Two new deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in Hawaii County this week, both women over the age of 80.
Two new deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in Hawaii County this week, both women over the age of 80.
It is unknown if either woman had an underlying condition, and neither were hospitalized.
The two new deaths are the first reported for the county since the week of June 4.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, the death toll for Hawaii County has now reached 242 people.
Statewide, the Department of Health reported nine deaths over the last week, the highest since April 9.
The statewide death toll has climbed to 1,873 people since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
The DOH reports deaths once they are provided the official cause of death, which in some cases can take weeks or even months to determine.
The latest variant report from the DOH released on June 7 confirmed that the omicron subvariant XBB.1.16.1 is now the dominant strain throughout the county, accounting for 57% of all cases.
XBB.1.16 has been labeled by the World Health Organization as a variant of interest.
The WHO added that while the variant is spreading faster than previous variants and escapes immunity — even in people who’ve recently had the XBB.1.5 strain — it does not seem to be causing more severe illness.
The WHO says the risk from this variant remains low.
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