The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard for Sunday, September 13, at 5:26 a.m.:

Worldwide cases: 28,807,891     Worldwide deaths: 921,022

U.S. cases: 6,492,744    U.S. deaths:  193,734

According to the Dashboard, the reported worldwide case report increased by 261,892 in the last 24 hours.  Deaths worldwide increased by  4,352.

According to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, the United States has added 40,137 cases in the last 24 hours.  In that time,  the number of reported deaths from  COVID-19 increased by 557.

Hawaii’s total case count as of Saturday afternoon is 10,588, with more than 7,000 active cases.  The Big Island has 572 total cases, with around 284 active.

Hilo Medical Center as of Saturday at 5:30 p.m. had 18 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, 4 of whom were residents at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home, with 6 COVID patients in the ICU, and 12 in the COVID Unit.  The hospital is restricting visitors because one patient who had been admitted for issues other than COVID-19 tested positive for COVID on Friday.

There have been 11 deaths from COVID-19  on the Big Island.  Ten of those who died were residents at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home.  As of Saturday at 5:30 p.m.,  66 residents and 27 employees have tested positive for COVID-19.   Saturday afternoon, Mayor Harry Kim held a press conference and said he wants the administrators of the Veterans Home, Avalon Health Care, removed.  He did not indicate who should take over management of the home.  Avalon VP of Legal, Allison Griffiths, said neither the Veterans Administration nor the state had asked them to step down, and their only concern is their residents.  She said “Our residents are our one and only priority. We do not have the luxury of time to engage in any fights other than beating this virus. That is where our focus will remain.”

Friday evening, Lt. Governor Josh Green confirmed he has tested positive for COVID-19.  He is recuperating at home.  He worked as an Emergency Room doctor at Kohala Hospital last Friday through Monday.  The hospital is testing patients and staff with whom he may have come in contact, and anywhere Green was has been given extra sanitation.

HOPE Services, which staffs homeless and transitional shelters on the island, has announced one of their shelter employees tested positive last Thursday and they are taking appropriate measures.

In the Saturday press conference, Mayor Kim said the testing a week ago at Miloli’i showed no positive cases.  There was an additional testing in the village yesterday.