This Hawaii Island hospital is seeing entire households coming in sick with COVID

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii Island health officials are raising the alarms about an ongoing surge in new COVID infections ― on the island and statewide.

The delta variant now accounts for more than three-fourths of all cases on Hawaii Island. And the island’s positivity rate has soared to 7%.

There were 27 new cases on the island Tuesday.

Hilo Medical Center currently has six patients hospitalized with COVID. All are unvaccinated.

“A number of families who are unvaccinated are coming in to get examined, to get tested,” said Elena Cabatu, of the Hilo Medical Center.

“In some cases we’re having the same family members hospitalized together and that’s truly unfortunate.”

She added: “We are the highest in the state of having the delta variant on Hawaii Island and if that’s not enough concern for everyone, then it should encourage those who are hesitant to go and get the vaccination.”

Hawaii Island is seeking to ramp up vaccine clinics and outreach as case counts increase.

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