Hawaii reports 3 new COVID-19 fatalities, pushing death toll to 22

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - In a grim reminder that the pandemic is far from over, Hawaii reported three new COVID-19 fatalities Monday, pushing the death toll from the virus in the islands to 22.

The state Health Department said the three fatalities were:

An elderly Kauai resident who died in Arizona after receiving treatment for several months.
A woman who died Sunday at an Oahu hospital and had previously been a care home resident.
And an elderly Oahu man who died July 7 and was added to the death toll after a review.

“We all extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of these three people,” said state Health Department Director Bruce Anderson, in a news release. “The best tribute to their lives and to the lives of all 22 people who’ve lost the fight against coronavirus, is getting everyone in Hawaii to take personal responsibility for their own health and the health of everyone around them.”

Meanwhile, the state reported another double-digit increase in new cases Monday, with 23 reported statewide. Nineteen of the new cases are on Oahu, while the Big Island and Maui had one each and two were residents diagnosed out-of-state. The new cases push the statewide total to 1,243.

The alarming jump in Hawaii fatalities comes as the governor mulls whether to delay the planned reopening of tourism on Aug. 1 after record surges in infections on the mainland.

Hawaii has also seen spikes in cases, including a record high of 42 new cases Saturday.

Health Department officials said most of the new infections are associated with community spread, underscoring the need for mask wearing, social distancing and taking other precautions.

The state said at least 44 cases are associated with a training at Hawaiian Airlines, which subsequently triggered a cluster of at least 20 cases at two Oahu gyms.

“While the majority of Hawaii’s residents are using safe practices, clearly there are some who are not, and frankly unless everyone pays attention, we’ll unfortunately continue to see illnesses and deaths associated with COVID-19,” Anderson said.

“Personal responsibility is the way we’ll again flatten the curve and retain Hawaii’s leadership through this unprecedented public health crisis.”

This story will be updated.