HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii officials said Wednesday they have identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Maui island’s only hospital as it disclosed 15 employees of the facility have tested positive.
Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said the Maui Memorial Medical Center employees have been sent home to self-isolate. He said plans were being made to isolate the workers at a quarantine site away from their families.
Bruce Anderson, the director of the state Department of Health, said the first case at the hospital was identified in mid-March and many of the initial cases were related to travel. He said it was only Tuesday when the state epidemiologist saw the connections between subsequent cases and recognized the virus had likely been transmitted between workers and from patient to worker.
He said all those who have had close contact with the employees will be tested.
Maui County has recorded 54 positive cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus. Statewide, there have been 435 cases including 25 newly reported Wednesday. Six have died and 42 people have required hospitalization.
Maui Health System said its staff members have been trained in the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols to safely care for COVID-19 patients. The organization said it has safety precautions and equipment in place.
The state Department of Transportation, meanwhile, said six crewmembers of the Pride of America cruise ship docked in Honolulu Harbor have tested positive. Two were taken to a hospital for medical treatment while the other four have been isolated on the ship.
There are about 500 crewmembers on board the Norwegian Cruise Line vessel, which is the only cruise ship homeported in Hawaii. The ship hasn’t had any passengers since mid-March when the virus prompted cruise lines to suspend operations.
Gov. David Ige said he has appointed former Hawaiian Electric CEO Alan Oshima to develop and carry out plans to help the state recover from the virus.
“We are in a crisis. This is unprecedented,” Oshima said. He pledged to bring together people from the business, nonprofit, culture and art sectors to address the needs of the community “post-COVID-19.”
Nearly one-quarter of Hawaii’s work force applied for unemployment benefits in March as restaurants, hotels and other businesses shut down to contain the spread of the virus.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.