Hilo Medical Center has announced one additional death from COVID-19, bringing the island’s total death count from the virus to 3.   The victim was a resident of the Yukio Otsuku Veterans Home, and had significant underlying conditions, as were the previous two.

According to a release from HMC, 16 total COVID-positive patients are hospitalized, with 2 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and 14 in COVID Unit.  All patients with COVID-19 are isolated from the reset of the patients.

o   Behavioral Health Update

• As of Monday, August 31, all patients and staff on the Behavioral Health Unit who were tested are negative after an employee informed management of a positive COVID-19 test result last week.
• The hospital is doing one more round of surveillance testing and assessing restarting admissions to the unit after results are received.

o   YUKIO OKUTSU STATE VETERANS HOME UPDATE (as of 12:30 pm on Monday, August 31, 2020)

o   28 residents and 10 employees have tested positive for COVID-19

• No Yukio Okutsu State Veteran Home residents are currently hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center
• 2 residents were released from hospital and returned to the veterans home for continued care; 3 more will be released soon
• 25 total residents are currently cared for at the veterans home’s COVID designated area