Three New COVID-19 Infections Confirmed On Oahu

As of Thursday, about 87% of those infected had gotten better.

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Health officials confirmed three more COVID-19 diagnoses Thursday, all on Oahu.

The statewide cumulative case count reached 629, and 87% of those people have gotten better. More than 35,200 people have been tested for the disease in Hawaii.

As of Thursday, Hawaii had the lowest rate of COVID-19 cases per capita in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hawaii may slowly reopen throughout May if new COVID-19 infections continue to stay low. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Health officials in the Aloha State have confirmed about 40 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents — followed by Montana and Alaska.

By comparison, New York — which has experienced one of the most severe outbreaks in the nation — had the highest rate at 1,632 cases per 100,000 residents as of Thursday.

Hawaii has registered 17 deaths to date, including 11 on Oahu and six on Maui. Ten other Hawaii residents have been diagnosed out-of-state, one of whom was hospitalized.

Determining true fatality rates is nearly impossible during an ongoing pandemic. Death rates can be artificially inflated when the true extent of infections is unknown.

Still, the number of deaths that have occurred in Hawaii between March 15 and April 11 is not unusually high when compared to historical averages, according to a New York Times analysis of COVID-19 death tolls across the U.S.

The Department of Health is investigating about 70 active cases of COVID-19 in Hawaii. Department of Health

Hawaii hospitals currently have sufficient bed capacity and ventilators in case of a surge, according to Lt. Gov. Josh Green. Green’s office receives an internal CDC update report, and a spokesperson said Thursday that Hawaii’s mortality rate was 1.2 deaths per 100,000 residents, tied with Wyoming for among the lowest in the nation. Wyoming’s population is about 580,000 people, compared to Hawaii’s 1.4 million.

To date, 74 people have needed hospital care, but DOH does not specify how many people are currently hospitalized.

There have been 408 infections confirmed on Oahu to date, with 384 of those patients recovering, including five new ones reported Thursday. Fifty-four Oahu patients required hospitalization to date, according to the department.

Maui’s cumulative COVID-19 case count remained at 116, Hawaii Island’s at 74, and Kauai’s at 21.

Hawaii Island reported one new recovery on Thursday for a total of 67.

On Maui, 93 people have qualified to be released from isolation and 17 people have been hospitalized.

All 21 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 on Kauai have recovered.

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