The state has added 211 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 9,202.  There are at least 6,345 active cases of COVID-19 in the State.  The State Department of Health report lists 79 deaths, though there is at least one man from Hawaii Island not in the official count yet.

Hawaii County has 17 new cases, for a cumulative count of 435, and 226 active cases.  Though the “official” state report shows Hawaii County having lost 3 people to COVID-19, the number is four, all of whom lived at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home in Hilo.

There is an outbreak in Miloli’i of at least 8 and highly likely many more, and state legislators from the Big Island have asked Mayor Harry Kim to restrict access to the fishing village.  The outbreak is apparently coming from a large gathering in Miloli’i  on August 22.  Anybody who was at the gathering or has been close to those who were are urged to get tested.

One person with COVID-19 was admitted to Kona Hospital last night.  The spokesperson for North Hawaii Hospital has said they will only provide updates when they have zero patients with COVID-19, but if they admit any, they feel it would violate patient privacy to acknowledge how many patients they have, even with no names nor identifying information.

East Hawaii continues to be the source of most of the new cases on the island in the past month, and there is ongoing testing being conducted by Premier Medical Group at the request of Mayor Kim.  Several of the cases originated as a result of a memorial gathering at the end of July.  There is an outbreak now at Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home, and some employees at Hilo Medical Center have now also tested positive.

Hilo Medical Center as of yesterday had only 8 patients with COVID-19, down from a high of 18 just a few days ago.

Contact tracing remains a concern, with Emily Roberson, PhD, who was hired July 16 to head the effort, requesting a leave starting yesterday until the State Department of Health leadership could decide who was in charge, and from whom she should take orders.  The State COVID-19 Joint Information Center claims there are 40 contact tracers with DOH on the Big Island tasked with contacting each of those who have tested positive and all with whom they’ve been in contact.

Kaua’i again has no new cases and remains at 57 cumulative.  Maui County has added 4 cases, for a cumulative 346.  O’ahu has added 190 cases.

The state’s noon report: