Hawaii News Now

Top stories from across Hawaii and around the world, as seen on the 5 p.m. news broadcast from Hawaii News Now.

For the second consecutive day, Oahu is reporting two additional COVID-19 fatalities. The death toll from the virus in islands now stands at 31.

This week alone, there have been five coronavirus deaths in Hawaii ― all on Oahu.

Meanwhile, state Health Department officials also reported another jaw-dropping increase in coronavirus infections. Some 201 were reported overnight, and all but one was on Oahu.

It’s the first time Oahu has seen 200 new cases in a single day, and it pushes the total number of infections reported on the island since the start of the pandemic to 2,741.

The alarming figures come as state public health officials warn that the growing spread of coronavirus on Oahu could overwhelm the health system by the end of the month.

Starting midnight, beaches, parks and others on Oahu will shut down in an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus. And, officials are reinstating a partial inter-island travel quarantine on Aug. 11.

Top stories from across Hawaii and around the world, as seen on the 5 p.m. news broadcast from Hawaii News Now.

The state reported two additional COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, bringing the statewide death toll from the virus to 29.

The new deaths come as the state continues to see an alarming surge in new coronavirus infections.

Health officials said one of the victims was an elderly woman with underlying conditions who had been a resident at a Pearl City nursing home.

The other fatality was an elderly man linked to a gym cluster.

Both had been hospitalized, though the state Health Department did not say for how long.

Cities across the mainland are cracking down on people who are violating laws aimed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green says that if Hawaii can’t decrease the number of new COVID-19 cases, the state is projected to run out of intensive care beds by the end of the month.

Hawaii reported 173 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday ― all on Oahu ― as government leaders pledge to reinstate more restrictions on businesses and activities.

The number is a record for Oahu and comes as infections continue to surge.

In fact, Hawaii is among five states seeing the highest percentage increases in new cases over the last 14 days. New infections have grown 231% in Hawaii in the last two weeks, according to NBC.

Since the pandemic began, Hawaii has reported 2,763 COVID-19 cases.

That’s below only one state, New Jersey, which has seen a 317% increase in new infections.

Right now, there are 1,334 active cases in the islands while 1,402 people have recovered. Some 83 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized statewide and 13 people are on ventilators.

The death toll from the virus in the state stands at 27.

An explosion in Beirut has killed more than 100 people. Plus, Hawaii leaders are at odds over the state's need for more contact tracers as the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues to grow.

Top stories from across Hawaii and around the world, as seen on the 5 p.m. news broadcast from Hawaii News Now.