If you weren’t aware, the number of active Kauai COVID cases jumped in the past few weeks from 1 on April 18 to 73 on May 3. That is, by far, the largest number of cases ever recorded here. It leaves those of us here and visitors too, very concerned and wondering what that might mean going forward.
Kauai now has the highest positivity rate of all the islands at 3.4 percent. Maui and Oahu are next at 2 percent, and the Big Island is .7 percent.
Yesterday alone, there were an additional 10 cases added on Kauai. The Kauai District Health Office said all of these 10 new cases are residents, not visitors, and the cases “Are considered community-acquired… Today’s cases are all close contacts of previously announced cases or can be traced back to one of the locations announced yesterday… We are seeing increased cases in children (who) are getting infected by other family members.” That per Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai District Health Officer. Nineteen recent cases are located in Kapaa and Lihue, neither of which is a primary visitor accommodation area.
Two bars plus two gatherings are listed as the source of outbreak clusters.
The county said yesterday that two Kauai bar/restaurants were responsible for an undisclosed increase in new cases .”A number of our recent new COVID cases spent time at Rob’s Good Times Grill in Lihue and/or Troy’s Bar in Lihue between April 16 and 29, and we have evidence that disease transmission took place.” Two additional community sources are a drive-in concert in Lihue last month and a show in Kapaa.
Could Kauai shut down to visitors again?
Anything is, of course, possible, and a COVID bill was defeated in the state legislature that would have required the entire state of Hawaii to adopt the same COVID orders. We do not, however, see a shutdown likely, such as what happened last December.
Kauai Mayor, Derek Kawakami, said last week that he had “Received a lot of questions on when we might need to move down to Tier 3… While moving down a tier is not imminent, we are certainly headed in that direction.”
Kauai is in a different situation than it was last year. It now has a high percentage of vaccinated residents, with the health department reporting that more than 60,000 doses have been administered. That likely translates into 50% or more of those eligible having already been fully vaccinated.
Hawaii visitors, based on anecdotal information, including your comments, have also been widely vaccinated. In addition, all visitors must be tested 3 days before travel to Hawaii to avoid quarantine.
Largely unrelated to mainland travel.
Last week at least four cases were said to be related to interisland travel. We have not heard anything indicating new cases are related to mainland travel. Information from the County, however, is inadequate in that regard.
Your comments are needed.
Regular commentor Ed said this morning, “According to John Hopkins University Professor Dr. Marty Makary, more than 95,000,000 Americans are now fully vaccinated, and another estimated 100,000,000 carry the Covid-19 antibodies due to recovering from the virus, either from symptomatic or asymptomatic illness (it is now believed that asymptomatic cases have been grossly undercounted). That’s getting close to 2/3 of the population of the United States.”
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Hi,
I’m so sorry to hear this! I hope Kauai can get this under control, for everyone’s sake.
We are traveling to Kaui on May 29 and we are fully vaccinated. We are so hopeful that the Covid testing will not be needed by then. We are traveling from Ohio to Seattle, and the test must be done 72 hours prior Seattle time. It will be a mess if our flights are delayed. Please let vaccinated vistors forego the Covid testing.
Marsha, we were just in Kauai and now in Maui. Just make a reservation for your covid test in Seattle as they can book up well in advance. Make sure it’s through a trusted partner of the Safe Travels site. Kauai is absolutely beautiful right now and the lack of tourists is actually quite nice if you like getting out and about with those waterfall hikes or lounging around the beach or pools. Good luck
I’ve made three trips to Seattle and no problem with getting an appointment….it was on Hawaiian and they have quite a few options listed on their website if anyone wants a list. I used Worksite labs with no problem, drive through testing and only $90….
They are exclusive to Hawaiian Air only though. So easy to get an appointment
Is Kuilima Cove on Oahu open to the public during Turtle Bay construction?
I am currently vacationing in Kauai and, after speaking to an employee at Duke’s, feel that they are very concerned about keeping Kauai open and keeping their jobs. This person openly offered that the problem is the locals, not the tourists that are here. I can tell you that everyone at the airport and hotels, stores and most tours, etc. are wearing masks. You will be asked to leave or refused entry if you don’t comply. The people I’ve met here are concerned about their health, but I think they also fear for the loss of their jobs.
