COVID-19 Assessment for Oahu

Mayor Kirk Caldwell today announced that the City and County of Honolulu’s COVID-19 weekly assessment stood at 84 cases with a test positivity rate of 2.5% (7-day averages). These assessments reflect the 7-day average reported by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health each Wednesday, which calculates the numbers reported in a 7-day period from the previous Thursday to the current Wednesday.

Under these metrics, O‘ahu remains in Tier 2 of Honolulu’s COVID-19 Recovery Framework. Under Tier 2, social gatherings are limited to no more than five individuals.

“Today is Thanksgiving, a day where traditionally families and friends come together in large groups to share a meal, watch football, maybe even take a nap, then eat again,” said Mayor Caldwell. “Please remember to keep your Thanksgiving celebration limited to those in your household or no more than five people. Every week, the United States is setting new records in Coronavirus cases, and yesterday we surpassed 260,000 COVID-19 related deaths in America. This pandemic has taken a tremendous toll, mentally, physically, and economically, and while we can’t celebrate this holiday in all the ways we’d like, this isn’t permanent; so hang in there and persevere. There’s still so much to be thankful for right now and so much to look forward to in the coming months. The best way you can show how thankful you are for your loved ones this Thanksgiving and holiday season is by keeping them safe.”

Honolulu’s COVID-19 Recovery Framework sets the criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on businesses and activities on O‘ahu while trying to aggressively reduce coronavirus transmission to protect residents and mitigate the current burden on our local healthcare system. The plan rests on four tiers. Each tier is based on the level of community spread of COVID-19, which is determined by: (1) the number of daily cases reported and (2) the positivity rate, using 7-day averages over a two-week period. 

The full document laying out the framework for business/operation sectors allowed to resume operations in each tier can be viewed on Honolulu.gov.

In order to advance to the next tier, the City must:

(1)                  have been in the current tier for at least four consecutive weeks; AND

(2)                  meet the First Metric criteria for that next tier for two consecutive (and most recent) Weekly Assessments; AND

(3)                  meet the Second Metric criteria for that next tier for two consecutive (and most recent) Weekly Assessments.

The City may only move forward one tier at a time.

If, for two consecutive Weekly Assessments, the data for the First Metric indicates the City should be in a lower tier, the City falls back into that tier. The City may move backward more than one tier at a time.

For more information on the City’s Reopening Strategy, visit OneOahu.org.