The latest cluster report from the state health ministry shows how the coronavirus spread to four retail sellers in two weeks.

Of four COVID-19 cases detected among sellers in a retail store, the department said three were discovered within days of each other. After one tested positive for the coronavirus, two were tested immediately, and a fourth tested positive 10 days later in quarantine.

The workers who were not vaccinated at the time of exposure reported close contact with each other, including hugs, while working.

Health officials are reminding the public that the incubation period of COVID-19, or the time it takes for symptoms to develop after exposure, can be up to 14 days.

Tina Yamaki, president of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said vaccination efforts are now going well, with the eligibility being open to all retail workers on April 5th.

However, she would like all categories of retail workers to have earlier access to vaccines.

“We deal with the public every day,” she said. “Especially when they opened it up to hotel workers, restaurants and bars, we wondered why there is no retail because we work with the public every day.”

It will also help if vaccination certificates open to anyone aged 16 and over on Monday, she said, as many students also work part-time in retail outlets.

There are more than 165,000 retail jobs in Hawaii, according to the National Retail Federation.

The Report released on Thursday, reviews the COVID-19 clusters examined over the past 14 days and shows an alarming increase in certain settings.

These include educational institutions, social gatherings, caterers, travel, lodging, and tourism, and places of worship in Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii.

In all three districts, clusters related to an educational environment were identified, a total of 105 cases.

Here’s a closer look by county:

HONOLULU COUNTY

The highest number of cases, 26, arose from two clusters at social gatherings.

Two clusters resulted in 20 cases related to an educational setting. Another two clusters came from restaurants and generated 12 cases.

There were also the four cases associated with one cluster among retail sellers that were classified as “other”.

MAUI COUNTY

On Maui, seven clusters generated 93 cases from the travel, accommodation, and tourism industries.

The cluster at The Royal Cathedral and Chapels on Maui, which the health department previously called “an imminent health threat,” grew from 77 up to 90 cases according to the cluster report.

In a press release today, King’s Cathedral said that statement was “obviously wrong” and that the Church currently has only three active cases in two of 24 wards.

“The cathedral and the king’s chapels clean and sanitize between each service, keep the pews 6 feet apart, provide masks for parishioners at the door, and have multiple hand sanitizing stations,” the church said in the press release. “We spend time training our team in dealing with COVID-related situations to ensure community members are comfortable joining our services.”

Another six clusters in the educational setting resulted in 48 cases, plus two for food providers with 34 cases and two for restaurants with seven cases.

The Maui correctional cluster has generated 100 cases, but the health department said Thursday the inmate population is currently free of active cases.

HAWAII COUNTY

Hawaii County, which has reported few to no clusters in the past few weeks, now has three – one cluster that relates to an educational institution that has generated 37 coronavirus cases.

Further clusters arose from social gatherings and places of worship and added up to a total of 20 cases.

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