Hawaii Daily COVID-19 Update: 1/19

3 years ago3 years ago Linda Hohnholz - editor

Hawaii Daily COVID-19 update of coronavirus reports and statistics from government departments as of Tuesday, January 19, 2021 in the Aloha State.

Governor’s Office:

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update

At a news briefing today, Governor Ige gave an update on Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The governor emphasized that the state is moving as quickly as possible with the distribution process and reminded everyone that Hawai‘i is constrained by federal allocation of the vaccine. Gov. Ige said, “We are in a situation where the demand for the vaccine exceeds our supply. We are happy there is high demand for the vaccine and will ensure that we are using all of the doses allocated to Hawai‘i.” He also added, “Until the vaccine is widely administered, I am asking everyone to maintain our vigilance and continue the safe practices that have made Hawaiʻi a leader in containing the spread of COVID-19: wearing masks, washing hands and watching your distance. By doing this, and getting vaccinated when it’s our turn, we can protect public health, revive the economy, and strengthen our communities.”

Lt. Governor’s Office:

COVID-19 Case Counts, Number of Vaccine Doses Arriving in Hawaii

At the same briefing, Lt. Governor Josh Green gave an update on Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 case count, saying the state currently has a seven-day average daily case count of 122.3, and a 2.54% positivity rate. Hospitalization numbers have also dropped from 105 to 95.

Regarding vaccine distribution, LG Green added that DOH received more than 58,000 vaccine doses last week and is expecting roughly 33,400 doses to come in by Thursday. Dr. Elizabeth Char, DOH director, said that 19,000 of those doses are ‘first-time’ doses, the rest are ‘second’ doses. Green said, “We have been completing roughly 18,000 first doses each week. Those numbers will increase with the distribution set-ups we have. Over the weekend a successful point of distribution (POD) at UH vaccinated roughly 600 people” The lieutenant governor also asked that people step aside to let kupuna and frontline workers receive their vaccinations first. He added that the state hopes to vaccinate everyone in Phase 1a and 1b by the end of February 2021. The first phase includes:

50,000 healthcare workers and 10,000 kupuna in care homes in Phase 1a.
109,000 kupuna 75+ years of age and 50,000 frontline workers in Phase 2b.
148,000 individuals 65+ years of age in Phase 1c.

Department of Health:

Hawaii COVID-19 Data

65 COVID-19 Cases and Two Deaths Reported

DOH reports 65 new cases of coronavirus today and two (2) additional deaths, raising the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 324.

Deaths:

Oʻahu

1 woman, 90-99 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

1 man, 80-89 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

This report includes cases up until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control website at noon each day at hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	45	20,018
Hawai‘i	6	2,088
Maui	9	1,487
Kaua‘i	0	175
Moloka‘i	0	25
Lānaʻi	0	106
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	5	647
Total Cases	65	25,546++
Deaths	2	324

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 1/15//21 – Hawai‘i-5, Maui-12, O‘ahu-91, Kaua’i‘-0

++ As a result of updated information, one case from O‘ahu was removed from the counts.

Department of Public Safety:

Inmate and Staff Testing Continues

The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) reports 10 more inmates recovered over the holiday weekend. That drops the total active inmate cases to 63 and increases total inmate recoveries to 480. There are six (6) hospitalized HCF inmates. Of the 24 HCF staff results reported over the weekend one (1) was positive and 23 were negative. There was one (1) HCF staff recovery reported today. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) reported 21 negative inmate results. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

PSD CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

7,365 Passengers Arrive on Monday

Yesterday, a total of 7,365 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 3,161 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,498 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system.

To view more: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/

Department of Land and Natural Resources:

Another Large Beach Gathering Where Most Were in Violation of COVID Rules

Saturday night, DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officers broke up a gathering of an estimated 200 people at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline in east O’ahu. No one was arrested or cited as officers concentrated on getting people out of the park prior to a planned bonfire.

Following this incident and numerous others, in State parks during the coronavirus pandemic, DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla had this stern warning. “People are putting themselves and others at risk of getting seriously ill or even dying from COVID-19 by attending any of these so-called ‘super spreader’ events.” Few if any of the participants were wearing masks and no one appeared to be practicing social distancing.

Under current COVID rules on O’ahu, it’s illegal to gather in groups of more than five. At all times, large gatherings in any State park is against the law without a permit from the DLNR Division of State Parks. A bar table was set up at Kaiwi. Alcohol is prohibited in all State parks as is having open fires on a beach.

Sections and entire State parks on Maui and Kaua’i have been closed during the pandemic after repeated warnings to large semi-organized groups of beach goers to stop breaking the laws and rules. Anyone who sees suspected illegal activity in State Parks, small boat harbors, or on trails and forests under DLNR jurisdiction is urged to call 643-DLNR or use the free DLNRTip app.

Helpful Resources

Trusted Testing and Travel Partners:

The state of Hawai‘i only accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners. For the full list of domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county, international and airline partners or information on how to become a Trusted Testing Partner, go to: