(BIVN) – The County of Hawaiʻi on Wednesday morning opted not to share an estimate on the number of active cases of COVID-19 on Hawaiʻi island, as it has done for the last few months. Instead, the County announced there are six (6) newly reported cases of coronavirus on Hawaiʻi island, and said that there was another death related to the outbreak at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home in Hilo, bringing the death toll to ten (10).

The number of active cases indicated by State of Hawaiʻi in its Tuesday update, 290, is displayed above. Note that this number only accounts for the State-reported three (3) deaths on Hawaiʻi island, and not the ten (10) deaths reported by the County of Hawaiʻi.

From the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense radio message issued on Wednesday morning:

On today’s update of COVID-19, the number of new active cases, on Hawaii Island, reported and monitored by the Department of Health is six (6). At this date, for Hawaii Island, eight (8) are hospitalized. The Hilo Medical Center reports a total of ten deaths, all are from the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home. Prayers and condolences from the Island’s People go out to the families. No words can express our sadness.

For your information, an ʻOhana food service will be held today in Hilo at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Distribution begins at 10:00 am.

In efforts to control the spread of the Coronavirus on Hawaii Island, increased testing will continue throughout the Island. Remember the purpose of testing is to identify positive cases as early as possible and in this way help stop the spread of the virus and to provide early treatment. There are two scheduled test sites today, in Kona at Keauhou Shopping Center and in Kaʻu at the Pahala Gym. Residents and staff will be tested today at the Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home. For your information, S&G Labs has completed testing of all staff and residents at the Life Care Center of Hilo and Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Center. At this date, all test results are negative. Retesting is now being scheduled in both facilities as part of a comprehensive testing plan.

In continuing efforts to control the spread of the Coronavirus on Hawaii Island, the Hawaii County Police Department will continue their enforcement of the preventative polices of face coverings, distancing, and gatherings. Know that these policies are mandated and will be enforced. While on patrol, Police Officers will provide face coverings to people they encounter who do not have one. Mahalo for your help.

With all accepting kuleana, we can stop the spread of the virus to keep your family, friends, and neighbors safe. With the community’s involvement, we can keep Hawaii Safe.

Thank you for listening and please take care of each other.

NOTE ON MAP CHANGES: The Hawaiʻi Department of Health made dramatic changes over the holiday weekend in the way it displays COVID-19 case data on its zip code area maps. Along with altering the color gradients, the department is evidently no longer displaying colors for zip code areas with a population of less than 1,000. This unexplained change impacts a number of communities along the Hāmākua coast, for example. The Hawaiʻi Department of Health has not yet responded to our questions on this change.