Governors Office:

Thousands of Small Businesses Get SBA Help

During his daily news briefing today, Governor David Ige announced that 8,426 small businesses have had Small Business Administration Loans approved under the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program. The total amount approved for Hawai‘i businesses so far totals $1,626,051,108. The governor again encouraged all residents of Hawai‘i to wear masks when in public and to abide by physical distancing measures.

 

Lt. Governor’s Office:

Update from Lieutenant Governor Josh Green – State COVID-19 Healthcare Liaison

 

Statewide Hospital Capacity Update as of April 14, 2020

HOSPITAL BEDS	ICU BEDS	VENTILATORS
2,773 Total Beds 1,354  Currently in use 49%	244 ICU Beds 89 Currently in use 36%	535 Total Ventilators 39 Currently in use 7.2%

Individuals hospitalized (cumulative to date): 45

 

Department of Health:

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Cases at 517

Four (4) Hawai‘i residents, who are currently not in the state, are among the 13 new positive cases of COVID-19 being reported today. All four people are in isolation and upon their return to Hawai‘i will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Of the 13 cases, all but one (1) are Hawai‘ residents. One (1) of the new cases is a minor and the other 12 are adults.

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
19,591	515	19,044

32 test results were inconclusive

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12:00 NOON, APRIL 14, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	6	358	249
Hawai‘i	1	41	29
Maui	2	86	41
Kaua‘i	0	21	14
Moloka‘i	0	2	Included in Maui numbers
Lana‘i	0	0	Included in Maui numbers
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	4	6
Unknown**	0	3
Total	13	517
Total released from isolation			333
Deaths	0	9

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

 

No Public Health Threat from Kona Restaurant Cases

DOH is investigating a limited, localized community spread of COVID-19 among employees at a Kona food establishment. DOH Director Dr. Bruce Anderson identified the business as a McDonald’s restaurant. Fortunately, the restaurant, like many food establishments, had previously implemented social distancing measures to protect customers and prevent exposure prior to an employee testing positive. The establishment has closed its operation and performed enhanced cleaning. The twelve (12) employees who have tested positive are in isolation and exposed employees without symptoms are self-quarantined at home. Two individuals are both employees and live in the same household. The investigation is ongoing and based on findings so far, DOH does not believe this outbreak poses a risk to the general public. The department is continuing to work with the restaurant to ensure all possible precautions are being taken to prevent further spread of disease. There is no risk to the public, as only workers were involved, and the restaurant was taking necessary physical distancing measures to protect customers.

 

DOH Continues Working Closely with Maui Memorial Medical Center on Cluster of Cases

The health department is continuing to aggressively investigate every case at Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) to protect this vulnerable population. At this time, 34 people have tested positive for COVID-19. DOH is including all cases identified as positive within the time period of concern, so this number includes some who represent separate introductions or those with no identified association with other cases at MMMC but occurring within the time period of focus. Additional supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have been provided to MMMC to protect health care workers. All those affected with symptoms are in isolation and those without symptoms are in quarantine.

 

Health Care Association of Hawai‘i Joins DOH to Call for Medical Volunteers

The call went out this afternoon for volunteer medical professionals to join the Hawai‘i Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The Health Care Association of Hawai‘i and DOH are seeking licensed healthcare professionals, not currently working in clinical roles to help shore up volunteer medical personnel in case of a potential surge in COVID-19 patients. Non-medical volunteers are also needed. This can include retired or out-of-state professionals such as:

1. Physicians
2. Nurses
3. Respiratory Therapists
4. Radiologic Technologists
5. EMTs
6. Community Health Workers
7. Many other roles

This effort is crucial because the Hawaii’s healthcare needs are more important than ever during this global pandemic.

The link to the registry is: www.nlk.doh.hawaii.gov.

