Hawaii News Now

The state is reporting three additional COVID-19 fatalities Thursday, pushing the official death toll from the virus in Hawaii to 139.

All of the newly-reported deaths were on Oahu.

Meanwhile, there were 108 new COVID-19 cases statewide. Of those, 102 were on Oahu and the remaining six were on the Big Island. The new infections push the statewide total to 12,515.

Some 2,036 cases remain “active,” which means the patients have not yet been released from isolation.

It’s the second consecutive day Hawaii has seen a triple-digit increase in new cases after several days of smaller jumps. The uptick comes as the state scrambles to prepare for the Oct. 15 launch of a much-touted pre-travel testing program meant to welcome back trans-Pacific visitors.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for two overdue kayakers. Plus, hundreds more workers have been added to help Hawaii's jobless file their unemployment claims.

The governor said Wednesday he has no plans to lift the inter-island traveler quarantine, and acknowledged a shortage of tests locally means the pre-travel testing program for trans-Pacific visitors will likely not be extended at first to include local island hoppers.

The state Health Department reported 121 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday along with two additional fatalities on Oahu.

Of the new cases, 92 were on Oahu, 27 on the Big Island, one on Maui and one was diagnosed out-of-state. The new infections bring the number of cases in Hawaii since the pandemic began to 12,410.

The triple-digit increase in new cases comes after three days of smaller daily increases.

But some are concerned Hawaii could see another uptick in infections, just as the state also prepares for the Oct. 15 launch of a pre-travel testing program meant to welcome back trans-Pacific visitors.

The Hawaii Pandemic Applied Modeling Group is forecasting growth in new infections over the next two weeks. Under its “expected” model, Hawaii could see about 150 new cases a day by mid-October.

Meanwhile, the two new fatalities bring the official death toll from the virus in Hawaii to 136.

The new infections are out of 2,049 tests administered, or a positivity rate of 5.9%.

Hawaii's unemployed could soon be dining out for free thanks to a new program. And, the state is about two weeks away from the launch of its pre-travel testing program.

An inquiry into the December 2019 shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard that left two civilians dead has highlighted a series of failures that allowed the gunman access to military firearms despite a history of worrisome incidents and mental health issues.

The state reported 87 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday and two additional fatalities, bringing the official death toll from the virus in Hawaii to 134.

The two fatalities were on Oahu.

Of the new cases, 80 are on Oahu, three on the Big Island, two on Maui and the rest were diagnosed out-of-state. The infections bring the case total in Hawaii to 12,290 since the pandemic began.

The new infections are out of 1,550 tests administered, or a positivity rate of 5.6%.

Meanwhile, the state said there are 1,900 “active” cases in Hawaii, which means they have not been released from isolation.

Hospitalizations are also down: There were 147 coronavirus patients hospitalized statewide. Of those, 44 were in the ICU and 12 were on ventilators.

The rolling seven-day average of cases on Oahu is 98.9, while the seven-day average positivity rate is 4.3%. Statewide, the rolling seven-day average is 110.

The global COVID-19 death toll since the pandemic began has surpassed 1 million. And, Hawaii lawmakers are pushing for a clear plan to free up inter-island travel.

The state is reporting 90 new COVID-19 cases statewide Monday ― all on Oahu ― and no new fatalities.

The official death toll from the virus in Hawaii stands at 132, which does not include at least 21 coronavirus fatalities reported at a Big Island veterans home.

The state has said they aware of the deaths, but are awaiting additional details.

The new infections push the case total in Hawaii to 12,203.

Of those, about 2,000 are “active” cases, which means they have not been released from isolation.

A man is in serious condition after he was allegedly stabbed overnight on Oahu. Plus, the New York Times has a new report out on President Trump's tax history.