253 New Cases in Past 2 Weeks

Graph courtesy of DOH.

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai hit a pandemic record high daily case count two days in a row for the island last week with 33 new cases on Jan. 3 and 39 cases the following day. 

As of last Sunday’s Dept. of Health data, the island had 526 cases since the pandemic began, 253 of which have been recorded in the last two weeks, between Dec. 24 and Jan. 7. 

For those experiencing any symptoms, testing sites on Molokai include Lanikeha Community Center (make an appointment at alohaclear.com), Molokai Community Health Center, Molokai General Hospital and Molokai Drugs.

Booster shot eligibility has expanded to include a single Pfizer booster for everyone ages 12 to 17 who had their primary vaccination series at least five months ago, and for children ages 5 to 11 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, the Dept. of Health now recommends getting an additional Pfizer dose 28 days after the second shot.  

“It is important all people covered by these new recommendations take advantage of the extra layer of protection that booster shots provide. They ramp up the level of your neutralizing antibodies tremendously,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char.

The booster interval recommendation of two months for people who received the J&J vaccine or six months the Moderna vaccine has not changed. Only the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5 to 11.

Mayor Michael Victorino announced he is delaying implementation of the revised public health emergency rules that change the definition of “fully vaccinated” in Maui County to include a booster shot. The revised rules will now go into effect on Jan. 24, allowing time for eligible youth and others to get their booster shots, Victorino said. The new rule, which would require proof of a booster shot in the vaccination card for entry to dine-in eateries and gyms, was originally slated to take effect Jan. 8. 

More information on vaccination and testing options are available at hawaiicovid19.com.