It seemed far more relaxed on the Big Island where I was last week.
I’m pleased that the mayor released that tourists are not the problem. I rarely see anyone at our resort not wearing a mask, except at the pool where they aren’t required. The people here are welcoming and I really don’t want them to suffer through another shutdown.
Why shut down to tourists? From all the reports I just read, 98% of these new cases are community driven. Plus, the few tourists cases have been outside these LOCAL events. Sounds more likely any tourist involvement may have been, a tourist getting COVID from a Local vs the other way around.
Have all those months of isolation created some form of complacency on the island?
I’m sure they’ll get under control in a week or so…
67,000 people on Kauai? Sounds like widespread vaccination could be completely rather rapidly. Might be the best for everyone.
Based on Last December’s decision to shut the Island down with fewer cases than there are now, who can predict what the Mayor Kauai will do next? I had to cancel my plans last year despite willing to get tested.
Will Kauai require me to get tested in December 2021? or will a Vaccine passport be good enough? Will they suddenly shut down the Island once again because 7 people have covid? There are more cases today and yet the Island is open to travel?
I’d really like to be there – so much so, that I’m willing to plan a trip to a place where I have no idea if they will let me in.
I watched his news briefing… basically, in a nice way, he said, ‘Be responsible or get Vaccinated.’ I think he finely sees the big picture…
Most of your questions have unknown answers currently… BUT, you can always check the Hawaii Covid web site for current restrictions if ya wanna go…
Following
After all the precautions working so well for so long and the vaccines effectiveness starting to help I guess it’s understandable there are going to be people letting their guard down. We are so close to getting enough people vaccinated to prevent these clusters but sadly there are still people making dubious claims to try and undermine a vaccine that is safer to take then walking down the street. No you can’t force anyone to take a shot but you can and should restrict unvaccinated people from jobs with a lot of public contact or from large gatherings.
Best to BOH, I know you guys are on Kauai so this must be disconcerting, hopefully the contact tracing will be effective to stop further spread.
Hi John.
Thanks. We appreciate your 200 comments to date!
Aloha.
Aloha Everyone..
If COVID is considered a virus and these cases are community, how can they name two restaurants like they did here as the source? That to me is not fair to the business!
Praying for the lull in cases for Kauai and all over Hawaii!! ❤️
My husband, daughter, son-in-law, and myself, are traveling to Kauai in September, and we can’t wait! It’s my daughters first time visiting Kauai. We are all fully vaccinated and are tested weekly at the minimum (we are nurses and EMS). We are all working hard to keep ourselves clean and healthy so we can safely travel in September! See you soon, and thank you!
Hi Heather.
We’re glad to hear you’ll be coming to Kauai this fall. Have a great time and please let us know how it goes.
Aloha.
I think the question of the extreme lock down of Kauai needs to be questioned. Is it possible that the other islands are doing better than Kauai, in terms of positive Covid diagnosis, because Kauai was forced to follow such rigid stay at home laws for so very long? I would think that the other islands are doing better because they allowed their residents to come out of hiding and gain some immunity by being exposed to the virus a little at a time. Also, its quite possible that being kept in doors and away from friends and family has helped derail the once strong immune system that people had prior to Covid.
I’m certainly glad that the new cases aren’t coming from visitors. That would be a shame. My family and I are looking forward to our trip to Kauai this coming June. Our trip last year was cancelled. I hope that the mayor doesn’t stop travel to Kauai again. I don’t think we would give it a third chance if he did.
Thank you so much BOH for walking us through every painful step of the pandemic lock down. You kept us all aware of what was going on, on the islands the entire time. I’ve always recommended your site to my friends for up to date travel. Personally, I believe that the state of Hawaii owes BOH a debt of gratitude. BOH is definitely responsible for helping to restart the travel industry in Hawaii. If it hadn’t been for you, I’m certain that tourism would have been much slower to restart. Many of my friends know that my family and I are frequent visitors to the islands. Lately I’ve received multiple calls from friends and friends of friends asking me to help them navigate the process of traveling to Hawaii. I always direct them to the BOH website for reliable, up to date information. Everything a visitor needs to know is right here. The links to Go-Hawaii and other Covid related links makes getting ready to visit Hawaii much more easy to navigate.
