Hawaii reports 7 COVID deaths in past week; nearly 11,000 backlogged cases

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii on Wednesday reported seven additional coronavirus deaths and 800 new cases in the past seven days.

The state Health Department also added nearly 11,000 backlogged cases in Wednesday’s count, representing “historic reinfection cases” recorded since September 2020.

DOH said reinfections will now be included in their COVID dashboard as they see a growing trend. Officials said the percentage of COVID cases involving individuals who had a prior infection now accounts for about 10% of new confirmed cases.

“The data on reinfections underscores what we have been saying; that limited immunity from previous infection only lasts so long,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble.

“Regardless of whether a person has had COVID-19 in the past, they should stay up to date on their vaccinations and boosters to get increased protection from severe illness and hospitalization.”

Prior to the change, DOH said a person who tested positive multiple times was only counted once.

Officials this will result in higher average daily case counts than under the previous data reporting method.

Meanwhile, this week’s data compares to 1,132 cases and 14 additional deaths in the previous week.

The state’s COVID figures don’t include positives from at-home tests, so the real number is likely far higher.

The latest number brings the statewide total since the start of the pandemic to 355,959.

The additional fatalities bring the state’s COVID death toll to 1,686.

The state now issues its COVID data on a weekly rather than daily basis.

Here’s a breakdown of this week’s figures provided by the Health Department:

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