Veterans home has no COVID-positive residents

As of Friday afternoon, there were no COVID-positive residents at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, according to an update provided by Hilo Medical Center.

Seventy-one residents and 35 employees at the veterans home have tested positive for COVID-19 since late August, and 27 residents have died.

As of Friday, 42 residents and 33 employees have recovered.

No residents were receiving care at the facility, and one resident was hospitalized at HMC.

One additional employee at Life Care Center of Hilo has tested positive for COVID-19.

According to an update posted Friday morning on the facility’s website, six employees have now tested positive for the virus, three of whom have recovered.

Twelve residents have also tested positive for the virus, but that number was unchanged from reports on Thursday.

One resident has recovered and three are now receiving proactive treatment at Hilo Medical Center.

Meanwhile, at Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Center, all residents and staff had tested negative during a round of tests last weekend, according to a Sept. 30 update on the facility’s website.

An employee had tested positive on Aug. 27 and quarantined for two weeks before returning to work, and a contractor tested positive during the first round of facilitywide testing on Sept. 4.

One resident also tested positive in September, but that was determined to be a false positive, the update states.

Free drive-through COVID-19 testing will be provided at several sites through Oct. 10:

— 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 5, 7 and 9 Keauhou Shopping Center;

— 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 6, Honokaa Sports Complex;

— 3-6 p.m. Oct. 7 , Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo (enter from Kuawa Street);

— 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 8, Waimea District Park;

— 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 10, Kailua-Kona (venue to be announced).

No insurance is necessary to be tested, but bring an insurance card if you have one. There will be no co-pay for individuals being tested. Wear a face covering at all times and observe social distancing.

For more information, call Hawaii County Civil Defense at 935-0031.
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald