Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest August 12, 2020

Department of Health:

Multiple Clusters Continue Spread of COVID-19 as Death Toll Rises to 38

Community spread of the coronavirus, particularly on O‘ahu, continues to be the primary cause of new infections. Today, of the 202 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19, 197 are on O‘ahu. Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i each had two (2) additional cases, while Maui reported one (1).

There are multiple clusters of infections, including five (5) distinct restaurant clusters; however, each involves a few employees at single locations, and no transmission to customers has been identified at this time. Honolulu Hale is a potential transmission source for 11 cases of illness among City and County of Honolulu personnel, primarily involving workers in a single office. DOH is still investigating. Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson extended condolences to the family and friends of four O‘ahu men, the latest victims of the disease. The deaths of two of the men, both over 60-years-old, were reported yesterday but included in case counts today. The third and fourth deaths reported today are men 40-59 years old, at least one of whom had underlying health conditions. Investigations into all of the deaths are ongoing. The death toll in Hawai‘i from COVID-19 now stands at 38.

https://hawaiicovid19.com/multiple-clusters-continue-spread-of-covid-19/

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

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	197	3,558
Hawai‘i	2	135
Maui	1	189
Kauai	2	51
Moloka‘i	0	2
Lana‘i	0	0
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	0	23
Total Cases	202	3,958
Deaths	4	38

Hospitalization count as of 8/11/20 at 5:30 pm: 1-Hawai‘i, 0-Maui, 131-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i

Laboratory* Testing Data

There were 2,726 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
150,233**	3,958	146,254

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting **21 test results were inconclusive

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

Resources for Employers & Employees if Someone at Work is COVID-19 Positive

These links, the first two from DOH and the second from the Hawai‘i and U.S. Departments of Labor, provide recommendations and information on how to handle workplace infections.

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/files/2020/05/What-to-Do-if-a-Person-at-Your-Worksite-has-COVID-19.pdf

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/faqs/

https://labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh/main/covid-19/

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

2,253 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday

Yesterday, a total of 2,253 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 586 visitors and 773 returning residents. There was a total of 30 arriving flights. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday but does not show interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	18	19	233	3	273
Transit	3	1	135		139
Military			152		152
Exempt			161		161
Relocate to Hawai‘i	18	13	138		169
Returning Resident	85	71	617		773
Visitor	56	33	486	11	586
GRAND TOTAL	180	137	1,922	14	2,253
Flights	4	3	22	1	30

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/5043/081220-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

Hawai‘i State Judiciary:

O‘ahu Family Court Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19

An O‘ahu Family Court employee has tested positive for COVID-19, the Hawai‘i State Judiciary announced Tuesday. It’s the second confirmed positive case of a Judiciary employee. Last week an asymptomatic employee at the South Kohala District Court on Hawai‘i Island tested positive. The O‘ahu employee last worked at the courthouse on Friday, began experiencing symptoms on Saturday, and received the positive test result on Tuesday. All employees who had close, prolonged contact with the affected individual during the pertinent time period last week were sent home to self-quarantine and advised to consult with their medical providers. They will return to work when medically appropriate to do so. Partner agencies have also been informed of the situation.

The Judiciary worked with DOH regarding all appropriate measures of response. Contact tracing and appropriate cleaning have begun. The Kapolei Judiciary Complex, where the Family Court is located, will remain open. The Judiciary has been limiting access to its facilities to those with official court business only. In addition, First Circuit Chief Judge R. Mark Browning issued an order on Monday that increases the number of proceedings to be conducted remotely by video conference or by telephone. This was done in response to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases on O‘ahu. To view more:

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/2020/08/oahu-family-court-employee-tests-positive-for-covid-19

Department of the Attorney General:

Honolulu Taxi Driver Arrested for Quarantine Violation

A 41-year old, Honolulu cabbie, Hassan Yusef Mohamoud was arrested this morning outside of his residence by Special Agents from the Investigations Division of the Dept. of the Attorney General for violating the 14-day mandatory quarantine order.

An anonymous caller reported that Mohamoud, who had an exemption as a taxi driver, was violating his exemption by conducting non-exempt personal business. Yesterday, the final day of his mandatory quarantine period, agents say he went shopping at a windward O‘ahu shopping center. He was booked and charged, and his bail is set at $2,000.

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest August 12, 2020