coronavirus

Updated: 10/27/2020, 12:40 p.m. The Hawaii Department of Health today reported three deaths and 66 new COVID-19 cases. The count for Lanai , which is seeing an outbreak that has locked down the island, increased by 9 cases to 87 in total.

Updated 10/26/20, 12:13 p.m.

BOISE, Idaho — Deaths per day from the coronavirus in the U.S. are on the rise again, just as health experts had feared, and cases are climbing in practically every state, despite assurances from President Donald Trump over the weekend that "we're rounding the turn, we're doing great."

Updated: 10/26/2020, 12:15 p.m. Gov. David Ige has approved a stay-at-home order and travel restrictions on Lanai beginning at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. The order would require travelers and visitors to remain at home or in their lodgings except for essential reasons such as grocery shopping.

With nine days before Election Day, more people already have cast ballots in this year's presidential election than voted early or absentee in the 2016 race as the start of in-person early voting in big states led to a surge in turnout in recent days.

Lanai High and Elementary School has switched to distance learning as the COVID-19 outbreak on the island grows and Maui County officials await approval to impose a stay-at-home order on the island starting Tuesday. 

An increase in firearm permits issued and firearms registered this year may be the result of the coronavirus and the upcoming national election, the Honolulu police chief said.

Hawaii had more than 65,000 travelers arrive in the islands in the first week of its pre-travel coronavirus testing program, a state effort to get the tourism-based economy moving again amid the pandemic.

State officials said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that 66,644 people were screened between the Oct. 15 launch and Thursday. Of those visitors — including returning residents, tourists and others — 41,783 tested negative for the coronavirus and were allowed to skip the previously required two weeks of quarantine.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino expects Lanai residents and visitors will be under a mandatory stay-at-home order beginning Tuesday. The order is subject to approval by Gov. David Ige, who Victorino said should be signing off on it this weekend.

Updated: 10/23/2020. 7:30 p.m.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino has asked the governor to lock down Lanai to travel and order residents to stay at home beginning Tuesday after the number of COVID-19 cases on the island spiked to 65 today. Lanai has a population of about 3,000.

Updated: 10/23/2020, 12:15 p.m. 

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 3 deaths and 131 new COVID-19 cases. It's the second day running that the state's case count have reached three digits, driven in part by the outbreak on Lanai.

The latest count brings the total number of COVID cases during the pandemic to 14,464. The death toll rose to 209.

U.S. regulators on Thursday approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given through an IV for patients needing hospitalization.

Updated: 10/22/2020, 12:08 p.m. The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 3 deaths and 102 new COVID-19 cases. The new infections return the state's case count to three-digit territory.

NEW YORK — U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.

Updated 10/21/20, 11:30 a.m.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Hospitals across the United States are starting to buckle from a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, with several states setting records for the number of people hospitalized and leaders scrambling to find extra beds and staff. New highs in cases have been reported in states big and small — from Idaho to Ohio — in recent days.

Updated: 10/21/2020, 12:55 p.m.

A lawyer for U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Wednesday that his client, who is charged with illegally entering a Hawaii public park that was closed because of the coronavirus, will plead not guilty.

Hawaiʻi’s Pacific Islander community is seeing a bump in COVID-19 cases after weeks of declining numbers. The situation has been particularly rough on the state’s Micronesian community, which has experienced a void in diplomatic leadership throughout the pandemic.

Updated: 10/21/2020, 1:05 p.m.

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 14 deaths and 78 new COVID-19 cases. The state said 10 of the deaths were reported as a result of updated information from Hawaii Island nursing homes. They occurred from mid-September to early October. Four more recent deaths occurred on Oahu.

Updated: 10/19/2020, 12:09 p.m. The Hawaii Department of Health today reported no deaths and 39 new COVID-19 cases, among the best daily counts the state has recorded in recent weeks.

Oahu had 31 new cases followed by 7 on Hawaii Island, 1 on Kauai and none in Maui County. The latest count brings the total number of COVID cases during the pandemic to 14,068. The death toll stood at 187. 

Public schools in Hawaii reported 10 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus among staff and students during the week that ended Friday.

FRANKFURT, Germany — What will it take to get people flying again? International air traffic is down 92% this year as travelers worry about catching COVID-19 and government travel bans and quarantine rules make planning difficult. One thing airlines believe could help is to have rapid virus tests of all passengers before departure.

WASHINGTON — Gone are the days when President Donald Trump held forth daily at the White House podium flanked by members of his coronavirus task force. And the days when Vice President Mike Pence and other task force officials would head to Trump’s office to brief him immediately after their meetings.

Hundreds of Hawaii airport concession, bar and restaurant workers are expected to be permanently laid off this week, according to a local union.

Updated: 10/16/2020, 3:21 p.m. 

The state Department of Health today reported 1 death and 89 new COVID-19 cases. The latest case count represents the second day running of daily infections in the double digits. The number brings the statewide total of coronavirus cases to 13,853. The death toll rose to 185.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday that he was wrong not to wear a mask at the White House, after he and President Donald Trump both came down with the coronavirus.

Updated: 10/15/2020, 3:29 p.m. Hawaii is focusing too much on COVID-19 infections that might come through its airports when the vast majority of COVID-19 cases result from community clusters, said Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz.