Story at a glance
- The Hawaii County Civil Defense said that COVID-19 infections are spreading within the island rather than being brought by tourists.
- Gov. David Ige previously threatened to ban tourists temporarily.
Hawaii has been looking to fight a recent spike in coronavirus cases with Gov. David Ige (D) recently recently threatening to halt all tourist travel to the islands until the pandemic subsides.
Health officials in the state, however, say that the influx in travelers is not the root of the surge in new infections — community spread is.
The Hawaii County Civil Defense (HCCD) issued a statement blaming community spread for the uptick on Monday, as reported by local channel BIVN.
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In a statement, the HCCD notes that the archipelago has cumulatively recorded three new infections, with no hospitalizations.
The civil county defense pleaded for help from residents by following the outlined public health recommendations.
“We need your help now, more than ever, to protect our community from the virus spread,” the HCCD reportedly said. “We all need to get better. People disregarding the policies of gatherings, distancing and face coverings has been identified as a major cause for the increase of cases. We need your help by following the policies of prevention.”
Hawaii is one of several states, along with Delaware, South Dakota and Kansas, that are seeing upticks in new case numbers, according to data compiled by The New York Times.
The HCCD said in its statement that the islands have seen an increase of positive COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks. The agency implores people to avoid gatherings and continue wearing face coverings.
“We need your help now, more than ever, to protect our community from the virus spread…by following the policies of prevention,” officials said.
Statewide, Hawaii reports 5,042 confirmed cases, 283 hospitalizations, and 40 fatalities. The majority of infections are centered in Honolulu County.
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Published on Aug 17,2020