HomeMy WebLinkAbout20211227MODEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: December 27, 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 42 new
cases of COVID-19 on Dec. 27
LĪHU‘E – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office announced 42 new
cases of COVID-19 on Monday, Dec. 27.
“With the combined effects of Omicron, holiday gatherings, and traveling, we expect to see
continued rapid rise in cases on Kaua‘i this week,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer.
“As residents and visitors plan their new year’s celebrations, please plan to wear masks indoors, gather
in small groups, gather outside, and don’t socialize if you are feeling sick. If you test positive for COVID,
please don’t wait to hear from DOH. As soon as you get your test result, isolate yourself at home and
notify your close contacts. With current case counts, DOH case investigators may not be able to call you
as promptly as usual.”
Today’s cases consist of 13 visitors and 29 residents. Of the 42 new cases, five are children and
37 are adults. Twenty-three of the cases are related to travel – 14 mainland and nine interisland. The
remaining 19 cases are considered community-acquired. Eleven of the community-acquired infections
are close contacts of a previously announced case or are tied to an active cluster. The remaining eight
cases have no known source of infection, including four whom investigators have been unable to reach
after repeated attempts or who have refused to provide information.
Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 248, with four hospitalized, and 3,678
cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 3,611 confirmed locally, eight probable, and
59 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on
island.
DOH contact tracing and more info:
Cases are rapidly rising on Kaua‘i, likely due to the Omicron variant, and cases are expected to
continue to rise. The Department of Health case investigators and contact tracers call all new cases,
generally within a day or two of a positive test.
If you test positive for COVID, there is no need to wait to hear from the Department of Health
before taking the following actions:
• Isolate yourself at home,
• Stay in a separate room and ask others to bring you meals,
• Do not socialize with your family,
• Wear your mask when you leave your room,
• Let those you’ve been in contact with know that they’ve been exposed,
• Your close contacts should quarantine and plan to be tested,
• If you require medical care, please call your healthcare provider and let them know you tested
positive.
• If you need urgent medical care, call 911 and let dispatchers know that you are positive.
If you have symptoms, are feeling sick, you should isolate yourself immediately, stay away from
household members, and not go out – including to work, school, and holiday celebrations or services –
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.
In observance of the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, staffing will be reduced at the
Kaua‘i District Health Office during those holiday weekends.
Most reported cases are in residents who were infected in the community. Everyone, vaccinated
or not, must follow Hawai‘i’s indoor mask requirements and gathering size limits. In addition, if you plan
to travel, please be vaccinated before you go, and get tested three to five days after you return to
Kaua‘i. 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.
Links to home-isolation/quarantine guidelines from DOH:
• https://hawaiicovid19.com/testing-isolation-quarantine/
• https://hawaiicovid19.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Summary-Guidance-for-COVID-19-
Cases-and-Contacts.pdf
• https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/files/2021/08/What-To-Do-If-You-Have-
Been-Tested-For-COVID-19.pdf
Vaccine info:
Vaccination remains the most important action each of us can take to slow and prevent the
spread of disease in our community. Vaccinations are available to anyone 5 years of age or older and are
free, safe, and effective.
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 5 years of age and older, and is currently available at Wilcox Medical Center, Kaua‘i Veterans
Memorial Hospital (KVMH), and Kaiser Permanente Līhu‘e Clinic.
The pop-up clinic and hospital van are open to everyone 12 and older. For details on the
vaccination sites, visit www.kauai.gov/vaccine.
Testing info:
If you traveled off-island, get tested three to five days after you return home.
The Convention Hall’s testing center’s normal operations and free testing is available weekdays,
from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., closed Friday, Dec. 31 in observation of New Year’s. If there is a wait, you will
receive a ticket with a time to return for your test. Arrive anytime the clinic is open to receive a timed
ticket; no need to arrive early.
Additionally, a free mobile testing van is normally available for walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at
the Kekaha Neighborhood Center on Wednesdays, Kīlauea Neighborhood Center on Thursdays, and the
Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a on Sundays. The testing clinics normally open in Kalāheo on
Fridays and Hanalei on Saturdays will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 in observation of New Year’s, and will
reopen the following week.
Testing performed at the Convention Hall and through the mobile testing van is rapid PCR.
Same-day results are sent via email.
Free drive-thru testing is also available daily at Līhu‘e Pharmacy Group, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They will be closed on Jan. 1, 2022. Appointments are required. For an appointment, register online at
AlohaClear.com or call (808) 635-4968.
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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