DOH warns of large gatherings, travel in the midst of the boom | News, sports, jobs


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A sign in front of the Kaiser Permanente Clinic in Wailuku reminds patients that “COVID-19 is not on vacation”. Hawaii reported 1,511 new cases Thursday, not far behind the record 1,678 cases recorded in August during the summer surge. The Maui News / Photo by COLLEEN UECHI

The Hawaiian health director urged residents to reconsider their travel plans and cut their gatherings as new COVID-19 cases rose to 1,511 nationwide the day before Christmas Eve.

“If You Can Avoid Travel Now, Avoid Travel Now” That said the director of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Char, during a press conference Thursday morning. “Don’t put yourself in such situations. Put it off until later. Let’s see where we are in spring. Perhaps this is a better time to hold meetings and come together.

“We want people to celebrate” Characters added. “This is of great value, only for the mental health and well-being of the people, but please do it safely, wisely, in smaller groups.”

The 1,511 new cases diagnosed outside of the state, including 1,293 in Oahu, 98 in Maui, 66 in Hawaii, 29 in Kauai, three in Lanai, and 22 Hawaiian residents, were not far behind the record-high 1,678 cases reported by the State in August recorded the peak of the shaft powered by the Delta variant.

The current wave, Char said, appears to have started with Delta based on the timeline, but is now powered by the Omicron variant, which has been spreading rapidly since it was first discovered in South Africa in November.

Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char discussed a surge in COVID-19 cases during a press conference Thursday. With Christmas around the corner, Char warned residents not to weigh the risks and benefits of travel, hold smaller outdoor gatherings, and get vaccinated and / or get a booster. The Maui News / Photo by COLLEEN UECHI

“That is why we are so concerned” said Char. “If there’s been a decent amount of Delta so far and Omicron just takes off and pushes Delta aside, we’ll see the numbers go up.”

State Laboratories Division Administrator Dr. Edward Desmond, stated Wednesday that due to the long time it takes to collect and confirm suspected cases of Omicron, the data that is in the state will likely be: “a couple of weeks behind reality.”

Two cases in Maui have molecular evidence suggesting it may be the Omicron variant and is pending confirmation.

“Until we get confirmed results, this is kind of a moot point for the infected person.” Char said Thursday. “I think we should just assume it’s Omicron, and in a few weeks everything will likely be Omicron.”

Like Delta, Omicron has shown a tendency to become the predominant variant in other places, including California, the first state to report a case where it was evident in 50 to 70 percent of new coronavirus cases in some areas, The Associated Press reported Thursday. In the United States, Omicron now makes up 73 percent of all cases, federal officials announced on Monday.

While early studies from the UK suggest that people who contracted the Omicron variant are less likely to be hospitalized, Omicron still worries local health officials because it is spreading so quickly and widely that many People still need hospital treatment and because of it “Such effective immune-avoiding mutations” said Char.

She pointed out that fully vaccinated people still get infected with the virus and urged people to get their booster doses to increase their protection against Omicron.

Char said the state is in talks with the district mayors and that “From a public health perspective, it just doesn’t make sense to hold large gatherings right now.”

Maui County’s Mayor Michael Victorino announced no new changes Thursday, but urged residents to get their booster vaccinations and consider smaller outdoor gatherings during the holidays.

With many residents planning or taking trips between the islands or outside of the state on vacation, people must decide for themselves whether it is worth the risk.

“It’s a real risk-benefit question that people have to answer for themselves.” She said. “And that means do you have to travel now? What if you shifted a little? Why are you traveling There are benefits in seeing family and friends, right? That clearly has advantages. Is now a good time? “

She said when people travel they should get vaccinated and / or get their booster vaccination, wear their mask all the time, and get a COVID-19 test after the trip.

The winter travel season may not be as busy as summer, when the delta variant was widespread, but it still brings many visitors to Hawaii. Char said the state had been debating whether to vaccinate travelers with three doses or the booster, despite admitting “It’s a bit more difficult to actually do it.”

While the neighboring islands have been less affected than Oahu, every county has seen its cases on the rise. Maui County jumped from 61 new cases on Wednesday to 98 on Thursday and now averages 41 new cases per day, a 139 percent increase from the 17 cases it averaged on Dec. 8, according to Health Department data on Thursday.

Maui county also examined 10 active clusters, according to the latest cluster report released Thursday by the Department of Health. There were three groups of 20 cases related to restaurants; two clusters of seven cases in travel, accommodation and tourism; two clusters of seven cases in construction and industry; a group of four cases in other professional settings; a group of three cases at grocery suppliers; and a cluster of three cases in educational institutions.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at [email protected].

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