State health officials announced Monday three more Hawaii residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the state’s death toll to 22.
Two of the deaths occurred over the weekend, while the other occurred earlier this month but was not confirmed as being related to COVID-19 until Monday.
Over the weekend, a Kauai resident died while in Arizona, according to the COVID-19 Joint Information Center said Monday. The elderly man had been receiving treatment for several months for underlying medical conditions in Arizona prior to his death.
On Sunday morning, a woman who had previously been a resident of a care home died at an Oahu hospital, the center said.
On Monday, the state Department of Health’s Disease Outbreak Control Division announced it had confirmed the July 7 death of an elderly Oahu man who had underlying medical conditions was tied to COVID-19. Health officials said the death was added after a review of the man’s health history and discussions with his primary care physician.
“We all extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of these three people. The best tribute to their lives and to the lives of all 22 people who’ve lost the fight against coronavirus, is getting everyone in Hawaii to take personal responsibility for their own health and the health of everyone around them,” State Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said in a prepared statement.
The announcement of the deaths comes after a weekend in which the state saw it’s greatest single day number of reported cases at 42 on Saturday. The state said most of the 86 additional cases recorded since Friday are associated with “community-spread.”
Some 44 cases are associated with a training activity at Hawaiian Airlines, in which a person infected during these meetings, is linked to a cluster of 20 cases involving two Oahu gyms, according to the center.
“This clearly shows how easily and quickly this virus can spread from person-to-person and from place-to-place when people are not practicing physical distancing, not wearing masks, not staying home when sick, and possibly not washing their hands frequently and thoroughly,” according to State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park,
Also Monday, the state announced 23 new cases of COVID-19, including one on the Big Island, bringing the state’s total case count to 1,243.
Nineteen of the new cases were on Oahu while the Big Island and Maui each reported one new case, according to the COVID-19 Joint Information Center. Two cases were diagnosed among residents who were traveling outside the state.
To date, Oahu has recorded 942 positive tests, followed by Maui County with 135 cases, Hawaii County with 102 and Kauai County with 43.
Of the Hawaii residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, 911 of those cases have since recovered and been released from isolation. That includes 92 of the 102 cases on Hawaii Island.
Statewide, 128 patients have required hospitalization, including three 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.
