HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210802MODEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: August 2, 2021
COUNTY OF KAUA‘I
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
SARAH K. BLANE, CHIEF OF STAFF
(808) 241-4900
Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office announces 5 new cases of COVID-19
on Aug. 2
LĪHU‘E – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported five new
cases of COVID-19 on Monday, Aug. 2.
Today’s cases consist of four residents and one visitor. Of the five new cases, three are adults
and two are children. Four of the cases are related to travel – three mainland and one interisland. The
remaining case is considered community-acquired and is not a close contact of a previously announced
case. This case has no known source of infection.
All active cases are in isolation, and close contacts are being identified, offered testing, and
directed to quarantine. Investigations are ongoing.
“With our keiki back in schools, our most effective tools to make this school year a success are
vaccines and masks,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer. “Even though children
younger than 12 are not yet eligible, vaccinating adults and children 12 and older goes a long way
towards stopping the spread and protecting those young children. Additionally, If you or your student is
sick, please do not go to school. Stay home and call your doctor to get tested. Please don’t risk getting
your student’s classmates and their families sick.”
Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 56, with two hospitalized, and 621 cumulative
cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 570 confirmed locally, six probable, and 45 positive cases
diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.
If you have symptoms or are feeling sick, you should isolate yourself immediately, stay away
from household members, and not go out – including to work or school – unless you are seeking testing
or getting health care. Those who have been vaccinated should still be tested if they believe they may
have been exposed or if they feel sick.
The Kaua‘i District Health Office team continues to investigate thoroughly every case reported
on Kaua‘i. Staff interviews everyone who tests positive to get information about how they may have
become infected and who they may have exposed during their infectious period. Each person who is
identified as a close contact is called by one of our contact tracers, and notified of their exposure. They
are instructed to monitor for symptoms, and are offered testing. All unvaccinated close contacts are
instructed to quarantine. KDHO staff is in daily contact with cases and close contacts for the duration of
their isolation or quarantine periods. This is a labor-intensive but effective core public health approach
to disease control, and we are fortunate to have been able to continue robust case investigation and
contact tracing.
Many cases are in residents who have traveled. If you plan a trip, please be vaccinated before
you go. And whether or not you are vaccinated, follow Hawai‘i’s prudent rules and wear a mask in
crowded indoor settings. Finally, please get tested 3 to 5 days after you return to Kaua‘i.
Vaccination is free and widely available on the island, including on weekends and evenings and
pop-up vaccination opportunities at community sites. Many vaccination sites accept walk-ins. Residents
aged 18 and older are eligible for any vaccine available at pharmacy, hospital, and clinic locations. The
Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in those 12 years of age and older, and are currently available
at Wilcox Medical Center, Līhu‘e Longs, and Līhu‘e Safeway. For details on the vaccination sites, visit
www.kauai.gov/vaccine.
Free testing is available at the Convention Hall, weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on a first-
come, first-served basis. Additionally, a free mobile testing van is available for walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center on Wednesdays, Kīlauea Neighborhood Center on Thursdays,
Kalāheo Neighborhood Center on Fridays, Hanalei Neighborhood Center on Saturdays, and Kapa‘a
Neighborhood Center on Sundays. Testing performed at the Convention Hall and through the mobile
testing van is rapid PCR. Same-day results are sent via email.
Testing is also available through your primary care physician, a hospital, or an urgent care clinic.
Please contact those providers directly for more information. For more details, visit
https://www.kauai.gov/covidtest.
For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit www.kauai.gov/COVID-19.
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