The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised Hawaii County’s COVID-19 community risk level from yellow to red on Thursday, bringing all four Hawaii counties into the CDC’s highest risk group.

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

  • 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

  • Hawaii County currently has a case rate per 100,000 population of 398.49 with new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population of 15.9 and a percentage of staffed inpatient bets occupied by COVID-19 patients of 8.9%

  • Hawaii County has the lowest rate of vaccination completion in the state at 69%

 

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.

Hawaii County currently has a case rate per 100,000 population of 398.49 with new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population of 15.9 and a percentage of staffed inpatient bets occupied by COVID-19 patients of 8.9%.

Hawaii County has the lowest rate of vaccination completion in the state at 69%.

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