HONOLULU — The Hawaii Department of Health said that 12 cases of omicron, the newest variant of COVID-19, have been detected on Oahu.

What You Need To Know

  • Omicron is spreading on Oahu

  • Most of the people infected had no known connection to one another

  • The Department of Health is investigating four COVID-19 cases among people who went to the nightclub Scarlet Honolulu, and two of those cases might be the omicron variant

  • Patrons of Scarlet Honolulu who attended since Dec. 3 are advised to get tested

“Most of the infected individuals have no known connection with one another. This indicates the Omicron variant is spreading deeper into our communities,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble in a news release.

The Department of Health said that they are also investigating four cases of COVID-19 among people who went to Scarlet Honolulu, a nightclub, on Pauahi Street. Samples from two of the individuals have a molecular structure that indicates they might be the omicron variant.

Anyone who visited Scarlet Honolulu since Dec. 3 is advised to get tested, according to the Department of Health.

Scarlet Honolulu has required all patrons to be fully vaccinated and they must wear masks when not actively drinking. The nightclub is partnering with Project Vision Hawaii to host a COVID-19 booster clinic Saturday, Dec. 11, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

The Department of Health said the omicron variant may be even more transmissible than the delta variant. They also said the vaccination and boosters appear to slow the spread of the new variant as well as being effective in preventing severe illness. They advised people to wear masks and avoid large crowds.

The first case of omicron on Oahu was announced last week. Officials said the person was unvaccinated and had no history of travel. The latter is a sign that there was already community spread of the variant.