The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard for Monday, August 24, at 5:27 a.m.:

Worldwide cases:  23,472,067   Worldwide deaths: 809,747

U.S. cases:  5,709,839 U.S. deaths: 176,901

According to the Dashboard, the reported worldwide case report increased by 215,500 in the last 24 hours.  Deaths worldwide increased by more than 4,104.   Although cases and deaths continue to grow, they are growing at a smaller daily number than they have over the past couple of months.

According to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, the United States has added 35,263 cases in the last 24 hours.  In that time,  the number of reported deaths from  COVID-19 increased by 437.   This is a decline in the number of daily increases over the previous weeks.

The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is predicting that around 300,000 Americans will die of COVID-19 by Dec. 1 at the current rate, but that the trend can be stopped if more people wear masks.

In Hawaii, as of Sunday, the cumulative case count was 6,600, with the number of active cases at more than 4,410.  State Department of Health reported that as of noon on Sunday, the Big Island had 200 cumulative cases, with 59 active.  The Big Island has seen a surge in cases, especially in Hilo, with Hawaii County Civil Defense saying one cause is several memorial gatherings in Hilo at the end of July with scores of people and no distancing and no masks.

On August 1, Hawaii County had 115 total cases, so in the first 23 days of August, the island’s case count has increased by 85.