Avalon Health Care Group

The management of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home where 26 veterans have died from COVID-19 is being replaced. Avalon Health Care Group will step aside and the East Hawaii Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. will take over.

Updated: 9/23/2020, 9:42 a.m. Staff at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo have been getting death threats, according to a state emergency management official.

This comes just one day after the state released a report placing partial blame on staff for a COVID-19 outbreak that has taken the lives of 26 veterans and infected another 78 residents and staff.

Updated: 9/22/2020, 10:50 a.m. A culture of complacency among staff at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo was a major contributor to the rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the facility. That’s according to a new report on the outbreak, which has claimed the lives of 25 veterans as of today and infected another 79 residents and staff.

Updated: 9/21/2020, 11:53 a.m.

Where we stand

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported no new deaths from COVID-19 and 56 cases statewide. It's the second consecutive day of no deaths and double-digit case counts. But two more fatalities at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo were reported yesterday, bringing the death toll at the troubled nursing home to 24. 

Updated: 9/19/2020, 3:06 p.m. There was very little evidence of proactive preparation or planning for COVID-19 at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, according to a report released late Friday. The 16-page report was compiled by a team of infectious disease experts from the Department of Veterans Affairs after an onsite assessment last week. 

Updated: 9/18/2020,  9:05 p.m.

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 13 deaths from COVID-19 and 114 new cases. Twelve of the deaths are from the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo, where 17 people have died of the virus. The state said the delay in accounting for the fatalities was because of pending medical records.

Updated: 9/16/2020, 12:19 p.m.

Fourteen people have now died of COVID-19 at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo operated by Utah-based Avalon Health Care Group. The nursing home operator has also recorded deaths at its two other Hawaii facilities, five at the Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and three at Avalon Care Center.

Updated: 9/14/2020, 12;15 p.m.

The state Department of Health today reported no new deaths and 80 COVID-19 cases, the first time the number of daily infections has fallen below 100 in recent days.

Updated: 6/22/2020, 3:37 p.m.

The total number of COVID-19 cases at Hale Nani Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in Makiki now stands at 15 with the addition of three positive cases at the state's largest skilled nursing home facility.