Tracking Hawaiiʻs progress: How are we doing as a state?
Tracking Hawaiiʻs progress: How are we doing as a state?
The number of COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i has been declining and our current positivity rate is now under 1%. This is an encouraging sign that Hawai‘i is making headway in our battle against the coronavirus. Many sacrifices have been made to get us to where are today, and we can celebrate fewer hospitalizations and healthier communities.
As we look forward to the freedom that lower numbers and more vaccinations promise, we must all show our spirit of kīnā‘ole. Doing the right thing, in the right way, in the right place, for the right reason, with the right feeling! This spirit of kīnā‘ole has contributed to Hawaii’s hopeful trends, so let’s continue to maintain safe physical distancing and wear our face masks, and not become complacent.
In the past two months, about 12.5% of Hawai‘i residents have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. We are making progress in administering the vaccinations to high-risk and top-priority groups. To date, slightly more than half, or 55%, of kūpuna age 75 and above have been vaccinated with at least one dose. Unfortunately, severe winter storms on the continental U.S. are affecting shipments to our islands this week and some appointments had to be postponed. We will keep distributing vaccines as soon as we get them--to reach as many Hawai‘i residents as possible as quickly as possible.