COVID-19 tests for 9 Ka‘u Hospital employees come back negative

Nine employees at Ka‘u Hospital and Rural Health Clinic tested negative for COVID-19 after being exposed to a traveling doctor who tested positive for the virus earlier this month.

The doctor worked at the facility’s rural health clinic for two days and tested positive July 6 after not feeling well.

All exposed clinic employees were tested five days after the potential exposure, and all tests were negative. They were re-tested Wednesday, the 13th day after exposure.

As a precaution, the 11 patients treated by the doctor also were tested, and those tests were negative. Those individuals can be re-tested if they choose.