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center:

Physical Distancing Posters and Infographics

Please feel free to download and use any of the posters and graphics sized for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter which promote physical distancing. Poster languages/dialects are:

Chuukese, Hawaiian, Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Samoan, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

 

Full color posters (8.5×11 vertical, 11×8.5 horizontal, 11×17 vertical, 17×11 horizontal):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hxrw6r9wl9hqfjp/AADsTo0FBLI_ol3ol5yUQD4ba?dl=0

Infographics:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wubwnxooahmeclv/AACsVpSBkK3BzNsGCWVxwK5ka?dl=0

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

691 Passenger Arrivals Yesterday

Yesterday, 691 people arrived in Hawai’i, including 164 visitors and 205 residents. In comparison, 30,000 people arrived daily during this same time last year. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

 

HAWAII AIRPORT ARRIVALS, APRIL 13, 2020

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew		6	136	2	144
Intended New Resident			48		48
Resident		19	178	8	205
Transit			130		130
Visitor		5	153	6	164
Grand Total	0	30	645	16	691
Flights	0	1	13	1	15

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4441/041420-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives:

House Select Committee Holds Fourth Briefing on COVID-19

The Hawai‘i House of Representatives Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness held its fourth informational briefing yesterday, focusing on plans to reopen Hawai’i’s economy post-coronavirus. Committee member and Executive Director of the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaiʻi (UHERO) Carl Bonham and economist Sumner La Croix outlined their two-step plan, which would allow businesses to resume operations and workers to return to their jobs, followed by the measured return of tourism. They said many conditions need to be met before the economy can fully resume, including the development of a vaccine, but that strong leadership will be needed to make critical decisions as we move the state from isolation to reopening. The committee also discussed the benefits and limitations of virus testing, and federal support for local businesses and the state. The committee has a website with videos of all its briefings and accompanying documents:

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/specialcommittee.aspx?comm=cov&year=2020

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 14, 2020

Department of Health:

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Cases Exceed 500 – Only Five in Latest Report

The number of positive COVID-19 cases across the state now stands at 504. However, the latest report shows one of the lowest numbers of new infections in several weeks, at five (5) adults. DOH cautions not to read too much into the low number of cases, as it is likely a reflection of the rate of test reporting over the weekend. O‘ahu had two (2) cases, Hawai‘i Island had one (1) new case, and Maui had two (2) cases. None of the cases is hospitalized at this time.

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
19,213	502	18,680

31 test results were inconclusive

 

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12:00 NOON, APRIL 13, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	2	352	233
Hawai‘i	1	40	28
Maui	2	84	40
Kaua‘i	0	21	14
Moloka‘i	0	2	Included in Maui numbers
Lana‘i	0	0	Included in Maui numbers
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	0	3
Total	5	504
Total released from isolation			315
Deaths	0	9

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

 

Update on Maui Memorial Medical Center

As of last night, 34 people at Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) had tested positive for COVID-19. This includes two (2) healthcare workers and one (1) patient. DOH is including all persons identified as positive within the time period of concern, so the total number does include some cases who represent separate introductions or those with no identified association with other cases at MMMC during the time period of focus. MMMC and DOH continue notifying any patients who may have had care at MMMC, but have since been released or discharged.

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center:

Physical Distancing Posters and Infographics Available in 12 Languages or Dialects

“Physical Distancing,” and “Social Distancing” have become among the most common of phrases uttered during the current COVID-19 pandemic, as people around the globe are encouraged to maintain at least six-feet separation from one another. The Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center, in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Dept. of Health’s Office of Language Access, and Anthology Marketing Group and with funding from the visitor industry have created a bank of various sized, printable posters and infographics for businesses, media, and individuals to download for free. All of the posters are translated into ten different languages. The infographics, which can be used for social media, are in English, Hawaiian and Japanese. State agencies are being encouraged to post the graphics on departmental websites and social media platforms and for media organizations to use in print, on-air, and on their various digital platforms. Graphics sized for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are available. Poster languages/dialects are:

• Chuukese
• Hawaiian
• Ilocano
• Japanese
• Korean
• Marshallese
• Samoan
• Simplified Chinese
• Tagalog
• Traditional Chinese
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

 

Full color posters (8.5×11 vertical, 11×8.5 horizontal, 11×17 vertical, 17×11 horizontal):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hxrw6r9wl9hqfjp/AADsTo0FBLI_ol3ol5yUQD4ba?dl=0

Infographics:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wubwnxooahmeclv/AACsVpSBkK3BzNsGCWVxwK5ka?dl=0

