41 New COVID Cases Confirmed on Kauaʻi

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office announced 41 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

Today’s cases consist of 11 visitors and 30 residents. Of the 41 new cases, three are children and 38 are adults. Twenty-four of the cases are related to travel – 22 mainland and two interisland. The remaining 17 cases are considered community-acquired. Ten of the community-acquired infections are close contacts of a previously announced case or are tied to an active cluster. The remaining seven cases have no known source of infection, including three whom investigators have been unable to reach after repeated attempts or who have refused to provide information.

“With this rapid rise in cases, we can assume that the omicron variant is on Kaua‘i. Please take extra precautions over the holidays: limit gatherings to household members, gather outdoors, wear masks indoors, and isolate yourself at home if you feel ill,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer. “Boosters provide increased protection from severe disease with Omicron. If you haven’t gotten your booster yet, please do so as soon as possible. Booster shots are especially important for kūpuna aged 60 and older and those with chronic health conditions. Mahalo for keeping Kaua‘i safe and healthy through the holidays.”

Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 121, with three hospitalized, and 3,490 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 3,325 confirmed locally, eight probable, and 57 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.