Hawaii health officials add reinfections to COVID case count, boosting state's tally by nearly 11k

Sep. 29—Reinfections were counted as long as the second case happened at least 90 days after the first.

The Hawaii Department of Health today reported 12, 755 more cases over the week, including 10, 995 reinfection cases dating back to September 2020.

Health officials said, starting today, they are including reinfections on the state's COVID-19 data dashboard. They said reinfections, once rare, now account for about 10 % of new confirmed cases.

Before today, the case count only represented the number of unique individuals whose positive tests had been reported, and a person who tested positive multiple times was counted once.

"The data on reinfections underscores what we have been saying ; that limited immunity from previous infection only lasts so long, " said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble in a news release. "Regardless of whether a person has had COVID-19 in the past, they should stay up to date on their vaccinations and boosters to get increased protection from severe illness and hospitalization."

DOH counted reinfection cases dating back to the earliest reinfection in September 2020, when the first reinfection was recorded.

Reinfections were counted as long as the second case happened at least 90 days after the first. Multiple positive tests within a 90-day period were counted only once. Health Department officials also said the number of reinfections is likely an undercount, given the increased use of home test kits.

The added reinfections count brings Hawaii's total COVID case count to 355, 959.

Additionally, the 12, 755 figure includes about 800 historic cases that were added as the data was cleaned up, officials said.

Kemble said reinfections were rare early in the pandemic, and thus, reinfection statistics were relatively insignificant. However, the percentage of COVID-19 cases involving people who have had prior infection has increased over time.

There were also seven more deaths reported over the week, bringing Hawaii's COVID-related death toll to 1, 686, health officials said today.

By island, there were 9, 092 cases on Oahu, 1, 802 on Maui, 1, 240 on Hawaii island, 534 on Kauai, 26 on Molokai, and 19 on Lanai. A total of 42 cases were counted in residents out of state.

DOH says reinfections will also be counted in the 7-day average daily case count, which will result in higher average daily case counts than under the previous data reporting method.

Hawaii's average daily case count today was reported at 164, higher than 148 reported Sept. 28.

The average positivity rate, at 5.7 %, meanwhile, was lower than reported the previous week, at 6.0 %.