Aloha & Mahalo!
TJ
Hi TJ.
Thanks for those nice words! We definitely have heard from officials, but there hasn’t been anything nice about it, unfortunately.
We should know more about the situation soon, but clearly, it isn’t the visitors that are the source of the current problems.
Aloha.
Well our long wait is almost over. My wife and I were vaccinated 10 weeks ago and had a negative Covid test today. So Wednesday we hop on the plane for Kauai. Can’t wait!!! We arrive Wednesday May 5th and are staying until June 11th. This is our every other year vacation and have kept our plans since we made them last April. Lots of golf, hiking, swimming, sailing the Napali Coast, tubing, Kayaking, etc. everything outdoors and distanced as we can from others. Kauai feels like home to us and we miss it. As for Covid, I tend to agree with a lot of the folks writing in, that your best defense against it is to stay as healthy as you can, get vaccinated and hope for the best. We’re going to continue to live our life, not give in to all the fear mongering.
Love the updates from BOH. Keep up the great reporting. Aloha and Mahalo!!!
Hi Tom.
Thanks. We appreciate your comment and wish you a great time on Kauai.
Aloha.
We have been on Maui and this week Kauai……both over age 70, have had 2 COVID vaccinations and have tested negative twice. I believe this is probably true for most visitors, so don’t think we’re bringing the virus. Hopefully the new meds to fight COVID are helping. Glad to be here. Thanks for your site. Watched it months before we traveled.
Hi Shar.
Thanks. Have a great time on Maui!
Aloha.
Hi Guys,
Thanks for good reporting. Long time no see. I have been noticing an increase in Covid in areas of the world with high vaccination rates. What percentage of residents on Kauai have been vaccinated? Thanks for some unbiased stats on Hawaii. This is new to everyone and we all want to get to the bottom of this. Take care and keep digging for the truth for our beloved Hawaii!
Hi Nancy.
Good to hear from you! Hope all is well over there.
We haven’t seen a percentage, but rather the county says it has administered over 50k doses.
Aloha.
Having just returned from Kauai and our home there, we became aware of several Kauai residents who don’t plan to get vaccinated. Is there a way to require residents to be vaccinated if they come into contact with travelers, who have been tested and have been vaccinated. I think it is very good news to know that no visitors have tested positive for Covid.
Thanks.
Hi Joni.
Not as far as we know. That is up to employers, perhaps.
Aloha.
You can not force vaccinations on anyone, especially a vaccination that has only received Emergency Usage Approval. This current surge of cases has nothing to do with visitors traveling to Kauai, it was “community transmission”. As a resident of Kauai, I am opposed to mandatory vaccinations as well as the proposed Vaccination Passport.
That is correct… You have a right to ignore a vaccination that actually works. Also, you have right to get infected and infect your friends, family and neighbors. But…. Most people are being little more practical and considerate.
You can’t require someone to get a vaccine that’s not approved. Frankly, no one should be forced, regardless. Why should anyone have to put something into their own body just to make others feel safe? Those who come to the island vaccinated shouldn’t be concerned and those who don’t, clearly aren’t. Its not selfish. Its a personal choice. Forcing people to do something against their will is NOT a road the people of this country should ever want to go down. Its a recipe for disastrous consequences.
The idea of forcing residents to get vaccinated is ridiculous! What do you want next?
When citing Covid cases, please add info on how many people are gravely ill & how many people are testing positive but have no symptoms or mild symptoms I think that would be a more accurate picture of the covid situation in Hawaii.
Thank you.
What is not widely being reported is how many who HAVE been vaccinated are still ending up sick with covid AND infecting others… like the teacher in Kilauea who’s entire mask wearing class was also apparently infected. Research the viral shedding process. Side effects (quite severe and even fatal) from being vaxxed are also being suppressed. You can be a guinea pig for an under-tested mRna experimental vax if you want to but dont preach to me that I should be also.
I promised myself that I would refrain from getting into this sort of argument. However, the misinformation in this pointing is significant. I would recommend that those who want to understand how much there is in the way of breakthrough infections, take a look at the CDC’s site here: cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html
Right now, it’s about 9K cases out of 95 million people vaccinated. This fear-mongering has got to stop, it’s not good for our country, and it’s not good for Hawaii travel.
