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US COVID at 3.3M, deaths 136K, Big Island has concerns

The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard for Tuesday morning, July 14, at 8:03 a.m.:

Worldwide cases: 13,174,741      Worldwide deaths:  574,615

U.S. cases: 3,387,053       U.S. deaths: 135,984   

According to the Dashboard, the reported worldwide cases increased by 189,930 in the last 24 1/2  hours, and 4,420 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported.

According to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, the United States has added 54,368  cases in the last 24 hours, and deaths attributed to COVID-19 have increased by 605.

On the  mainland United States, cases of COVID-19 are growing in 40 states.  Some are increasing at a rate that has alarmed officials so much that several states are pulling back on their reopenings.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a shutdown of bars, indoor dining, movie theaters, and wineries, statewide.  He’s also closing gyms, churches, and nonessential offices in the state’s 29 hardest-hit counties.  The Los Angeles and San Diego school systems have announced they will do only distance learning in the Fall.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has called in help from the U.S. Department of Defense for medical and supplementary hospital help because of the increase in cases.  According to Gov. Abbott’s web site,  the DOD is providing what are called  U.S. Army Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces (UAMTF) to assist the state’s efforts to combat COVID-19.   These teams consist of medical and support professionals deployed to support medical needs in hospitals throughout the state.

In Florida, Miami is called the epicenter of the pandemic in that state, with more than 2,000 patients hospitalized.  The state added more than 20,000 cases over last weekend.  The rate of those testing positive for the coronavirus is 20%.  (By comparison, in Hawaii it’s 3% or less.)

In Hawaii, officials have concerns about the growth of the virus in the state, but also on the mainland.  Governor David Ige has pushed back removing the 14-day travel quarantine on travelers coming in from out of state from August 1 until September 1.  The state has a cumulative 1,243 cases, with 911 released from isolation.  That’s the lowest count in the country, but State Health Director Bruce Anderson said he is concerned about the state’s ability to handle contact tracing if the counts are consistently at 40 or 50 cases in a day.  Recent daily case counts spiked at 42 last week.

According to State Department of Health on Monday, Hawaii Island has 102 cumulative cases with 10 active.

Kona Community Hospital confirmed it has one COVID-19 positive employee who provided direct healthcare, discovered last Friday.  The hospital says it’s testing employees and advising patients who may have been exposed.    One community member said she was advised to get tested after taking a child to the Emergency Room at the hospital for a broken arm, and that she is asymptomatic but tested positive.   As a result, her family and their close contacts are also being tested.   In the Governor’s press conference on Monday, State Health Director Bruce Anderson said the case is still being investigated and looking at others who have reported illness in connection with the case.  He said “I suspect we’re going to be looking at this situation for quite some time.”  He said he expected to be reporting more on the Kona Community Hospital case in the next several days.

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