Health Officials Report 10th COVID-Related Death of Kauaʻi Resident

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported Kaua‘i’s 10th fatality from COVID-19 and announced 35 new cases on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

The fatality was a male Kaua‘i resident in his 30s who was hospitalized.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of this young individual,” said Mayor Derek SK Kawakami. “We must remain vigilant, shift our behavior, and come together to prevent further pain and loss on our island.”

Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer said the loss of a man in his 30s is a sobering reminder that COVID-19 poses real risks of severe illness and death, even for those who are young.

“If you have not already done so, please get vaccinated today and help protect our community from future tragedies,” Berreman added.

Today’s cases are all residents. Of the 35 new cases, 10 are children and 25 are adults. Two of the cases are related to mainland travel. The remaining 33 cases are considered community-acquired. Twenty-seven of the community-acquired infections are close contacts of previously announced cases or are tied to one of our active clusters. The remaining six community-acquired cases have no known source of infection. Two new clusters have been identified: one in an educational setting and one is a restaurant.

Active cases are directed to isolate, and close contacts are being identified, offered testing, and directed to quarantine. Investigations are ongoing.

Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 244, with four hospitalized, and 1,951 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 1,892 confirmed locally, eight probable, and 51 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.