News Releases from Department of Health

Department of Health:

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

Daily and Weekly Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates

The charts below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday.

45 New COVID-19 Cases Reported

DOH reports 45 new cases of coronavirus today, with 21 cases on O‘ahu, 11 on Maui, 10 on Hawai‘i Island, and three (3) diagnosed out-of-state.

This report includes cases up until Saturday 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/dashboard.

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. March 6, 2021   

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	21	22,131
Hawai‘i	10	2,282
Maui	11	2,338
Kaua‘i	0	186
Moloka‘i	0	27
Lānaʻi	0	108
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	3	863
Total Cases	45	27,935++
Deaths	0	445

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 3/4/21 – Hawai‘i-1, Maui 9, O‘ahu-18, Kauaʻi-0

++As a result of updated information, one case from O‘ahu was removed from the counts.

Highly Transmissible Variant Detected in Hawai‘i
DOH’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) has detected a new COVID-19 variant of concern. The new strain’s technical name is ‘B.1.351,’ and is sometimes referred to as the South African variant. It was found on an O‘ahu resident with no travel history.

SLD Director Dr. Edward Desmond said, “This is concerning because B.1.351 has a mutation that makes it more transmissible from one person to another, and a separate mutation that might make it less responsive to the antibodies we form when we have COVID or get vaccinated.” The mutation that increases transmissibility is called N501Y. The mutation that may reduce effectiveness of antibodies is called E484K.The N501Y and E484K mutations had previously been seen in Hawai‘i, but this is the first time both mutations have been found together in one virus. 

Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said, “While theoretical concerns have been raised about whether vaccination will be effective against new variant strains, the real-world data so far are reassuring. A study in South Africa showed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was effective in preventing serious disease requiring hospitalization and in preventing death even where B.1.351 was the predominant strain.” 

Investigation into cases of recently detected variants is ongoing. Close contacts have been quarantined. To read more:
https://hawaiicovid19.com/highly-transmissible-variant-detected-in-hawaii/

 

Department of Public Safety:
Statewide Inmate Testing Continues  
COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted statewide at all facilities. The Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) reported 17 inmate results. Of that number, eight (8) were positive and nine (9) were negative. There were 11 more inmate recoveries reported, which brings the total recovered to 43 and drops the total active positive inmate count at MCCC to 40. There were 25 negative MCCC staff test results reported through DOH testing. All other facility inmate populations are clear of the virus. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center reported 21 negative inmate results and the Waiawa Correctional Facility reported one (1) negative inmate result. 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:

7,203 Passengers Arrive on Sunday

Yesterday, a total of 7,203 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 4,034 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 877 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

Vaccine Information: https://www.kauai.gov/vaccine

 

Maui County:
Maui County travel and COVID-19 information:
https://www.mauicounty.gov  

To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or [email protected]   

 

Hawai‘i County:
Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage:
https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/travel 

Critical infrastructure and medical travel request: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c 
To report violators: 808-935-3311 

 

City & County of Honolulu: 
Honolulu COVID-19 webpage: oneoahu.org 

COVID-19 Vaccine Information: https://www.oneoahu.org/vaccine

 

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest March 8, 2021