Hawaii DOH examined 2 COVID clusters related to the Oahu restaurant, a venue

HONOLULU (KHON2) – In September, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) examined two COVID clusters associated with a restaurant and entertainment venue on Oahu.

According to the DOH, four of the 31 employees at one restaurant in Oahu tested positive for COVID – three were unvaccinated and one was fully vaccinated. No secondary cases were identified and there were no hospital admissions.

The three unvaccinated workers tested positive after the required weekly testing and were asymptomatic at that point. All four had overlapping layers; three worked at the front of the restaurant. While an employee was contagious at work, there are no other sources of infection.

The DOH reported that the restaurant was closed for 26 days.

The second group of COVID cases were reported in connection with a venue on Oahu. According to the DOH, 13 out of 120 employees tested positive for the coronavirus – of the 13, five were fully vaccinated and the other eight were not. Three secondary cases were identified in household members – two were fully vaccinated. None of the 16 associated cases were hospitalized.

Three employees drove together to a test site and tested positive, which led to a DOH test. Two were unvaccinated and asymptomatic when tested for the weekly tests required. The third employee involved was fully vaccinated and tested for symptoms.

Upon further investigation, the DOH found that 10 other employees tested positive during an event. While the owner said 71% of the facility’s employees were fully vaccinated, social distancing was not enforced and masks were not worn in the locker room or during performances.

Employees also reported socializing outside of work without social distancing or masks, and admitted to sharing vapes and cigarettes during breaks, the DOH said. The shop was closed for five days.

It is on Monday, September 13th Honolulu City and County implements the Secure Access Program. All employees in restaurants, bars, gyms and other facilities had to demonstrate a full COVID vaccination or take weekly tests. To view the full cluster report from DOH, click here.