Anne Broderson, a nurse with Ali’i Health Center, said on Saturday morning that an “extremely alarming community spread is occurring [in] West Hawaii. Public needs to stay home.”
Broderson was reacting to the news Saturday morning from Hawaii County Civil Defense that the number of positive COVID-19 cases on the Big Island had jumped to 59, from the CD number on Friday of 42, or the State Department of Health number of 44 at noon. The Civil Defense message said 27 of the cases are associated with the outbreak at McDonald’s in Kona Commons and at Walmart, both of which are closed.
On Friday in the Governor’s media briefing, State Health Director Bruce Anderson reported that 14 cases were part of the outbreak. At the time, he said the 14 cases were all employees or family members of the first infected worker. He also said the outbreak points out how contagious the virus is, and how important it is for people, if sick, to stay home and isolated. He and Lt. Governor Josh Green, as well as other officials, have also been stressing the importance of staying well away from others–at least 6 feet –and practicing proper hygiene, washing hands frequently.
On Saturday morning, Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno said he believes all 27 of the cases noted in the morning message are employees or close family members of the employees at the two McDonald’s restaurants. He also said all employees at the locations have been offered testing, and many were tested last Thursday, April 16. He said some of the results in this morning’s Civil Defense message reflect those testing results. He said that State Department of Health continues to have responsibility for contact tracing, confirming with each person who has tested positive with whom they had been in contact. State DOH Director Anderson has said previously that on average, most are in contact with 30 or more people.
On the West side, Ali’i Health at Keauhou Shopping Center is doing drive-through COVID-19 screening and testing on Mondays and Thursdays from 8 until noon. Broderson urged those interested to call in advance for a pre-screening over the phone, at 808-747-8321, Option 5. The pre-screening by phone will shorten waiting time at the site, but those who have not called may be screened on site. In addition, Ali’i Health will offer screening and testing this Wednesday, April 22, at St. Jude Episcopal Church in Ocean View from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Those interested should call this Monday or Tuesday for pre-screening at 808-747-8321, Option 5, and they will be tested first on Wednesday. However, if the telephone pre-screening is not possible, those concerned should come for on-site screening. Testing will be done as appropriate.
Other screening and testing sites continue to be open around the island. Click here for a list.
Screening includes a conversation to find out what your exposure is (have you been in close contact with somebody with COVID-19), looking for symptoms such as dry cough or fever or shortness of breath, travel history, exposure to large numbers of people such as may be the case with first responders.
Broderson said the spread is serious, and people need to limit their excursions out of the house, limit grocery or other essential shopping to as few times a month as they can, wear masks in stores, and continue with proper hygiene.
Governor Ige on Friday mandated the wearing of cotton masks for anybody going into a store.
In press briefings, DOH’s Anderson has stressed that the map of where people live who have COVID-19 reflects their residence, not where they may have eaten, shopped, exercised, or been, and that one may be exposed to the virus anywhere.