New COVID: Hawaii Island 3, O’ahu 6

Hawaii County’s case count of COVID-19 has gone up 3 since Tuesday.  The Wednesday, April 22 noon report by State Department of Health says there were 6 new cases statewide; the other 3 are on O’ahu.

Today’s statewide total of 592 includes 388 cases on Oahu, 110 in Maui County, 67 on Hawaii island, and 21 in Kauai County, according to health officials.  DOH says 444 people have recovered and been released from isolation, with 63 people needing hospitalization.   On Hawaii Island, 38 have been released from isolation.  According to the DOH, no patients have been hospitalized on Hawaii Island, with 53 hospitalized on O’ahu, 9 on Maui, and 1 on Kaua’i.   The death toll stands at 12.

At least 32 of the Big Island cases are associated with the McDonald’s cluster.  The residences of those affected with COVID-19 are represented on a map provided online by the State Department of Health.  On the island, the map indicates the bulk of the people affected live between Paaoao Bay, just south of Keauhou in south Kona to north of Kiholo (21 to 50 cases).  The second largest group is in the Hilo area (6 to 10 cases) with cases scattered around the island.

Dr. Bruce Anderson, head of the State Department of Health, is scheduled to give an update to the State Senate this afternoon.  He has previously noted that there is a lag between the time a person is tested and the results come back to the Department of Health, since test results take up to 10 days.