60 unrecorded COVID-19 deaths in Hawaii surface

“Our close inspection of death certificates not only revealed 60 previously unreported deaths. It also uncovered flaws that led to delays in the current reporting system,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, responding to the just confirmed previously unreported COVID-19 deaths in Hawaii.

“We are implementing changes to the process that will improve the timeliness of COVID-19 death reporting,” Dr. Char said.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has identified and confirmed these 60 previously unreported COVID-19 related deaths that have been linked to the coronavirus after a thorough review of the DOH Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).

These deaths occurred in August through December 2020 with 51 deaths reported on O‘ahu, 6 on Hawai‘i, and 3 on Maui. Despite these newly-identified deaths, Hawaii’s COVID-19 death rate remains among the lowest in the United States.

A COVID-19 related death may not be identified by DOH if the individual passes away after their monitoring period with DOH has been completed and their healthcare provider did not report the death. Unreported deaths can be identified by EDRS if the underlying cause is listed as COVID-19 on the death certificate. However, reviewing death certificates can be a time-intensive process resulting in significant lags.