(BIVN) – There were 65 newly reported cases of COVID-19 in the State of Hawaiʻi on Monday. Only two (2) new cases were identified on the Big Island. Hawai’i County Civil Defense reported seven (7) persons hospitalized.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health says there have been 106 cases of COVID-19 reported on Hawaiʻi island in the past 14 days. Hawaiʻi County has seen an average 1.3% test positivity rate over the last 14 days, with an average of nine (9) new cases per day.

On the health department’s zip code area map showing reported COVID-19 cases with onset dates in the past 14 days, there are two (2) areas on Hawaiʻi island showing totals of over 10 cases:

• 96720 (Hilo) – 26 cases
• 96740 (Kona) – 43 cases

To date, the State of Hawaiʻi says 1,064,942 cumulative doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered; an increase of 37,093 from April 16.

Vaccine Eligibility Expands To 16 and Older

From the Hawaiʻi Department of Health:

Hawai‘i has reached Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination program. This means all Hawai‘i residents age 16 and older are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine.

Hawai‘i County, Maui County, and Kaua‘i County advanced to Phase 2 in early April. O‘ahu moved into Phase 2 this morning.

“Schedule your vaccine as soon as you can,” advised Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “We don’t have enough to vaccinate everyone immediately, but you can schedule your shot now. If you can’t get an appointment today, you’ll be able to get one in the near future.”

People are urged to visit the registration page at hawaiicovid19.com for vaccine opportunities.

Teens 16 and 17 years old are reminded to seek appointments for Pfizer vaccines. Pfizer has Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for people age 16 and older. Moderna vaccine is reserved for people 18 and above.

Older adults who may need additional assistance with online sign-up or who qualify for transportation services are invited to call Aloha United Way 2-1-1.

Hawaiʻi Urges OfferUp to Stop Sales of Fake Vaccination Cards

From the Department of the Attorney General:

Attorney General Clare E. Connors today called on OfferUp, an online mobile marketplace, to act immediately to prevent fraudulent or blank COVID-19 vaccine cards from being sold on its platform.

A bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general, led by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul raised concerns about the public health risks of these fake cards in a letter to the company.

The fake cards appear to be official because they include the logos for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health. However, using these deceptive cards violates many state laws which provide for injunctive relief, damages, and other penalties for such conduct.

“Those who falsely claim to be vaccinated are circumventing policies established to keep people safe,” said Attorney General Connors. “Online platforms must do everything they can to stop and prevent dangerous, unlawful conduct occurring on their platforms.”

In their letter, the attorneys general urge OfferUp to:

1.) Monitor its platform for ads or links selling blank or fraudulently completed vaccination cards.
2.) Promptly take down ads or links that are selling cards.
3.) Preserve records and information about the ads and the people who were selling them.

Attorney General Connors is joined in sending this letter by the Attorneys General of North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is available here.