Tracking COVID Trends

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai logged 18 new COVID cases in the week between May 18 and May 25, according to the Dept. of Health. That’s down from 26 the previous week, and 40 the week before that, May 4-11. However, officials suggest that the tally is likely five to seven times what’s officially reported, due to the influx of home COVID tests, which go unreported. By that calculation, last week’s Molokai cases probably range between 90 and 126 new cases. 

Between May 17 and May 26, Molokai Middle School reported eight new COVID cases and Molokai High School had two, according to the DOE weekly COVID report. That puts Molokai Middle at a 3.4 percent positive rate on campus, down from 11.49 percent reported for the week of May 3-12, when it topped the state list for school positive case percentages among staff and students. 

Statewide, there were 8,924 new cases reported between May 18-25. When multiplied by five to account for home tests as suggested by Dr. Libby Char, Hawaii Dept. of Health director, that number is 44,620 new cases across the state. The average test positive rate is reported at 18.3 percent, a continuing rising trend from 14.3 percent positively statewide as of May 11. 

Char urges residents to stay home if they feel sick, whether or not they test positive. If you test at home and it’s negative, she suggested retesting in a few days once the potential virus has had more time to develop, to confirm whether or not you have COVID.