More COVID-19 Cases Reported At Oahu Elderly Care Homes
Two new cases were found in a Kaneohe care home.
Two cases of COVID-19 have been discovered in a Kaneohe care home, the Department of Health reported Monday.
To date, DOH has verified eight COVID-19 cases associated with community care homes in three separate locations on Oahu, but officials did not specify the locations.
Last week, five coronavirus infections were verified in two separate state-licensed care homes in Wahiawa, but more people are being tested at one of those homes. State health officials say testing will be conducted weekly and contact tracing investigations are underway at all of the care homes.
Community Care Foster Family Homes are state-licensed smaller operations where care is provided to kupuna in a residential setting, and they are not subject to federal rules restricting visitors at larger nursing homes.
On Monday, Rep. John Mizuno, chair of the House Health Committee, and Rep. Rida Cabanilla, a registered nurse, called for more testing at elderly care facilities and urged facilities to stay in compliance with federal infection control and prevention guidelines.
鈥淲e are in the middle of a pandemic, we must learn from the mistakes and devastation of the elderly population in nursing homes everywhere from Seattle to Brazil,” Cabanilla said in a statement. “As lawmakers we need to implement these CDC guidelines to assure adequate protection of our kupuna and save lives.鈥
