KCH, HMC Continue to Report Record Numbers for COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Hawaiʻi Island’s two largest hospitals continue to report record numbers for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

On Friday, Aug. 27, Hilo Medical Center reported hitting another all-time high of 40 COVID-19 patients, 34 of whom were unvaccinated and six that were vaccinated.

Eight patients are in the ICU and five of the individuals are on ventilators. Two of the patients on ventilators are vaccinated. Thirty-one patients are in the COVID Unit with 27 unvaccinated and four vaccinated.

“Our ICU is operating beyond the 11-bed capacity with five additional ICU patients on the Progressive Care Unit,” HMC officials stated. “Also, OB continues to care for a Medical patient.”

HMC continues to care for four post-COVID patients, all unvaccinated.

“We are carrying out our plan to manage this surge,” HMC officials stated. “Elective surgeries are planned to restart on Monday. Today, HMC opened a 16-bed Medical Unit Overflow in the Extended Care Facility. Our dedicated staff has been working tirelessly to care for our community.”

For the second consecutive day, KCH recorded a record number of COVID-19 patients from 18 to 21. Six of the patients are in the ICU and 15 are in the hospital’s COVID unit. Four of those individuals are on ventilators.

Additionally, KCH reports that the emergency department has seen a steady increase of patients with COVID-like symptoms seeking care. From Aug. 1-26, hospital staff conducted 657 inpatient and outpatient COVID tests. Of those, 132 (or 20%) were positive.

Kohala Hospital’s emergency department has also experienced an increased number of patients with COVID-like symptoms.

To date, the hospital has not admitted any COVID-positive patients. Hospital administrators recently reinstated a hospital-wide lockdown, which restricts all visitors. Additionally, all staff is now donning N-95 masks daily in place of the usual hospital masks, and a proactive mass testing was conducted this week.

“We are asking our community to take the necessary steps to help stop the spread of COVID across our county,” KCH officials stated. “The delta variant is extremely transmissible. We are seeing its impact on all age groups. Everyone from keiki to kupuna are at risk.”

According to officials, the best precautions still include vaccination, masking up, social distancing and frequent hand washing.

KCH pharmacy has drawn up 24,000 COVID vaccine doses over a six-month period.