3% of Hawaii’s COVID cases are among vaccinated people, Lt. Gov. Green says

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Health officials insist this is now a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” after most cases reported were in unvaccinated individuals.

However, a small number of vaccinated individuals are still contracting COVID-19. According to Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Josh Green, about 3% of the recent cases have been in those who got the shot.

On Tuesday, Hawaii saw 100 new cases with 70 people hospitalized statewide. It marked the sixth consecutive day Hawaii’s daily gains have been in the triple digits.

Health leaders have said getting the vaccine doesn’t make a person immune, but it can lessen the impacts from the virus.

Green added that the numbers will likely remain high for the near future as the fully vaccinated rate sits just below 60%.

“We won’t get a spike as bad as we did last year after the Fourth of July, but there’s still several hundred thousand people that don’t have immunity, so that’s why you’re seeing some cases,” Green said.

Green also clarified that he thinks the state’s indoor mask mandate is a good thing, and will help protect unvaccinated people going forward.

“I think that if you have to have a mask mandate to keep this thing down, that’s fine, that’s good. But individuals who have gone the extra mile to become vaccinated, it’s clear that they are safer,” Green said. “I think absolutely people should be wearing masks, especially if they’re unvaccinated indoors.”

“People can make a choice in their life whether or not they want to get vaccinated, but they will be safer, and they will be safer for their kids and their parents if they get vaccinated,” Green added.

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