Hawaii Daily COVID-19 Update: 1/6

3 years ago3 years ago Linda Hohnholz - editor

Hawaii Daily COVID-19 update of coronavirus reports and statistics from government departments as of Wednesday, January 6, 2021 in the Aloha State.

Department of Health:

Hawaii COVID-19 Data

143 New COVID-19 Cases and Ten (10) Deaths Reported Statewide

Ten (10) COVID-19 deaths were reported today bringing the new statewide death total to 299. The 10 deaths occurred between Nov. 12 and Dec. 19.

Maui

One (1) man, 70-77 yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized

O‘ahu

Three (3) men,60-69 yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized

One (1) man, 60-69 yrs., underlying conditions, died at home

Two (2) men, 70-79 yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized

One (1) man, 80-89 yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized

Two (2) woman, 80-89 yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized

This report includes cases up until Monday 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. 4, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	85	18,499
Hawai‘i	8	1,946
Maui	29	1,119
Kaua‘i	3	153
Moloka‘i	1	23
Lānaʻi	0	106
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	17	464
Total Cases	143	22,310++
Deaths	10	299

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on – Hawai‘i-, Maui-, O‘ahu-, Kaua’i‘-

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

Let’s Get Back to Real Life Campaign Highlights COVID-19 Trials, Tribulations, & Hope

A new campaign to highlight the economic and educational toll that COVID-19 has taken on Hawaiʻi’s students and young adults was revealed by DOH today. The “Let’s Get Back to Real Life” campaign features personal stories from Hawaiʻi’s young people to inspire residents to continue following safe practices, as the state continues its road to economic recovery and residents await their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We recognize that the ongoing pandemic has been hard on Hawaiʻi residents, especially the younger generation who feel there is so much ahead of them and want so much out of life. They feel the pandemic is holding them back,” said Dr. Libby Char, state health director. “These new public service announcements were created with them in mind.”

Public service announcements will air this week through March 7 on broadcast television, cable, radio, digital, social, streaming platforms and in print. Watch them at: https://hawaiicovid19.com/real-life

See the full news release: https://hawaiicovid19.com/new-lets-get-back-to-real-life-campaign-features-young-peoples-covid-19-trials-tribulations-and-hope/

COVID-19 Vaccination Hubs Help Independent Healthcare Providers

As a way to continue to rapidly administer COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers, DOH and the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i are working with hospitals in each county to ensure independent healthcare providers and their staff can obtain the first dosage of their vaccine this month.

Hawai‘i’s hospitals are serving as conveniently located vaccination hubs where independent providers can also obtain their second, follow-up dosage 21 days later. Independent healthcare providers and their staff who have not yet received a vaccination should complete an online survey developed by the DOH at https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/for-clinicians/covid-19-vaccine/

There are vaccinations hub sites in each county. More information here:

COVID-19 vaccination hubs help speed dosages to independent healthcare providers

Launch of AlohaSafe Alert App to Reduce Spread of COVID-19

DOH, in partnership with aio Digital and the Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative (HEC), has launched AlohaSafe Alert, the free State of Hawai‘i officially-approved exposure notification app to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“Masks, distance and vaccines are all valuable tools against COVID-19. The AlohaSafe Alert app is another important tool in the fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Libby Char, state health director. “This innovative app was developed for the community, by the community, and it has the potential to greatly increase the speed of the exposure notification process, allowing anyone who receives an alert to quickly self-quarantine and get tested if needed.”

“AlohaSafe Alert will help to empower our residents to protect themselves, their families, and their community,” said Governor David Ige. “We appreciate the partnership formed between DOH and the private sector to develop this useful tool and help Hawai‘i remain one of the states with the lowest infection rates in the country. I strongly urge everyone to download this free app so they can receive notifications as quickly as possible in the event of an exposure.”

AlohaSafe Alert was first piloted on Lāna‘i and in Hāna on November 17 and expanded to Maui County on December 16. The app has been downloaded more than 14,000 times.

“When Lāna‘i experienced a surge in COVID cases, AlohaSafe Alert was critical in helping us to control the spread,” said Mayor Michael Victorino of Maui County. “Maui County strongly believes these types of technological advances can help us get the upper hand in the fight against COVID-19. We were pleased to pilot the app in our county and hope other communities throughout the state utilize this tool to protect all of our residents.”

Hawaiʻi joins 17 other states and 19 countries in authorizing the Google/Apple Exposure Notification (GAEN) system that uses Bluetooth technology to measure the closeness and duration of signals between enrolled smartphones.

Some key features of AlohaSafe Alert include:

Participants may opt in/out at any time
The app allows smartphones to interact and exchange anonymous codes that are frequently changed, but it does not keep track of any geo-location or GPS data
Only DOH authorities will have access to data, and all data will be kept anonymous
Should you test positive for COVID-19, your identity is kept private from anyone who receives an alert, and their identities are kept private from you
AlohaSafe Alert is interoperable with other similar official notification apps in other states and those apps can also be used by visitors to I Hawai‘i.

To download the free app, go to the Google Play or Apple App Store on your phone. For more information visit https://www.alohasafealert.org/ .

Department of Public Safety:

Inmate and Staff Testing Continues

The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) reported 99 more inmate test results as part of continuous surge testing, of which seven (7) were positive and 92 were negative. The number of hospitalized HCF inmates is five (5). Of the 15 staff results received, 14 were negative and one (1) was positive. The one (1) positive staff member tested positive while out on vacation leave and has not had contact with any staff or inmates. Surge testing, with the assistance of DOH, the Hawai‘i National Guard, and Project Vision Hawai‘i, will continue at HCF until there are no new positive cases at the facility. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center reports 21 negative inmate test results. There was one (1) positive staff result reported. That staff member tested positive while on vacation leave and has not had contact with any staff or inmates. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

PSD CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

8,604 Passengers Arrive on Monday

Yesterday, a total of 8,604 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total of 3,350 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 2,446 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system.

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: