1 in 4 COVID deaths in Hawaii since the pandemic began was reported in September

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – September ends on a somber note in the fight against COVID.

The Hawaiian death toll from the virus is now 782.

And from September 1 through Thursday, the state reported 193 COVID deaths.

That means 1 in 4 COVID deaths in Hawaii since Beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 were reported this month. For comparison: 52 dead in August, 20 in July and 17 in June.

The surge in deaths, of course, follows a huge surge in COVID cases in July and August. The vast majority of those hospitalized and deceased were unvaccinated. And, health department officials note, there were more young people in their ranks than in previous waves.

Health Department spokesman Brooks Baehr noted that while most of the deceased had “underlying illnesses,” this broad category can include anything from a history of cancer or heart disease to high blood pressure. Pregnancy is even considered to be an “underlying disease”.

“They are not a basic condition that should sentence a person to death,” he said.

“Unfortunately, COVID has changed the game so much and so the Delta variant has changed the game. We’ve seen way too many deaths from COVID lately. “

He added that the situation was all the more daunting because so many deaths were preventable. “They can be prevented by vaccinating people, masking themselves and still keeping a little distance,” he said.

As of Thursday, 67.9% of the state’s population had been vaccinated.

Oahu had the highest vaccination rate at 70%. Maui County had the lowest – 60%

By now, 76.1% of the population had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The number of people eligible for the vaccine but remaining unvaccinated is around 133,000.

“There is far too much death, far too much suffering, far too many people in the hospital,” said Baehr. “It’s absolutely tragic, but avoidable. Let’s prevent it. “

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