Center: 808-586-8332

COVID-19 Expanded Dashboard (Tables, Charts, and Visualizations):

https://hawaiicovid19.com/data-dashboard/

Safe Travels Digital Platform:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/data/

Kaua‘i County:
Kaua‘i COVID-19 webpage: https://www.kauai.gov/COVID-19
To report violators: https://www.kauai.gov/KPD-Online-Reporting