Yes. I sincerely pray that the Experimental vaccine does NOT do what I have heard change your DNA and people get sick from other things and die! People this will be mass murder in the billions(worldwide) ! I really just hope that is NOT the case. Holy 200,000,000 million people have gotten it or are getting it! Lord please help us! Do you realize there is only 330,000,000 in the entire USA!
We are coming in 2 weeks to Kauai.
Hopefully they don’t shut down again..this is our 3rd attempt to go to our favorite island.
Monique is right, I’ve several customers that work at our local hospital saying the same that side effect reporting is being suppressed by the government and hospital administration.
“People say”, “my friends/coworker/neighbor said”, and I read it on social media” are bad sources of information. Stick to what the people who get paid to handle public health questions tell you, like the CDC and the WHO, and you will be fine. The number of conspiracy theories around COVID is out of control, and now are resulting in the distinct possibility that we will NEVER reach “herd immunity”. This means we will NEVER be free of this virus …
Please, people, get the vaccine, continue to mask up, and we can beat this thing and get back to normal, Hawaii’s economy can recover, and we can all enjoy our vacations there in safety.
WOW!!!
That’s crazy and careless. I thought they closed the bars until things were basically under control?
So all the machinations for returning Ohana and the hoops for tourists aren’t working out for the better?
Goodness, I sure hope things are worked out soon and the uppers figure it out.
Mahalo Beat of Hawaii for the awesome reporting.
Stay safe and have a blessed week. Sounds like a lotta updated coming soon 🙏🏽💞
Hi Pam.
Thanks. Good to hear from you!
Aloha.
I traveled to Kauai October 15th 2020 the first day open to take care of our home on Kauai and followed the tourist imposed rules. The cases that started shortly after 10/15 up until the mayor closing Kauai again were mostly locals.
It amazes me how the mayor punishes those willing to test or vaccinate but allows locals to quarantine and infect the whole family!
What’s even more foolish is that the same could fly in untested with others who did!
Further foolishness is the approved testing list! We have Stanford care which is one of the best and Hawaii approved Southwest Air, Walgreens…..
Stanford care has trailed nurses, Walgreens required self administered test kits.
Leave it to the government to screw things up.
IT IS NOT THE TOURIST!
WD
How do you think that the virus got to the islands in the first place? It didn’t magically appear in the locals. Someone who was infected traveled to Hawaii. Now whether those people were there on vacation, or locals returning from visiting the mainland is irrelevant since the same travel restrictions applied. Also, the fact that NOW we get very little virus being reintroduced by travelers, is a testament to the safety precautions that have been put in place by the government of Hawaii.
You answered your own question.
Locals travel
Check the record for after Oct 15th open.
First case was a woman returning from Oahu, then infected the 2nd case…her husband.
In most cases of illness it is not a super “bug”, but a weak host. When you shut things down, immune systems do not get stronger, if anything they weaken. Also, in the entire country the use of the word “case(s)” is a poor choice. It has been used to mean several different things, in different areas. Ultimately there has been a lot of confusion, poor choice of wording, lack of following the science in many cases and mixed signals from our state and federal government.
AMEN
My wife contracted COVID last November and passed it on to me. She lost her senses of taste and smell for four days, me for three. And that was it! We both eat healthy foods, get exercise, and take vitamin supplements, especially Vitamin D3. The are some very interesting videos on the web from accredited doctors about the effects of Vitamin D3 on COVID. Also, do some research on what the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna do to your cell structure. Pretty scary.
I suspect that there are about 1/2 million people who would disagree with you about it not being a “superbug”. Or, rather they would if they could.
Besides, this is irrelevant to the posting from BOH about the fact that there’s an outbreak amongst the locals on Kauai. If you read the article, it’s a problem, contact tracking is being run, and no one is saying that the island is going to get shut down again. Thanks BOH for keeping us informed about what’s REALLY happening.
Hi Joerg.
Thanks. Another update is coming shortly about this situation in process.
Aloha.
The bug has been a preoccupation long enough. We are running out of things to say about it.
You have to let the infection run its course as we have done for all other viruses otherwise you risk compromising your immune system and that won’t be good for you in the long run. Let what God gave you, an immune system, take care of protecting you. The Covid vax week not help you in the run.
Well said!
