The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has moved Honolulu and Maui counties from the yellow, medium-risk community level to the red, high-risk community level for COVID-19.

Honolulu and Maui counties join Kauai County, which last week was bumped up to a high-risk community due to high case rates and limited hospital capacity. Hawaii County remains yellow.

The three counties join about one-third of the U.S. population that now lives in a high-risk area with rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, and should consider masking indoors.

Under CDC guidelines, those living in high-risk communities should wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public and on public transportation, regardless of vaccination status.

People should also stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.

Those who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease should take additional precautions and consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where they could be exposed.

The metrics used to determine community levels are based on new COVID-19 admissions at hospitals, percent of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, and coronavirus case rates per 100,000 people.

In Honolulu County, CDC counted about 505 cases per 100,000 people, 12.4 new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000, and 4% of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients confirmed to have COVID.

In Maui County, CDC said there were about 472 cases per 100,000 people, 12.4 new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000, and 4% of staffed inpatient beds used by patients confirmed to have COVID.

In Kauai County, rates were even higher. CDC listed about 636 cases per 100,000 people, 9.7 new COVID admissions per 100,000, and 10.2% of staffed inpatient beds used by patients confirmed with COVID.

Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami in a county briefing today noted this, and said masks should be worn indoors in public places.”

“Again, use your best judgement when it comes to the safety of yourself and your family members,” he said.

He also sent condoloences to the family of the county’s latest COVID-related death reported earlier this week — a male resident in his 90s who was hospitalized.

The Kauai Health District Office is investigating more than a dozen active clusters, he said, mostly at workplaces among staff not wearing masks and not social distancing, and started by an employee who went to work while sick.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi in Wednesday’s “Spotlight Hawaii” encouraged people to wear their masks and to get boosted, if eligible.

He said a mask mandate was a “possibility” if hospitals got crowded, but that the county was not mandating masks at this point, and was instead, encouraging people to be responsible.

In a tweet Wednesday evening, he said, “My administration is not considering the reinstatement of any coronavirus restrictions at this time, including mask mandates. We will always work with our partners in the healthcare industry to consider all possible solutions to any situation that warrants a response.”

On Wednesday, the Hawaii Department of Health reported 7,149 new COVID-19 infections over the previous week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 265,571 cases.

The state’s 7-day average of new cases today was reported at 925 compared to 722 on May 11, representing the eighth consecutive, weekly increase. The estimated daily average of new cases is five to six times higher when results from home test kits — which are not tallied — are factored in, according to DOH director Dr. Libby Char.

The average positivity rate for Kauai rose to 23.0% on Wednesday, according to DOH, while those for Honolulu and Maui counties increased to 18.5% and 16.2% respectively.

The community levels are updated by CDC every Thursday.