State health officials announced 19 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the Hawaii’s total case count to 1,311.
Sixteen of the new cases were Oahu while the other three cases are pending investigation, according to the COVID-19 Joint Information Center.
“Community coronavirus spread, particularly on Oahu, continues to be responsible for the majority of new COVID-19 cases. Many cases have been linked to social gatherings where face masks and physical distancing was not consistently used,” the center said.
To date, Oahu has recorded 1,002 positive tests, followed by Maui County with 135 cases, Hawaii County with 107 and Kauai County with 43.
Of the Hawaii residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, 975 of those cases have since recovered and been released from isolation. That includes 97 of the 107 cases on Hawaii Island.
Statewide, 138 patients have required hospitalization, including four on Hawaii Island.
Of the 22 deaths reported to date among Hawaii residents, 15 were on Oahu, six were on Maui and one was a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.
Meanwhile Thursday, the state Department of Transportation announced it has selected NEC Corporation, NEC Corporation of America and its partner, Infrared Cameras Inc., to provide thermal temperature screening and facial imaging technology at Hawaii’s public airports to identify passengers with a potentially elevated body temperature.
“Taking these steps to implement the technology at our airports shows our commitment to providing preventative measures against COVID-19 for the community,” said Gov. David Ige in a prepared statement. “We recognize that temperature screening won’t catch every infected passenger, but it is an available tool that can be implemented and combined with the additional measures the State is providing to help prevent the spread of this virus, while helping to rebuild the economy.”
The contract costs $37.5 million, which includes $23.3 million for equipment and installation and a 10-year maintenance plan of $1.42 annually.
The thermal temperature screening equipment will be installed immediately at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Kahului Airport (OGG), Lihue Airport (LIH), Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) and Hilo International Airport (ITO). Temperature scanners will be installed this month at the gates currently being used for arriving trans-Pacific flights and at all remaining gates within the coming weeks. Facial imaging equipment will be installed by Dec. 31.
On Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, 2,287 people arrived in Hawaii including 498 visitors and 825 returning residents via 24 arriving flights. One flight carrying 110 people came to Kona with 59 residents, 41 visitors, four people relocating to Hawaii and six crew members.