State health officials are urging residents to be cautious this holiday season as the number of new COVID-19 cases on Oʻahu has surged nearly fivefold in the past two weeks.
The Department of Health reported 797 new cases statewide on Friday with no backlogged cases. The positivity rate in the state has climbed to 4.2%. Two additional COVID-19 deaths were reported — 1,076 residents have died since the pandemic began.
According to the DOH, all reported positive cases are a mix of the Delta and Omicron variants.
So far, there are 31 confirmed Omicron cases, with another 17 that are probable — all on Oʻahu. Oʻahu recorded a seven-day average of 251 cases on Friday, compared to 53 cases on Dec. 2. Other islands have also experienced more cases but not as many.
Health director Elizabeth Char said residents should still be cautious despite reports of people infected with Omicron experiencing mild symptoms. So far Omicron cases haven't been detected on other islands but Char said it was inevitable they will be.
"In terms of the symptoms that you’ll see outwardly, it’s still all the same things: headaches, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, just feeling really fatigued, fevers, all of that. "The point though is that if you have mild symptoms of something, and you’re not sure what it is and you think ‘Oh, maybe I’m coming down with a little bit of a cold,’ please don’t make that assumption right now. That’s not a safe assumption. Stay home, go get tested."
Char said gatherings over Thanksgiving were a factor, as was an increase in holiday travel and people taking their masks off to eat in indoor settings.
The arrival in Hawaiʻi of the Omicron variant, which Char said appears to be more transmissible than prior mutations, was another.
Char said Omicron was likely to become the dominant variant in Hawaiʻi early next year, based on how the mutation has behaved in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
During a press conference Friday morning, Gov. David Ige said he will be meeting with county mayors soon. He said he didn't plan to change the state's Safe Travels program, which requires incoming travelers wanting to avoid 10 days of quarantine to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure for Hawaiʻi.
Char said while Omicron appears to be less virulent than other mutations, Hawaiʻi may experience even more hospitalizations than earlier phases of the pandemic because the greater ease of transmission may lead more people to get sick.
“Don’t be fooled into thinking that it won’t affect our hospitals and our families,” she said.
Ige noted hospitalizations tend to rise about 10 days after case numbers. He said the state's hospitals have lately had about 30 to 40 COVID patients. That's far below the peak of more than 400 marked during the summer when the Delta variant fueled a surge of cases.
Char urged people to get vaccinated. She said those who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine more than six months ago should get a third shot. Those who received a single dose of Johnson & Johnson at least two months ago should get a booster now.
“Please go get a booster shot. Don’t wait. Go get it now,” Char said. She reminded people to wear masks and keep their distance from others. She said gatherings should be small and large groups should meet outdoors and in well-ventilated places.
The state reports 73.3% of the total population has been fully vaccinated. Of those aged 5 and older, 78.2% are fully vaccinated. Oʻahu has the highest 5+ vaccination rate at 82%.
A posting on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website that was updated on Thursday said the Omicron variant will likely spread more easily than the original COVID-19 virus but it's unknown how easily it spreads compared to Delta.
Information on where vaccines are available can be found at hawaiicovid19.com.
