Hawaii state health officials announced Friday they confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Hawaii County, three days after local officials announced the Big Island had no active cases.
Still, the state has not seen more than four new cases per day for the last month. Due to the dwindling number of new cases, state officials are starting to reopen the economy while maintaining quarantine mandates for incoming travelers.
The Big Island diagnosis Friday took the cumulative state infection count to 638. According to state data, it appears the patient has been hospitalized.
The majority of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have been released from isolation after it was determined they no longer have the virus — 565 people to date — and most of those diagnosed have not needed hospitalization.

The state’s coronavirus death toll remained at 17 on Friday, including 11 deaths on Oahu and five on Maui.
Since the wave of infection began to be documented by health officials in early March, there have been 414 diagnosed on Oahu, 117 in Maui County, 76 on Hawaii island, and 21 in Kauai County, according to the Department of Health.
Another 10 Hawaii residents were diagnosed out of state.
No new hospitalizations were reported. To date, 81 people have required hospitalization, including some on the mainland. The Department of Health does not provide data how many people are currently hospitalized and how many have been discharged.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates.
Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed.
It's our job to make sense of it all.
The decisions shaping Hawaiʻi are happening right now, which is why it’s so important that everyone has access to the facts behind them.
By giving to our spring campaign TODAY, your gift will help support our vital work, including today’s legislative reporting and upcoming elections coverage.
About the Author
-
Eleni Avendaño, who covers public health issues, is a corps member with Report for America , a national nonprofit organization that places journalists in local newsrooms. Her health care coverage is also supported by the McInerny Foundation, the Atherton Family Foundation , the George Mason Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation , and Papa Ola Lokahi . You can reach her by email at egill@civilbeat.org or follow her on Twitter at @lorineleni.