 

Department of Transportation:

Pacific Princess Cruise Ship Arrives in Hawaii

The Pacific Princess cruise ship moored at Honolulu Harbor this morning at 7:30. Four people from O‘ahu were the only ones allowed to disembark the ship but were medically screened before leaving and found to be asymptomatic. They went straight to their homes on private shuttles with a DOT Harbor Police escort to begin their 14-day quarantine. The ship was last at port in Melbourne, Australia on March 28, but no passengers or crew were allowed to disembark at that time either. The ship is scheduled to leave Hawai‘i for its final destination in California this afternoon – after it finishes refueling and loading provisions.

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

On Easter Sunday 543 people arrived at Hawai‘i airports, including 91 visitors and 132 residents. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out-of-state and does not include interisland travel.

HAWAII PASSENGER ARRIVALS BY AIR, APRIL 12, 2020

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	6	6	110	3	125
Intended New Resident	2		22		24
Resident	16	4	112		132
Transit			171		171
Visitor	5	1	85		91
Grand Total	29	11	500	3	543
Flights	1	1	11	1	14

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4439/041320-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism:

INTERISLAND PASSENGERS FOR APRIL 10, 2020

	Arriving airport
Departing airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MKK	LNY	TOTAL Departing
HNL	–	62	54	68	61	10	4	259
KOA	120	–	0	0	0	0	0	120
ITO	86	0	–	0	0	0	0	86
OGG	197	11	0	–	0	16	0	224
LIH	89	0	0	0	–	0	0	89
TOTAL Arriving	492	73	54	68	61	26	4	778

HNL = Honolulu; KOA = Kona; ITO = Hilo; OGG = Kahului; LIH = Lihue; MKK = Molokai; LNY = Lanai; JHM = Kapalua

Department of Land and Natural Resources:

All Offshore Islets And Ahu O Laka Sandbar Now Closed Due To COVID-19

“Blatant disrespect,” by some people over the Easter Weekend three-day holiday has led to the immediate closing of all Hawai‘i Offshore Islets, which are all State Wildlife

Sanctuaries. This includes the popular Mokulua Islets off of Kailua and Lanikai beaches.

In addition, the Ahu o Laka (Kaneohe sandbar), is also closing immediately.

DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Officers (DOCARE) report the disregard for stay-at-home mandates and physical distancing measures over the weekend. Officers issued 20 warnings to boaters at the He’eia Kea Small Boat Harbor on Easter Sunday for violations of the stay-at-home order. DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla said, “Our officers observed dozens of people congregating in close-proximity at Ahu o Laka. These dismissive behaviors are unfortunate and unhealthy and is what led to closing the sandbar under Hawai‘i Administrative Rules (HAR) relating to the closure of State Wildlife Sanctuaries.” The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is closing the He’eia Kea Small Boat Harbor ramp and all trailer parking spaces tomorrow, April 14.

Similar activity was observed on Mokulua North or Moku Nui Islet, a popular destination for kayakers. All of the offshore islets fall under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW). DLNR Chair Suzanne Case added, “During this COVID-19 crisis we want people to be able to exercise outdoors individually, but not to party and socialize outdoors which they can do at home by phone or online. We realize these extraordinary steps might overtax other public outdoor resources, but we want everyone to realize that we all have to be very serious about stay-at-home and physical distancing orders. The sooner everyone pays attention to the rules, the quicker life can return to normal, including reopening those places that are normally enjoyed by so many people.”

Violations of the Governor’s Emergency Rules are a misdemeanor and punishable by both fines up to $5,000 and imprisonment.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/04/13/nr20-045/

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 13, 2020

Department of Health:

Thirteen New Cases of COVID-19 Reported

All 13 of the new positive cases reported today are adult Hawai‘i residents bringing the total number of cases since Feb. 28, 2020 to 499 statewide. Overall travel-related cases have decreased markedly, with continued slight increases in community-associated cases. The 9^th death was reported yesterday as a female, O‘ahu resident, 65-years of age or older, who had been hospitalized and had underlying medical conditions.

