A civilian employee at Tripler Army Medical Center became the first confirmed COVID-19 case within the Army community in Hawaii, the service said today.
Military medical personnel were informed of the positive test results on Wednesday, the Army said.
The employee had recently traveled to New York and started to develop symptoms after returning to Oahu, and took the precaution of self-isolating at home.
The individual then pursued testing through an urgent care facility after personal notification that a close contact during travel had tested positive for COVID-19.
“The employee is currently in self-isolation and will be monitored by medical personnel from the medical center,” the Army said.
Tripler and Army Public Health Nursing teams are working with the state of Hawaii’s Department of Public Health and already began implementing the protocols for contact tracing to determine whether any other individuals may have been exposed, and will ensure those individuals are notified and receive appropriate follow-up, according to the Army.
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