The state has announced 114 new COVID-19 cases that have been confirmed as of noon today.  The state’s total count is now10,700 with 7,036 active cases.  The state says 99 people have died from COVID-19.

The new cases for Hawaii Island:  16, with 588 total and around 270 active, a lower active number than in several days as people begin to recover.   As of yesterday, the island had 11 deaths from COVID-19 confirmed by Hilo Medical Center, although the state is only counting 3 so far.  Hilo Medical Center has been doing a mid-afternoon update.

Hawaii County has contracted with Premier Medical Group to continue doing testing around the island, which the County says is critical to understanding where the virus is and controlling it.  Hawaii County Civil Defense says it will announce the testing schedule as part of its daily updates.

In addition, the Federal Government is doing “surge testing” in the state under the direction of U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.  On this island, testing under that program is only at Pahoa Village Pharmacy, 15-2660 Pahoa Village Rd #205, in Pahoa.   The final round of testing under this program is this week — Monday, Sept. 14 through Friday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily.   To see more or to register in advance, go to https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/Pahoa_HI_199.html

Kaua’i again has no new cases, and has a total of 58.  Maui County has added 2 today for a total of 375, and O’ahu added 96 for a total of 9,654.

Around the country, some states are now seeing low daily case count increases (according to Fox News, Vermont, Maine, New York, and New Jersey) and 16 states in the middle of the country are seeing high daily case counts (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin.  According to Fox News, the Dakotas are a concern, with cases growing faster than anywhere else in the country for the past two weeks.  South Dakota is seeing the highest case positivity rate than anywhere else in the nation, at 17%.

In Hawaii, the State Department of Health reports the positivity rate statewide is 2.3% in an average for the past 7 days for 348,561 tests, which includes the surge testing being conducted by the Federal Government.

The State’s noon update: