The state Department of Health (DOH) has announced seven new cases of COVID-19 on Kaua‘i, bringing the total number of active cases here to eight.
All of the seven recent cases are household members of the case that was announced on Thursday. All individuals in the household were tested on Friday and results were returned late Friday night. The new cases have been transferred to an isolation facility.
Other identified contacts of the original case are in quarantine, and trained contact tracing teams, led by DOH, are continuing their inquiry into both the origins and the extent of the new outbreak. At this time, there is no indication that these cases are travel related.
The recent cases bring the island’s total case count to date to 29 cases.
“We expected COVID-19 would return to our island, so this is not a surprise,” stated Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “However, the large number of contacts identified by the investigation is concerning, and it reinforces our need to take measures to protect ourselves and those around us.”
Some of these protective measures include:
• Wear a cloth mask when out in public, especially when near individuals who are not part of your immediate household.
• When interacting with people from outside your household, maintain a distance of 6 feet of separation.
• Stay at home as much as possible.
• Refrain from large social gatherings and public outings.
• Do not leave home if you are sick unless you are seeking medical attention.
Please stay informed during this period. Find local updates at the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency page at www.kauai.gov/COVID-19.
The state Department of Health posts updates and other information at HawaiiCovid19.com.