Thanks for the update. Not good news though.
Are Hawaii’s Locals NOT getting vaccinated? What percentage of Locals ARE vaccinated? Shouldn’t the locals take that responsibility? Visitors have to be either vaccinated OR quarantined (put up in expensive holding cells – oops hotels). Shouldn’t the locals who are not vaccinated have to to the same thing?
Someone should be able to do the same mathematical equations for Hawaii locals to determine the percentage of vaccinated and the percentage of those who have antibodies naturally from exposure to get some idea of whats happening in real time.
In what age group are most of these new ‘cases’? Possibly the young who feel a sense of ‘immortality’ anyway. Hopefully, the vulnerable part of the Hawaiian population have taken care of business with vaccine. If not, why not?
Hi Colleen.
Thanks for your input. Yes, the rate of vaccination here is quite high. A number of the recent cases are children who were apparently infected within their household.
Aloha.
The risk for healthy young people is quite low. Hopefully, this will not affect the economy/tourism.
We are still hopefully of making it back later this year. As long as we don’t have to wear a mask on the beach :0/
Hi Colleen.
And we hope to see you!
Aloha.
Watch out what you wish for! :0) But a few days on Kauai would be nice too.
Dreaming of sea breezes again :0)
As the number of vaccinated elderly continue to rise, the number of new cases among the young has risen from 3% to 22%. Just last week, a 10-year-old child visiting Hawaii with his parents died. Perhaps you should reassess your assumptions
The loss of a child is a very tragic situation – But still very rare. The child was also reportedcto have had underlying health issues.
No one should have to get a jab if they don’t want them!
We feel the exact same way – that a person should have the freedom to forgo the shot if they want. But, then there is also ‘responsibility’ to keep yourself out of harms way and NOT foolishly spread disease to others if one feels even the slightest bit ill. For locals, quarantining at home is a small price to pay. They should do it willingly. Look what EVERYONE ELSE has to do in order to visit?
But, we will probably do it soon in order to live some sort of ‘normal’ life again. Sad to feel such pressure though. We hate it.
But……..
What worries you about the COVID vaccine? I’m fully vaccinated, and had no side effects, other than a sore arm. Most people I know had zero to little side effects.
The extreme reactions are the only ones you hear about in the media, and those are rare.
I would recommend you speak with your doctor if you have any reservations and want another opinion.
I did speak to my doctor, a respected MD. She said there is no way she is getting the vaccine. My pharmacist said the same thing. Their main reason: inadequate testing. Long term effects and efficacy are simply unknown, and since the mRNA process in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines- the first vaccines produced in this manner by the way- replicates itself and alters your cell structure, long term effects may not show up for months after being vaccinated. I read reports that some members of the Israeli military are exhibiting damaged hearts from the Pfizer vaccine months after being inoculated. And now the Pfizer CEO is saying. Third shot may be necessary, as will yearly boosters. Doesn’t leave me with a lot of confidence, or a warm fuzzy.
Please, please, please BOH. Please stop this baseless trash derived from watching YouTube videos. The mRNA process was first discovered in the 1940’s. It was developed to address possible viral outbreaks in the early 2000’s and was applied research to rabies, Zika, and cytmegalovirus.
Instead of delivering a virus or a viral protein, RNA vaccines deliver genetic information that allows the body’s own cells to produce a viral protein. Synthetic mRNA that encodes a viral protein can borrow this machinery to produce many copies of the protein. These proteins stimulate the immune system to mount a response, without posing any risk of infection.
From the CDC: “They do not affect or interact with our DNA in any way. mRNA never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA (genetic material) is kept. The cell breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA soon after it is finished using the instructions.”
Those are the facts about mRNA and its safety. The rest is anti-vax hyperbole, or would you rather wait for thousands of animal testing when the virus has already killed nearly 600,000 of people just like you?
Just today a number of epidemiologists suggested that the U.S. will likely never reach herd immunity and that more infectious variants are likely as a result. If SARS-Covid-2 were the more common flu virus, your point makes sense. This very contagious, deadly virus is different. My analogy is that we are in the middle of World War III against a microscopic enemy that has killed more citizens than the total killed in WW II.
