Delta variant, increased travel behind recent surge in COVID infections in Hawaii

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Lieutenant Governor Josh Green renews the call for people to hide.

He also urges the public to avoid all gatherings for the next two weeks. The warnings come after the state reported 243 new COVID infections on Thursday, the highest daily case count since early January.

At a press briefing, health officials called the number of cases a “wake-up call” and predicted that the outbreak would get worse if more people were not vaccinated, as the delta la variant. more transmissible spreads rapidly in the community.

“Last year the blow after July 4 was a small blow and went away very quickly,” said Dr Janet Berreman, Kauai District Health Officer in the Department of Health. “This year, after July 4, we are seeing a rapid and exponential increase. And it shows no sign of abating. “

State health officials say that while the holidays have contributed to the recent increase in COVID cases, two other factors play a much bigger role: the Delta variant and the increase in travel.

“It’s largely by residents who travel to the mainland and return home,” Berreman said.

Green says 78% of all recent cases have been transmitted by the community.

“Twenty percent came from our own returning residents who were not vaccinated and who caught COVID,” he added. “Two percent were among vacationers.”

On Thursday morning, Green urged the public to take extra precautions.

“I think it’s a good time for everyone to take a two week break and just be quiet. Regardless of the number allowed for gatherings. Regardless of people’s desire to maybe have outdoor gatherings, ”he said. “Now is the time to spend two quiet weeks and let those numbers settle in.”

The virus is also spread among children and adolescents.

Of the 243 cases as of Thursday, 27% were among those under the age of 18.

The state health department did not have information on how many of these children were under 12 and therefore ineligible for the vaccine.

“The disease is not confined to any particular type of environment or to any particular geographic location in our state,” Berreman said. “We are witnessing widespread community transmission. Associated with this we see clusters which are also widely distributed. “

But there is something that the vast majority of these cases have in common.

“These are unvaccinated people who don’t wear masks inside. And it’s unvaccinated people who travel, ”said Brooks Baehr, spokesperson for the Department of Health.

Health officials say the public has the power to slow the spread of the virus.

“Our vaccines are very effective against the delta variant,” said Dr. Edward Desmond, head of the state laboratories division.

Berreman added: “The most important result is that anyone who has not already been vaccinated should do so as soon as possible. The situation is really urgent.

The vaccines are available at pharmacies and elsewhere throughout the state. Anyone aged 12 and over can get the photo for free.

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