The state Department of Health today reported another 720 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, including 139 new cases on the Big Island.
Monday’s count comes after a record-breaking number of infections were reported Sunday — 1,678, the largest tally reported on a single day since the start of the pandemic.
Another 214 cases were reported Sunday on the Big Island amid an ongoing surge driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Sunday’s case county, however, included cases backlogged due to reporting error from one laboratory, the DOH said.
“As always, trends are more important than single-day counts,” DOH spokesman Brooks Baehr said in a statement Sunday. “Hawaii continues to trend in the wrong direction. The upward trend will not slow until more of us take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our community. It is imperative we wear masks, get vaccinated and distance ourselves from those not in our household, work or school bubbles.”
According to the DOH, an average of 874 new cases were reported each day Aug. 22-28.
Nearly 11,000 cases have been reported in the past 14 days.
Hawaii County now boasts the highest test positivity rate in the state at 9.4%, compared to an 8% positivity rate statewide.
In the past 14 days, 523 cases have been reported in Hilo and 465 have been reported in Kailua-Kona.
During that same time period, 64 have been reported in Honokaa; 106 in Waimea; 67 in the Waikoloa Village and Puako areas; 59 in Kealakekua; 87 in the Captain Cook, Ocean View and Honaunau areas; 81 in Pahoa; 154 in Keaau; and 59 in Mountain View.
Community testing is available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.
Additional testing opportunities can be found online at bit.ly/HawaiiCOVIDtesting.
According to the DOH, 63.1% of Hawaii’s population is now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus while 71.4% have received at least one dose.
Meanwhile, 60% of the Big Island’s population has been fully vaccinated and 72% have received at least one shot.
A partial list of vaccination sites can be found online at bit.ly/BigIslandvaccines.
