Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, August 7, 2021
OHA: Disproportionate Spike in COVID-19 Cases in Native Hawaiian Communities
By News Release @ 6:54 PM :: 2907 Views :: Hawaii Statistics, OHA, COVID-19

OHA: Disproportionate Spike in COVID-19 Cases in Native Hawaiian Communities

News Release from OHA, August 7, 2021

While the entire State is experiencing a surge in positive test results, there has been a disproportionate spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Native Hawaiian communities, according to an assessment of Health Department data by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. This comes after months of maintaining relatively low numbers.

“We must stay vigilant to protect ourselves and the people we love,” organization leaders said, urging the public to follow social distancing and mask guidelines and consider learning more about the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 highlights in relation to the Native Hawaiian population includes the following:

Over the past month (July), there have been 1,114 new COVID cases attributed to Native Hawaiian residents, which represents 32% of all COVID cases statewide (with an identified race). This is a disproportionate representation, as Native Hawaiians constitute only 21% of the state’s population.  

Over the past month, COVID cases in the Native Hawaiian community have increased by 12%, compared to an 8% increase in cases statewide.

The number of new Native Hawaiian COVID-19 cases per week, increased by over 600% in the past two months from 63 new Native Hawaiian cases in the first week of June to 458 cases in the last week of July, outpacing increases in all other major race/ethnicity groups in Hawaiʻi.

Currently Native Hawaiians are underrepresented in vaccinated individuals, making up approximately 13% of vaccinated individuals, compared 21% of the general population.  “Our best estimates indicate that the vaccination rate among the Native Hawaiian community may be as low as 35% (compared to the state average vaccination rate of 60%),” according to OHA.

“Currently, there is a concern that the higher case counts among Native Hawaiians will result in increased hospitalizations and deaths, particularly for those that are the unvaccinated,” OHA reports. “95% of Hawai’i residents who are hospitalized due to COVID are unvaccinated, because being vaccinated provides a level of protection against the severe health effects of the virus. These severe health effects may not be fully apparent for roughly 1-4 weeks, as those that are infected now become sicker over time. At which point, we will have lost the opportunity to protect our ‘ohana and community,” according to the OHA assessment.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT