County reports 2 new COVID deaths
Two new deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in Hawaii County this week, one man between the ages of 60 and 69 and a woman over the age of 80.
According to state Department of Health data, both individuals were hospitalized and both were reported to have an underlying condition.
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This is the third week in a row of recorded deaths from COVID-19 in Hawaii County.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, the death toll for Hawaii County has now reached 249 people.
Statewide, the Department of Health reported four deaths over the last week.
The statewide death toll has climbed to 1,897 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 continues to be the dominant strain throughout the county, accounting for 57% of all analyzed cases.
The WHO stated 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.
