Hawaii reports 1,263 new COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 1,263 new COVID-19 infections over the past week, bringing the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 382,833.

Four more deaths were also reported, bringing the state’s coronavirus-related death toll to 1,858.

The state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, meanwhile, was reported at 122 a day, nearly double the 66 a day reported on March 22. The state’s average positivity rate was at 8.9% compared with 5.2% reported on March 22.

The seven-day average is based on an earlier set of seven days (March 18 to 24) than the week-over-week infection count (March 21 to 27) because cases from the most recent three days may not have been reported yet.

Actual numbers are also estimated to be several times higher since these figures do not include unreported home test kit results.

The number of cases per 100,000 people in the state was at 8.6, up from 5.1 the previous week.

By island, there were 919 new cases reported on Oahu, 129 on Hawaii island, 119 on Maui, 87 on Kauai and five on Molokai. Four infections were reported for Hawaii residents out of state.

To date, 78.7% of Hawaii’s total population has completed the primary series of COVID vaccinations, according to the Health Department. A total of 301,428 residents, representing about 27% of the state’s eligible population, have received the updated bivalent booster.

There are 53 patients with COVID in Hawaii hospitals today, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, with six in intensive care. The average over the past seven days has been 52 patients a day, up from 44 a day the previous week.

The jumps in case counts and percent positivity are concerning, according to Tim Brown, an infectious disease expert from East-West Center in Manoa, during this morning’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream conversation.

Brown said it is concerning because it is a rapid increase, but had no explanation for the jump, and that it’s important to watch trends in the next few weeks.

“COVID is still out there,” said Brown. “It’s at a fairly high level in our community.”

He urged caution for residents who are older or immunocompromised and said they should ask their doctors for Paxlovid right away should they test positive for COVID.

According to DOH’s latest variant report, XBB.1.5 makes up at least 79% of variants circulating in the state, based on sequencing results of test specimens. XBB.1.5 is also dominant in the U.S.

Another variant, XBB.1.9.1, is now being tracked separately, and makes up about 7% of variants circulating in the state, the report said.