16 new COVID-19 cases reported on Kaua‘i Friday

LIHU‘E — The state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, all in residents.

Of the new cases, six are children and 10 are adults.

Three of the cases are related to mainland travel. The remaining 13 cases are considered community-acquired. Twelve of the community-acquired infections are close contacts of a previously announced case or tied to an active cluster. The remaining case has no known source of infection.

Friday’s cases bring the number of active cases to 120, with 11 hospitalized, and 3,038 cumulative cases.

Daily case counts remain elevated. The DOH case investigators and contact tracers call all new cases, generally within a day or two of a positive test.

All testing positive should isolate at home and let close contacts know that they’ve been exposed. Close contacts should quarantine and get tested.

Anyone with symptoms or feeling sick should isolate immediately unless seeking testing or getting health care. Those who have been vaccinated should still be tested if they believe they may have been exposed or if they feel sick.

Everyone, vaccinated or not, must follow Hawai‘i’s indoor-mask requirements and gathering-size limits.

Vaccination remains the most important action all can take to slow and prevent the spread of disease. Vaccinations are available to anyone 5 years of age or older and are free, safe and effective.

Many vaccination sites accept walk-ins. Residents aged 18 and older are eligible for any vaccine available at pharmacy, hospital and clinic locations. The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in those 5 years of age and older, and is currently available at Wilcox Medical Center, Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and Kaiser Permanente Lihu‘e Clinic.

For details on the vaccination sites, visit kauai.gov/vaccine.

Free testing is available at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A free, mobile-testing van is available for walk-ins from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the Hanalei Neighborhood Center and Sunday at the Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a.

Free drive-thru testing is also available daily at Lihu‘e Pharmacy Group, Kolopa Street near the Puhi Safeway, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are highly recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. For an appointment, register online at PreventCOVIDHI.com or call 808-635-4968.

Testing is also available through primary-care physicians, hospitals and urgent-care clinics.

For more details, visit kauai.gov/covidtest.
Source: The Garden Island