The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised Honolulu and Maui Counties’ COVID-19 community risk level from yellow to red following yet another week of rising case counts and increased pressure on local hospital resources.

What You Need To Know

  • The CDC relies on three key metrics to determine COVID-19 community levels: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population over seven days; the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over seven days

  • The CDC recommends residents in high-risk communities wear a mask indoors when in public, stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if symptoms arise and take additional precautions if at high risk for severe illness

  • Honolulu County currently has a case rate of 505.05 per 100,000 population, with a new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population rate of 12.4 and 4% of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients 

  • Kauai, which is at higher risk of system overload because of limited resources, was elevated to red, high-level community risk last week

For high-risk communities, the CDC recommends residents wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, get tested if symptoms arise and take additional precautions if at high risk for severe illness. 

The CDC relies on three key metrics to determine COVID-19 community levels: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population over seven days; the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over seven days. 

New admissions and inpatient beds occupied show the potential for strain on the health system, while data on recent cases acts as an early warning for potential for increases in health-system strain in the event of a surge.

Honolulu County currently has a case rate per 100,000 population of 505.05 with new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population of 12.4 and a percentage of staffed inpatient bets occupied by COVID-19 patients of 4%.

Maui County currently has a case rate per 100,000 population of 471.88 with new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population of 12.4 and a percentage of staffed inpatient bets occupied by COVID-19 patients of 4%.

Kauai, which is at higher risk of system overload because of limited resources, was elevated to red, or high-level community risk, last week. Hawaii County remains the only large population base in the state at the CDC’s yellow, medium-risk level.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.