The Saturday morning, May 9, 2020 Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard at 5:32 a.m.:

Worldwide cases:  3,974,036    Worldwide deaths:   276,007

U.S. cases:  1,288,569   U.S. deaths:  77,344

The United Kingdom, with 216,525 cases, now has the highest death toll across the Atlantic,  at 31,662, more than either Italy (30,201) or Spain (26,299).

In the United States, the COVID-19 deaths have surpassed annual season flu deaths, which generally occur between October and April each year, and which the CDC estimates as up to 61,000 each year since 2010.  The COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have only been counted for 3 months.

In Hawaii, the case count stands at 629, with no new cases confirmed on Friday.  Of these, the State Department of Health says 565 have been “released from isolation,” meaning they are no longer being monitored by DOH because they have passed the required time from isolation, died, or left the jurisdiction.

Hawaii Island, as of Friday, had 74 total cases, and according to the State DOH, 67 released from isolation.

Hawaii health and government officials stress that having no new cases reported on Friday is very positive, but not a cause to relax physical distancing or hygiene practices.  Hawaii  County Mayor Harry Kim has provided a list of businesses which may begin reopening, but part of the Emergency Rule is that all are required to wear masks in stores and continue staying at least 6 feet away from others.  Both the Mayor and the Governor emphasize, we are safer at home.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on U. S. and global health issues, has created a chart that shows the case trend in several countries.  Although the case count continues to rise significantly in the U.S., in Hawaii, the COVID-19 curve is flat.   Click here for the original chart.