Hawaii Daily COVID-19 Update: 9/14

Linda Hohnholz - editor

Hawaii Daily COVID-19 update of coronavirus reports and statistics from government departments as of Monday, September 14, 2020 in the Aloha State.

Lieutenant Governor’s Office 

Update on LG’s Office COVID-19 Exposure 

As Lt. Gov. Josh Green self-isolates at home, a second deputy sheriff assigned to his security detail has tested positive for COVID-19. LG Green received a positive coronavirus test on Friday after the first deputy received a positive test earlier in the day. 

Office employees were immediately sent home and are all following DOH guidance and quarantining. All 11 employees have been tested with one result coming back as negative and the others are pending results. Additionally, employees of a local radio station who met with the LG on Friday have been contacted by DOH investigators for further guidance. 

The Lieutenant Governor’s Office on the 5th floor of the State Capitol was cleaned on Saturday and the office will remain closed until further notice and clearance from DOH. Lt. Gov. Green is asymptomatic and will continue to work remotely from home, as will all of his staff. 

Department of Health: 

80 New Cases Today 

DOH is reporting no new deaths from COVID-19; however, a total of 25 deaths associated with a positive coronavirus result are still pending receipt of records, and ten (10) of these deaths are pending a final Medical Examiner report. This is the second time in a week where the number of new cases statewide has dropped into the double-digits. Last Tuesday, DOH reported 65 new cases and today is reporting 80 cases. Please note that following weekends, and lower testing numbers, case counts tend to be lower as well. 

 Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Sept.14, 2020     

Island of Diagnosis     New Cases     Reported since      2/28/2020      (including new cases)   
O‘ahu     70 9,723 
Hawai‘i     7 594 
Maui    1 363 
Kaua‘i    0 58 
Moloka‘i     2 15 
Lānaʻi 0 0 
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI    0 26 
Total Cases     80 10,779++ 
Deaths     0 99 

++As the result of updated information, one case from O‘ahu was removed from the counts and one case from O‘ahu was recategorized to Maui. 

Hospitalization count as of 9/11/20 at 3:36 pm: 15-Hawai‘i, 22-Maui, 188-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i   

Laboratory* Testing Data     

There were 11,868 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting since last Friday.  

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories     Positive Negative 
261,907** 10,779 251,105 
Total Number of Surge Tests++   
45,343 267 45,076 

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting **23 test results were inconclusive     

++ Tests results from unique individuals. Total numbers may be higher due to repeat tests on single individuals. 

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020 Report 

Two deaths were reported, both on O‘ahu, both had underlying medical conditions and had been hospitalized. A man, in the 50 to 59-year-old age group, and a woman in the 70 to 79-year-old age group are the latest people to pass from coronavirus. 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Sept.13, 2020     

Island of Diagnosis     New Cases     Reported since      2/28/2020      (including new cases)   
O‘ahu     96 9,654 
Hawai‘i     16 587 
Maui    2 362 
Kaua‘i    0 58 
Moloka‘i     0 13 
Lānaʻi 0 0 
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI    0 26 
Total Cases     114 10,700++ 
Deaths     2 99 

++As the result of updated information, one case from Hawai‘i and one case from O‘ahu were removed from the counts, and 24 cases initially classified as non-Hawai‘i residents. 

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 Report 

One death was reported on O‘ahu. This was a woman in the 30 to 39-year-old age group with underlying health conditions who had been hospitalized.  

 Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Sept.12, 2020     

Island of Diagnosis     New Cases     Reported since      2/28/2020      (including new cases)   
O‘ahu     115 9,559 
Hawai‘i     10 572 
Maui    6 360 
Kaua‘i    0 58 
Moloka‘i     0 13 
Lānaʻi 0 0 
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI    0 26 
Total Cases     131 10,588++ 
Deaths     1 97 

++As the result of updated information, two cases from O‘ahu were removed from the counts. 

Hawaiicovid19.com 

For more tables, charts and visualizations visit the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division:https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii 

Department of Health:  

Everyone Urged to Get a Flu Shot   

During the COVID-19 pandemic, taking steps to prevent influenza is more important than ever. The flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. DOH is urging all eligible individuals to get a flu shot by the end of October. Immunization Branch Chief Ron Balajadia said, “Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden on our health care system due to flu-related illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths. Getting your flu shot helps conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19.”  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone over 6-months old. Vaccinations of high-risk individuals, including young children, pregnant women, people 65 and older, and those with certain chronic health conditions, is particularly important to decrease the risk of severe flu illnesses. In the U.S.,from Oct. 1, 2019 to April 4, 2020, there were between 410,000 and 740,000 flu hospitalizations and between 24,000 and 62,000 flu deaths. Remember, flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea; similar to symptoms seen with COVID-19.  

In addition to getting vaccinated, DOH encourages everyone to continue frequent handwashing or to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Physical distancing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and staying home from work, school and social gatherings when sick, are every bit as important for preventing the flu as for the coronavirus. 

“We can prevent both influenza and COVID-19 together by continuing to follow safe practices to prevent the spread of germs,” added Balajadia. “Remember to also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and to frequently clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects like doorknobs, light switches and cell phones.” To view more: https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/department-of-health-urges-everyone-to-get-a-flu-shot/ 

Department of Public Safety: 

PSD reports 1 new positive OCCC staff test result received. There are no new inmate test results. The number of recovered PSD staff has increased to 58. 

PSD was notified that a deputy sheriff assigned to Ka‘ahumanu Hale (Circuit Court Section on O‘ahu) reported a positive test result. The deputy last worked on 9/8/20. PSD staff working in that section were notified and encouraged to contact their health care providers if they have any questions about possible exposure. PSD notified the Judiciary as well as DOH for contact tracing. 

For more information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19, testing data, and information detailing the efforts made to safeguard inmates, staff and the public, visit: http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/. 

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:  

State Announces CARES Act Unemployment Insurance Reimbursement Availability  

DLIR announced the availability of funds to reimburse state and local government entities and certain non-profits for unemployment insurance benefits Monday. The CARES Act provides emergency funds to help mitigate economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing these organizations up to 50% reimbursement of benefits charges for weeks of unemployment between March 13, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. Only nonprofit employers that make payment in lieu of contributions are eligible for the reimbursement.  

DLIR will use a staggered schedule to implement the reimbursement by posting notice in the employer portal and making available requests for reimbursement by a “Request for Reimbursement – CARES Act Refund.” The staggered requests for reimbursement become available on the following dates for the months of March through August:  

  • September 15 – March  
  • September 16 – April  
  • September 17 – May  
  • September 18 – June  
  • September 21 – July  
  • September 22 – August 

    For September, October, November and December the notice will appear on or about the 5th workday of the month following benefit charges. For the upcoming months eligible employers will not need to pay the full amount of benefits up front as the reimbursement request will show the reimbursement and credit in the account after submittal. Eligible employers may offset new benefit charges with the reimbursement and request credits through the portal. The department will automatically administer the process, so no action is required of employers. To view more: http://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/category/news/  

Helpful Resources 

Previous Hawaii Daily COVID-19 information.

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