COVID-19 Cases Surpass 550 in Hawai‘i Friday

Hawai‘i reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, as the number of recovered patients approached 400.

The Department of Health had confirmed 553 coronavirus infections as of noon Friday, with 390 people recovered and nine virus-related deaths. A total of 48 people are currently hospitalized as a result of infection.

Cases county-by-county are as follows:

• Honolulu: 380
• Maui: 102
• Hawai‘i: 44
• Kaua‘i: 21
• Pending: 0
• Out-of-State-Diagnoses: 6

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense on Friday morning reported the Big Island total at 42 cases, two fewer than the state’s tally released a few hours later. As the state has no cases pending, it’s unclear where the discrepancy in the total came from.

At least 13 positive cases on the Big Island are tied to a cluster at McDonald’s locations in Kailua-Kona, specifically the location on Makala Blvd. near Target.

DOH has continued to say customers who visited the fast food restaurants in the period leading up to the first positive employee test on April 9 need not be concerned due to social distancing measures McDonald’s had in place.

According to an Ocean View couple and multiple previous reports confirmed by Big Island Now, however, McDonald’s employees were not universally wearing gloves and masks while operating drive-thru lanes.

The state will release further information on new cases at a press conference scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday.