The number of dengue fever cases in Hawaii island has grown to 246 cases since October after two additional cases were reported Tuesday.

Aedes aegypti/CDC
Aedes aegypti/CDC

Just days after Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard called on Hawaii Governor David Ige to declare the Hawaiʻi Island dengue fever outbreak a state of emergency, Ige held a news conference defending the state’s dengue response.

The Governor stated that the state has enough capacity to deal with the outbreak and an emergency proclamation to deal with the outbreak isn’t needed at this time…However, it may be in the future.

Ige went on to say that they are actually “making progress. The number of cases has been fewer and farther between.”

Health officials said yesterday that another travel-associated dengue fever case was confirmed in Maui, bringing the total to three since October.

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