Hawaiʻi reported 1,828 new coronavirus cases Friday as state officials say the Omicron variant is likely spreading widely throughout the community.
The new case count is the latest in a week of high infection numbers for the state, which was averaging about 100 daily cases in early December.
About 1,500 new cases were reported on Thursday. State officials said that over the last 14 days, there have been 9,433 cases detected.
The state reports 1,078 people have died due to COVID since the pandemic began.
The Department of Health announced two dozen new cases of the Omicron variant on Oʻahu on Wednesday, raising the total number to 74. There are indications the variant has reached other islands. The first confirmed case of the Omicron variant in Hawaiʻi was announced on Dec. 2.
Dr. Edward Desmond of the DOH’s State Laboratories Division said it's clear that Omicron is rapidly taking over as the dominant strain.
"None of this is a surprise. When Omicron is introduced to a region, it expands and becomes the predominant strain in a couple of weeks to a month," Desmond said. "We’ve had Omicron confirmed in Hawaiʻi for about three and a half weeks now, so these findings are not at all surprising."
Desmond says while all the confirmed cases of Omicron have been on Oʻahu, four specimens from Hawaiʻi Island and two from Maui contain strong indications of the new variant.
Health Director Dr. Libby Char said at a news conference Thursday that people need to get vaccinated, noting that more than 370,000 Hawaiʻi residents have not gotten their shots.
State health officials reiterated that booster shots are critical, and urged residents to mark the holidays safely by limiting gatherings to only household members or those fully vaccinated and boosted. They also stressed wearing masks at all times and celebrating mainly outdoors.
The state has a test positivity rate of 9%. Oʻahu has a positivity rate of 11.3%, as of Friday.
Hawaiʻi requires travelers to be vaccinated or provide a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours before arrival, or face a 10-day quarantine.
Char said state officials are discussing the possibility of requiring a booster shot to avoid travel quarantine or testing, as well as possibly shortening the window allowed for obtaining a negative test — but no changes have yet been made.
“The public health recommendation would be: you test as close to flying time as possible and you have your immunizations plus your booster shot,” Char said. “But understand that there are challenges in implementing that."
Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth warned people to be careful over the holidays and said to avoid large gatherings, especially indoors.
“We don’t want anyone to miss out on time spent with friends, family, and loved ones,” Roth said in a statement. “After all, that’s what the holidays are all about. However, we are asking that folks spend time in a way that is safe and protects the ones we love and others in our community.”
There are no confirmed Omicron cases on Kauaʻi, but the island has seen a spike in new infections.
“With this rapid rise in cases, we can assume that the Omicron variant is on Kauaʻi,” said the state Department of Health’s district officer for Kauai, Dr. Janet Berreman, in a statement.
County mayors have not made any changes to current coronavirus restrictions, most of which were lifted in early December.
“We're not going to impose any more restrictions,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who said the island's vaccination and testing policy for businesses and events is sufficient. "It's about making good decisions, so it's about personal responsibility. Don't go to someplace if you fear that it's going to be something that would make you sick. But if you do go and you're indoors, wear your mask."
Nearly 70 COVID-19 patients are in Oʻahu hospitals, with 10 in intensive care, as of Thursday. Blangiardi said the city will reach a point of concern if hospital numbers reach 150 to 200 COVID-19 patients.
Blangiardi recently allowed bars and large indoor events to resume. There have been clusters of cases at two of Honolulu's largest nightclubs in recent weeks. Masks are not required while eating or drinking and occupancy limits with distancing rules have been removed. The state also reported a cluster at a recent event at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.
Information on vaccine and testing sites can be found at hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine.
