New COVID-19 Case Connected to Inter-Island Travel Confirmed

One new COVID-19 case was confirmed in Kaua‘i County and another probable case is pending laboratory results, officials announced this morning. This is the first new case after months of nearly no reported infections on the island.

According to county officials, the confirmed case is related to inter-island travel, and the pending case is a household contact. Both individuals are currently in isolation. The contact investigation is ongoing. All close contacts are directed to quarantine by the Department of Health and offered a test.

The news of this new positive case comes after the state pre-travel testing program was launched on Thursday.

“While pre- and post-travel testing can provide an additional layer of protection, a quarantine is always the safest option,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “Travelers now have the option to test out of quarantine, but it is still advised that you keep your distance from others as much as possible for 14 days after travel.”

Kaua‘i’s new cases will be reflected in the State’s COVID-19 dashboard, which can be found at hawaiicovid19.com. The count is updated at noon every day.