Hawaii reports 1,035 new COVID cases, 9 new deaths in record counts

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii repopated a startling 1,035 new COVID infections Friday and nine additional fatalities ― both new highs for single-day totals.

It’s the first time Hawaii has seen more than 1,000 new COVID cases in a single day. Earlier this month, the state reported 1,167 new cases, but said some were from previous days because of lab issues.

The previous single-day high for COVID deaths was eight ― and happened Wednesday.

Hawaii’s ongoing COVID surge has produced numbers previously thought unthinkable in the islands, triggering new restrictions on gatherings and prompting conversations about a strict lockdown.

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But Gov. David Ige has been hesitant to institute the kinds of COVID rules he did a year ago ― which shuttered businesses, brought tourism to a standstill and sharply limited gatherings ― and has declined to say at what point he would institute a widespread shutdown.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called the new COVID case totals Friday “daunting.”

Speaking to reporters outside of Kapolei Hale, he recognized that hospitals were facing new pressure from rising infection totals but also said he is not in favor of a lockdown.

Instead, he said, the city would continue to crack down on gatherings and promote vaccinations. Next week, he also plans to release details about a new “vaccine pass” program for Oahu restaurants, gyms and other businesses. He said the rules, for employees and patrons, will include a testing option.

“We’re going to proceed in every way possible to continue to work our way through this,” he said. “We want to do anything and everything we can to mitigate community spread.”

In August alone, the state has seen nearly 17,000 new COVID cases as it’s grappled with rapid community spread of the Delta variant threatening to overwhelm Hawaii’s health care system. As of Friday, 425 people statewide were hospitalized with COVID. Of those, 376 were unvaccinated.

Also since Aug. 1, the state has reported 45 new coronavirus deaths.

The nine new deaths Friday all occurred on Oahu. All but one had been hospitalized.

They were:

• A woman in her 50s and two men in their 50s
• A woman and man in their 60s
• And a woman and three men in their 70s

The death toll from the virus in Hawaii now stands at 582.

Of Friday’s new infections:

• 672 were on Oahu
• 184 on Hawaii Island
• 120 on Maui
• 38 on Kauai
• three on Molokai

There were also 18 residents diagnosed out of state.

With the new infections, the total number of cases in Hawaii since the pandemic began has risen to 59,613. In the last 14 days, state health officials say there have been 9,790 new cases.

Some 62.6% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, while 70.9% have received at least one dose.

This story will be updated.

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