Lt. Governor  Dr. Josh Green gave an update on Hawai‘i’s healthcare capacity Monday during Gov. David Ige’s press conference, saying the State has the capacity to handle the uptick in cases it’s seen over the last few days.  Since June 1, the state has added 378 cases.  O’ahu accounted for 329 of those cases.

The state’s cumulative total is 1,030 with 781 released from isolation and monitoring by the State Department of Health.  Hawaii Island has 94 cumulative cases, with 7 active.

Lt. Gov. Green said the state has more than 2,500 hospital beds, and that 77% of those with COVID have recovered.  He and other officials expressed concern about the recent cases, saying they were mostly a result of people gathering without masks, at bars, at gatherings and parties, and at gyms.

Lt. Gov. Green said, “While I know everyone is focused on the increase in daily case numbers, I want to reassure everyone that we’re in good shape from a healthcare perspective. However, this is about teamwork.  We absolutely need the participation of our community members to keep us in a good spot. Please wear your masks, physically distance, wash your hands, and stay home when you’re sick.”

Lt. Gov. Green said even on the Big Island, hospitals can handle an increase in cases.  He used Hilo Medical Center as an example and said it can “surge,” i.e. convert non-ICU beds into ICU beds, up to 30%.  He also said he meets (virtually) with all the state’s and the island’s hospitals and health centers once a week, to ensure there is open communication and everybody is aware of the capabilities of the healthcare system and working as a team.

Lt. Gov. Green also shared the following hospital numbers and statistics:

 

	ICU BEDS	VENTILATORS
TOTAL	244	459
IN-USE	120	53
PERCENTAGE	49%	12%

 

• 115 COVID-19 related hospitalizations (32 in June and early July)
•  With 19 fatalities, Hawai‘i continues to have lowest mortality rate per 100k in the U.S.
• Hawai‘i’s recovery rate at 77%
• 85,673 people tested; 100,888 tests conducted to-date