Hawaii Island COVID-19 case count increases by one; five hospitalized in Kona

Hawaii Island reported one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the island’s total case count to 1,558.

The new Hawaii Island cases were among 108 new cases reported across the state by the Department of Health bringing the total case tally to 17,501 since Feb. 28. Oahu reported 93 new cases while Maui reported five and Kauai one. Eight residents tested positive for the virus while outside the state.

Statewide, 69 people were hospitalized Wednesday morning, including five on Hawaii Island. Two of those Hawaii Island patients were receiving treatment at Kona Community Hospital, with one in “med surg” acute care unit and the other in the intensive care unit. Neither was using a ventilator.

To date, 1,269 people have required hospitalization, including 75 on Hawaii Island.

Also Wednesday, the state reported two new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the death toll to 235. The first was a man from Honolulu in his 70s and the other was a man over age 80 from Kauai.

Of the 235 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed and reported by the state to date, 183 were on Oahu, 17 were on Maui, 32 were on Hawaii Island and one on Kauai. One death was among a Kauai resident receiving treatment in Arizona at the time he died.

Hawaii County Civil Defense has reported a total of 49 coronavirus-related fatalities on Hawaii Island. The state has yet to confirm 17 of the deaths reported to date on Hawaii Island and has not responded to repeated requests for information on pending cases.

Twenty-seven of the deaths were among residents of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo and five were at Kona Community Hospital.