Hawaiicovid19.com

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
18,611	497	18,084

30 test results were inconclusive

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, April 12, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	2	350	230
Hawai‘i	5	39	27
Maui	4	82	40
Kaua‘i	2	21	13
Moloka‘i	0	2	Included in Maui numbers
Lana‘i	0	0	Included in Maui numbers
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	0	3
Total	13	499
Total released from isolation			310
Deaths	0	9

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

Update on Maui Memorial Medical Center COVID-19 Cluster

Since mid-March through April 7, fifteen (15) healthcare workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) have been identified as COVID-19 positive by MMMC infection control staff. Four (4) patients are under investigation as potentially linked to this cluster. Since April 8 an additional 90 healthcare personnel and 36 patients have been tested. Some results are pending, but an additional seven (7) staff and five (5) patients have tested positive, bringing the total number of people (healthcare workers and patients) under investigation to 31 as of yesterday. By tomorrow the hospital will have notified 194 patients who received care at MMMC by affected healthcare workers. DOH is assisting with telephone outreach and testing of impacted patients and healthcare providers is ongoing.

Rely Only on Official Information, Even When It Looks Official

The discovery of an official looking warning poster, put up in West O‘ahu, prompts a reminder that people should check with official sources like the Dept. of Health or the Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center to determine whether any posted information is accurate. People should refrain from creating any type of “official” seeming posters, pamphlets, documents, or social media posts as they can mislead people.

Free Downloadable Physical Distancing Posters & Infographics

Free, downloadable, multi-lingual, physical distancing posters and infographics for posting and social media use are available. Languages featured are English with Hawaiian, Japanese, Tagalog, Ilocano, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Samoan, Vietnamese, Marshallese and Chuckese. Businesses and individuals are welcome and encouraged to post these widely. Please continue to practice good physical distancing measures this Easter holiday weekend.

Download posters:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hxrw6r9wl9hqfjp/AADsTo0FBLI_ol3ol5yUQD4ba?dl=0

Download infographics

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wubwnxooahmeclv/AACsVpSBkK3BzNsGCWVxwK5ka?dl=0

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

Passenger Arrivals for Saturday, April 11

Yesterday, twenty (20) fewer people arrived at state airports compared to Friday. 404 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 89 visitors and 147 residents. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	6	6	85	2	99
Intended New Resident	1		34		35
Resident	11	8	125	3	147
Transit			34		34
Visitor	1	8	78	2	89
Grand Total	19	22	356	7	404
Flights	1	1	11	1	14

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4437/041220-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

---

Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism:

DBEDT reports the following interisland travel numbers for April 7, 2020. Please note reporting is delayed due to processing of visitor arrival forms.

	Arriving Airport
Departing Airport	Honolulu	Kona	Hilo	Kahului	Lihue	Molokai	Lanai	Kapalua	Total Departing
Honolulu	–	42	89	98	83	38	4	1	355
Kona	112	–	0	4	0	0	0	0	116
Hilo	76	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	76
Kahului	84	1	0	–	0	3	2	0	90
Lihue	45	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	45
Lanai	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kapalua	0	0	0	2	0	0	–	0	2
Total Arrivals	317	43	89	104	83	41	6	1	684

---

Hawai‘i State House of Representatives:

Fourth Select Committee on Economic & Financial Preparedness Scheduled

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness will hold its 4^th informational briefing tomorrow, Monday, April 13 at 10:00 a.m. The briefing will focus on the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loans, including an in-depth discussion on planning to reopen Hawai‘i’s economy post coronavirus. The briefing will be held via community television and online and no in-person testimony will be accepted. You can watch the meeting on ‘Olelo Channel 49 or on the House webcast page.

https://olelo.org/ or http://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=31

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 12, 2020

Department of Health:

Ninth COVID-19 Death Reported

A woman, over 65-years-old is the ninth death from COVID-19. She had underlying medical conditions and had tested positive for the virus when she was hospitalized on O‘ahu. The Dept. of Health extends its heartfelt condolences to the friends and family or our latest neighbor to pass from this disease. Twenty (20) adults and one minor (1) are among the new cases of COVID-19 being reported by DOH. Of this number, sixteen (16) are Hawai‘i residents, two (2) are non-residents, and three (3) cases are of unknown residence, pending investigation. Eleven (11) cases are community-spread, while ten (10) are unknown, and none are associated with travel. Lana‘i remains the only island with no reported cases.

