Big Island reports 131 new COVID cases, 1 additional coronavirus-related death

The Big Island’s COVID-19 case tally neared 8,000 Friday with 131 new coronavirus cases reported on the state’s southernmost island.

Hawaii health officials reported 865 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional coronavirus-related deaths across the state. With the new cases, the state’s tally reached 65,890 and the Big Island’s tally 7,998.

According to the DOH, 11,257 new cases have been reported in Hawaii in the past 14 days, including 1,823 on the Big Island. There has been an average of 869.6 new cases the past seven days statewide with the Big Island averaging 123.3 cases per day.

Hawaii County Friday had a seven-day test positivity rate of 8.2%, still above the state’s 7.5% positivity rate.

On Friday, 66 people with COVID-19 remained hospitalized on the Big Island. None of the island’s 24 ICU beds were available with 14 of the beds occupied by COVID-positive patients. Twelve of those 14 COVID patients are on ventilators.

Seven new coronavirus-related deaths were reported Friday, five on Oahu and one each on the Big Island and Maui County. Of the 613 deaths confirmed and reported by the state to date, 471 were on Oahu, 74 were in Maui County, 61 were on the Big Island and three on Kauai. Four deaths were among residents outside the state.