Weekly County Video Briefing: COVID Numbers Continue to Decline

COVID-19 case counts continued their decline on Kauaʻi and statewide during the past week, according to Mayor Derek Kawakami in this week’s county briefing video Thursday, July 7.

Kauaʻi’s seven-day average is now 31 cases a day, down from 32 last week. The statewide average is 651 cases a day, down from 685 the week before.

“That’s the fourth consecuitve week of declining cases,” Kawakami said in the video.

The mayor also made sure to remind the public again that the actual numbers are higher because the state’s data does not include home test results.

“About 1 in 5 people who come in and get tested is testing positive,” Kawakami said.

Kauaʻi’s test positivity rate is 18.6%, down from 21% last week. The statewide rate is 15.1%.

“Our hospitals and health care system are managing cases and have adequate capacity,” Kawakami said.

Kauaʻi District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman said everyone 6 months and older is now eligible for COVID vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna; young children get smaller doses than older children and adults.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials encourage parents to vaccinate keiki to protect them against severe illness, including children who already had COVID.

“If you are the parent of parent or caregiver of a child over 6 months and under 5 years old, vaccines are now available through Wilcox, Kaiser Līhuʻe and Hoʻola Lahui clinics.”

Check kauai.gov/vaccine for updates and additional vaccination locations.

Berrman also talked about monkeypox during the “Ask Dr. B” segment of the video.

To watch the entire briefing, click here.