Island adds 5 COVID cases, O’ahu adds 37

The State is reporting 42 new cases of COVID-19, 5 on the Big Island and 37 on O’ahu.  Kaua’i County has not had a new case since Sept. 26, and Maui County’s last positive case addition–of 2–was Oct. 6.

The State now has a total of 13,514 cases of COVID-19, and the number of active cases is around 2,564.

The number of deaths the state is reporting is 169, but that counts only 15 of the Big Island’s 37 deaths.

The Big Island now has a total of 953 cases, with around 202 active cases.

Thursday is the date on which travelers coming in from out of state may take a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to boarding their final flight from the mainland to Hawaii (ie not before beginning their trip if they have connecting flights), and if they present a negative test, may avoid the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Mayor Harry Kim has said he plans to provide a second, antigen test at the Kona Airport for incoming trans-Pacific travelers, but his office has not yet released any written guidelines.  Questions remain whether the pre-testing will apply to interisland travelers so they may avoid quarantine, and whether there will also be the second test option at Hilo Airport for travelers coming in trans Pacific and then transferring to a Hilo-bound flight.

In the State House Select Committee on COVID-19 briefing today, Gen. Kenneth Hara of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said he does not have the answers to those questions as the Governor has delegated that responsibility to Mayor Kim.   Speaker Scott Saiki said the Attorney General’s office has been working to finalize the new rules and they should be out later today.

The State’s noon report: