New COVID-19 variant now dominant in Hawaii – Hawaii Tribune-Herald

The Hawaii Division of Well being confirmed Thursday that BA.2 is now the dominant COVID-19 variant all through the state.

The variant accounts for 70% of all circumstances, up 40% from two weeks prior.

For Hawaii County, the BA.2 variant accounts for 68% of circumstances.

“The extremely transmissible BA.2 variant is increasingly prevalent in Hawaii,” stated DOH spokesman Brooks Baehr. “That is the fourth straight week we’ve got seen a rise within the common each day case rely.”

The statewide common each day case rely launched Wednesday was 164, up considerably from the 87 listed on March 23.

Positivity charges have steadily elevated all through the month as effectively. On March 23, the speed was 2.9%, adopted by 3.3% on March 30, 4% on April 6 and 4.9% on Wednesday.

“There are a number of causes for this,” stated Baehr, citing the lifting of indoor masking necessities, the ending of the Protected Travels program and the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s classification of the state’s threat as “low,” resulting in extra gatherings and in-person occasions.

“Individuals can cut back transmission by persevering with to put on masks indoors, staying dwelling when they’re sick, and getting vaccinated and boostered,” Baehr stated.

Whereas Hilo Medical Middle has seen an uptick in ER visits, as much as 5 for COVID, it’s considerably decrease than the over 40 that occurred in the course of the first omicron surge, based on spokeswoman Elena Cabatu.

The BA.2 variant grew to become the dominant type of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide on March 22, based on the World Well being Group.

BA.2 is taken into account a sublineage of omicron, however the WHO’s Technical Advisory Group emphasised it needs to be monitored as “distinct” by public well being authorities.

Preliminary experiences from the WHO famous BA.2 has a development benefit over BA.1, the unique omicron pressure, indicating BA.2 is extra transmissible.

The DOH additionally confirmed Thursday that new omicron variant XE, which comprises genetic materials derived each from BA.1 and BA.2, was detected in Hawaii on Oahu.

The WHO indicated XE is roughly 10% extra transmissible than BA.2.

E-mail Grant Philips at gphillips
@hawaiitribune-herald.com.