HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Department of Health reported 202 new cases of COVID-19 on August 12 for the state: 197 cases are from Honolulu County. Hawaii County and Kauai County each had 2 additional cases, while Maui County reported one new case. The DOH also reported 4 new deaths. The cumulative state total is now 3,968.
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There are multiple clusters of infections, including 5 distinct restaurant clusters; however, each involves a few employees at single locations, and no transmission to customers has been identified at this time. An employee potluck at Honolulu Hale is a potential transmission source for 11 cases of illness among City and County of Honolulu workers.
State Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said, “The important factor to keep in mind is, community-associated infections continue to be the responsible for the surge in COVID-19 cases in the past week and a half. The virus is transmitted though droplets, and that’s why wearing masks and distancing is so important. We must all continue these and other safe practices.” The department is investigating these cases and working with these establishments on quarantine and prevention measures for their staff. There is no risk to the public at this time and no cases beyond the workers. As more information becomes available it will be shared.
Anderson also extended condolences to the family and friends of four O‘ahu men; the latest victims of the disease. The deaths of two of the men, both over 60-years-old, were reported Tuesday, but included in case counts today. The third and fourth deaths reported today are men 40-59 years old, at least one of whom had underlying health conditions. Investigations into all of the deaths are ongoing. The death toll in Hawai‘i from COVID-19 now stands at 38.
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, August 12, 2020
| Island of Diagnosis | New Cases | Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) |
| O‘ahu | 197 | 3,558 |
| Hawai‘i | 2 | 135 |
| Maui | 1 | 189 |
| Kauai | 2 | 51 |
| Moloka‘i | 0 | 2 |
| Lana‘i | 0 | 0 |
| HI residents diagnosed outside of HI | 0 | 23 |
| Total Cases | 202 | 3,958 |
| Deaths | 4 | 38 |
Hospitalization count as of 8/11/20 at 5:30 pm: 1-Hawai‘i, 0-Maui, 131-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i
Laboratory* Testing Data
There were 2,726 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.
| Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories | Positive | Negative |
| 150,233** | 3,958 | 146,254 |