 

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
17,747	484	17,228

35 test results were inconclusive

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, April 11, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	5	348	223
Hawai‘i	3	34	25
Maui	14	78	40
Kaua‘i	0	19	12
Moloka‘i	0	2	Included in Maui numbers
Lana‘i	0	0	Included in Maui numbers
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	-1	3
Total	21	486
Total released from isolation			300
Deaths	1	9

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown island of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper Island of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to an island.

 

Sentinel Testing Continues

To date, 925 specimens have been tested, of which 17 (1.8%) have been positive to date. Surveillance findings for the previous week have been assessed weekly since the program began in the 2^nd week of March to determine the geographic spread of community associated COVID-19 in combination with severity of influenza-like illness activity. The COVID-19 Sentinel Surveillance program is operated based on the framework of the existing influenza surveillance program. Healthcare providers should continue to evaluate patients with respiratory illness and order influenza diagnostic testing as clinically indicated. They are asked to send the DOH influenza requisition form (used for both the influenza and COVID-19 surveillance programs) and submit with respiratory specimens collected for a clinical diagnosis of influenza-like illness, to facilitate DOH’s investigations. Reporting on the sentinel surveillance is provided weekly as part of the DOH Flu/Respiratory Disease Surveillance Report at:

https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/resources/reports/influenza-reports/.

 

Medical Facility Cases Remain Under Investigation

DOH is emphasizing that the cluster of cases at Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) is not a hospital-wide issue at-this-time but involves at least two wards with the Chronic Care Ward as the major focus. Ninety (90) staff and 36 patients have been screened and had a swab specimen collected for testing. At this time 29 people have tested positive for COVID-19, although some appear to be separate introductions and not necessarily MMMC/healthcare associated infections. While the investigation at MMMC is continuing, DOH will be supporting MMMC in notifying patients who have recently been discharged or treated and may be associated with the affected wards and staff.

 

Physical Distancing Remains as Critical Measure Easter Weekend

The State continues to remind everyone to practice proper physical distancing measures this holiday weekend and follow Gov. Ige’s stay-at-home order. Health professionals advise staying six feet apart from others, in addition to frequent hand washing, is the most important thing we can all do to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While cloth masks can help prevent the spread from you to another person, they are not a substitute for physical distancing. County and state law enforcement agencies are stepping up patrols and enforcement of stay-at-home orders and physical distancing recommendations this weekend. Free, downloadable, multi-lingual (additional languages are being translated) physical distancing posters and infographics are available here:

Posters:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hxrw6r9wl9hqfjp/AADsTo0FBLI_ol3ol5yUQD4ba?dl=0

Infographics: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wubwnxooahmeclv/AACsVpSBkK3BzNsGCWVxwK5ka?dl=0

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

Passengers Arrivals for Friday, April 10

Yesterday, 424 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 104 visitors and 135 residents. Thursday marked two weeks since the state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i from out of state. Those who arrived on March 26th, 27^th and 28^th no longer need to self-quarantine. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1^st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew		8	99	2	109
Intended New Resident			48		48
Resident		9	124		135
Transit			28		28
Visitor		4	94	6	104
Grand Total	0	21	393	10	424
Flights	0	1	10	1	12

 

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:

State Urges Hawaiʻi Colleges to Disburse Emergency Cash Grants for Students

The DCCA is encouraging Hawaiʻi’s accredited colleges to figure out how they will distribute the U.S. Department of Education’s cash grants provided by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The grants were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and allows schools to help cover expenses for students that had their education disrupted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Expenses may include, but aren’t limited to course materials, technology, food, housing, healthcare, and childcare. Bobbi Lum-Mew, Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program Administrator said, “We want to ensure that these colleges and universities are working quickly to get funding to the students who need it the most. We encourage them to take action so that affected students can continue their education without worry.” The Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program will be requesting authorized institutions to submit information on how they are disbursing the U.S. Department of Education cash grants, to ensure they’re distributing the funds in accordance with applicable laws. For information on COVID-19’s impact on higher education, visit the HPEAP website at http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/main/covid19 /

