Three more COVID deaths reported in Hawaii County

Three new deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in Hawaii County this week, all of which were men.

One was between the ages of 60-69 who was hospitalized and had an underlying condition, while the other two were over the age of 80 and also were hospitalized, with one reporting an underlying condition.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, the death toll for Hawaii County has now reached 245 people.

Statewide, the Department of Health reported 11 deaths this week, tying the highest weekly total of the year. Eleven deaths also were reported for the week of Jan. 8 this year.

It is still significantly lower than the peak in January 2022, when roughly 45 deaths were reported per week.

The statewide death toll has climbed to 1,884 people since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

The DOH reports deaths once they are provided the official cause of death, which in some cases can take weeks or even months to determine.

The latest variant report from the DOH released last week also confirmed the omicron subvariant XBB.1.9.1 is the dominant strain throughout the county, accounting for 50% of all Big Island COVID-19 cases.

XBB.1.9.1 was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the World Health Organization in March.

“The variant was initially flagged due to its increasing global prevalence and higher growth advantage,” the WHO report noted. “However, currently available evidence for XBB.1.9.1 does not suggest any differences in disease severity and/or clinical manifestations compared to the original omicron variant.”