Our only weapons are common sense behaviors (masks/social distance/avoiding indoor crowds) and the vaccines. When I see people dismiss the vaccines over “freedom”, I think about my parents and wonder whether there would even be a U.S. if the WW II rationing and restrictions on freedom were disdained in favor of “freedom”.
life goes on have some cheerfull thoughts, maybe start drinking again or consider smoking weed. Things are not so bad that we cannot find joy. It’s alright. Really.
So sad to see this. But, as others have said, shutting the island down did nothing but delay the inevitable. Hopefully, the cases are a majority of younger ages who Covid-19 does not effect as badly as the older ages and the older ones of the Ohana have been vaccinated.
Ed,
That was the whole point. DELAY until there was a vaccine and people get vaccinated, especially those that are most vulerable. Seems to me like it worked…
I am concerned that the gov hasn’t announced that mainland travel can avoid the quarantine and testing with the covid19 vaccine i hope in June i hope before September 1
Thank
You
Aloha BOH Bro’s
As has been expressed on several occasions by covid experts there’s no escaping exposure to the virus . Restricted travel to Kauai has held off the inevitable, but thinking the island wasn’t going to experience a surge is ignorance.
Hopefully Kauai’s ability to vaccinate much of their elderly population before a surge will help it avoid what’s going on in India and Brazil.
My concern all along is few returning residents (inter-island or trans-pac) were willing to pay $150 per person to test through Safe Travels. Their preference was to “quarantine” at home, with a couple of check-ins over the 10 day period by the Natl Guard (terrible waste of federal resources). Unless they were locked in a room and given bread and water, these residents were mingling with friends and family throughout the 10 day period.
No reason to blame the tourists who had (via Bubble resorts) and now have (required Safe Travels pre-test) a much higher safety threshold to come to Kauai.
I’ve noticed on the County of Kauai Facebook page that the majority of commenters are NO LONGER bashing the “selfish entitled tourists” as the source. This seems to be a good sign that the locals are not pressuring the Mayor to shut down tourism again.
Hi Laurie.
Thanks. We too have wondered how many people are returning to quarantine but have not seen any data.
Aloha.
There should be LOTS and LOTS of data by now if anyone really cared. :0/
Thank you for keeping us up to date. We are a family of three, all fully vaccinated, hoping to come to Kauai at the end of the month. I have been really worried about the increasing numbers, and if Kauai will be shut down again now that our vacation is fully paid for. Please keep us updated. You information has been super valuable. Mahalo.
Hi Niki.
Thanks. Yes, we will keep you updated.
Aloha.
Since the problem is not the tourists and is the locals the county needs to limit the number in groups able to congregate. Ohana is a huge problem. Big groups/parties of locals gathering is where the issue is occurring. Do not punish the tourists for following the rules when they are not the issue. Interisland travel needs to be tested as well. Either before flying or after arrival if they don’t meet the 3 day prior guideline.
Thanks for this information. Husband and I are fully vaccinated and traveling to Kauai for a week on 5/21. Actively monitoring each of your posts.
Aloha-If the cases are largely not rleated to mainland travel what possibly could be gained by shutting down again?
thanks
Hi Jon.
We certainly don’t think that a shutdown is imminent. At the same time, we can’t speak for the county. Information from them isn’t adequate at this time to fully understand their thinking as it relates to visitors, and we believe they are still evaluating how to proceed.
Aloha.
I hate to say this but at some point you have to reopen and watch the cases rise. Most of us haven’t had the luxury of being an island and closing our borders. I have always said Kauai is just delaying the inevitable. Is there another option? Stay closed forever?
This is what happens when you return to Kauai from an inter island trip with your test results not back. You should be in quarantine but you decide to go to work in a bar. They should also retest anyone who doesn’t have their test results back. Do it at the airport. It’s 15 minutes because I do not trust anyone who says they will quarantine. Kauai’s been in a bubble and many people haven’t lived through what we’ve gone through in CA. it’s a mindset. Everyone who works in the food industry should have been vaccinated a month ago. Get vaccinated!
Thanks for the updates.
Hi Joan.
Thanks for your input on this. There aren’t adequate details being released with is frustrating.
Aloha.
We are fully vaccinated and have been for some time. We are looking forward to our visit to Maui. We will get our test within 72 hours of our flight. Thanks for keeping us informed!
It was bound to happen once they opened.