5 New COVID Cases Reported on Garden Island

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, April 23.

Today’s cases are all Kaua‘i residents who were identified as close contacts of previously announced cases. Three are adults, two are children. All five cases are considered community-acquired infections. Contacts are being identified, directed to quarantine, and offered testing. Several close contacts identified had already been fully vaccinated and therefore are not subject to quarantine. They will self-monitor for symptoms.

“Community-acquired cases are now up to seven this week — more than half of our cases —after none since January,” said Mayor Derek SK Kawakami. “The major protection against sustained community transmission is vaccination, which is widely available on the island. The community must also continue to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, practice distancing, wash hands, and stay home when sick.”

For details, visit Kauai.gov/vaccine. Those who plan to travel can protect themselves and their families by being fully vaccinated before traveling.

“Contact tracing, case investigation, testing, isolation, and quarantine are at the heart of our success to date,” said Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer. “The Department of Health can’t do this work alone — we depend on the community. Thank you in advance for cooperating with DOH staff by answering our calls and messages, listening closely to the information we provide, and complying as much as possible with our directions.”

Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 12, with 248 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 213 confirmed locally, two probable, and 33 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.

For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit www.kauai.gov/COVID-19. For more information on the state’s COVID-19 cases or the state’s Safe Travels program, visit hawaiicovid19.com.