 

Updated Guidance for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Applications

In response to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) recent announcement regarding additional requirements and amended loan processing timelines for loan originating banks and financial institutions processing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the DCCA Division of Financial Institutions provides further guidance to assist businesses with the necessary information to ensure PPP applications are processed quickly. “The updates in practice requires banks and financial institutions to fund PPP loans within 10 days otherwise loans granted through the program may not be guaranteed or may be denied by the Small Business Administration,” says Iris Ikeda, Commissioner of Financial Institutions. “We want to make sure our small businesses get their PPP loan funds soon. Our local banks need the documentation to validate the businesses meet the requirements of the PPP loan program.”

To process additional due diligence aligned to the SBA certifications, local institutions may require additional loan application documentation that was previously not required in the initial PPP applications. Prospective applicants are encouraged to provide the all of the documentation when applying for a PPP loan, and those who have previously applied are strongly encouraged to contact your loan originator to provide updated documentation.

More details and information about the program are available on the United States Treasury website:

https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/top-priorities/cares-act/assistance-for-small-businesses. Borrower’s fact sheet:

https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP–Fact-Sheet.pdf.

 

Hawai‘i State Senate:

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Donates $1M for Kaua‘i COVID-19 Relief

Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi is thanking Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for their donation of $1 million towards relief efforts on Kaua‘i caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This generous donation includes $250,000 to support the courageous team at Wilcox Medical Center in its efforts to provide health care during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senate President Kouchi. “The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative donation will also support food supplies, rent assistance, and educational needs on Kaua‘i. According to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, grants have been awarded to Wilcox Medical Center and the Hawai`i Community Foundation (HCF) to be distributed via the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua`i Community Fund to organizations supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. A donation was also given to `Aina Ho`okupu O Kīlauea.

 

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 11, 2020

Governor’s Office:

Two Additional Deaths Reported 

In response to the news today about two additional fatalities, Gov. David Ige said, “This is another sad day for Hawaiʻi. On behalf of our entire community, I would like to express my condolences to the families and friends of two more of our neighbors who lost their lives to COVID-19. Please accept my deepest sympathy and support during this difficult time.”

State Reminding Everyone to Practice Physical Distancing During Easter Weekend

With Easter weekend coming up, the state is reminding everyone to remain at home and continue practicing physical distancing. Gov. Ige commented, “This Sunday is Easter. It’s a time we usually spend celebrating with family and friends and watching the kids hunt Easter eggs in the backyard. But these are not normal times, and I cannot stress enough the need to remain vigilant. Enjoy your Easter. But continue your physical distancing. Do not gather in large groups. Stay at home and use this time to reflect on what you can do as individuals to flatten the curve, help our neighbors and protect our community.” The stay-at-home order for the state is currently in effect until Apr. 30, 2020.

 

Department of Health:

Two Additional Deaths Reported, 23 New Positive Cases

Two additional COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of deaths in the State of Hawaiʻi to eight. The 7^th death was an older adult woman from Honolulu who was medically frail and hospitalized. The 8^th death was an elderly male hospitalized at Maui Memorial Medical Center in the Chronic Care Unit. The total number of deaths now stands at eight (8). There are also 23 new cases for a total number since Feb. 28 of 465 cases. The City and County of Honolulu saw nine (9) additional cases; Hawai‘i County has three (3) new cases; and Maui County has nine (9) new cases, and the County of Kaua‘i has one (1) new case.

 

Laboratory Testing

The Department of Health (DOH) supports testing of individuals with symptoms and is not advocating mass testing at this time. DOH’s current recommendations align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only certain people with COVID-19-like symptoms such as fever or cough need to be tested. People who have COVID-19-like symptoms and who have chronic medical conditions or are older should be tested because they’re at risk for severe disease and knowing whether they have COVID-19 may affect their healthcare treatment. Most other people who are sick do not need to be tested since many will have mild illness and are able to recover at home, so testing will not change their treatment or the need to stay home until they are well.

In general, DOH recommends testing only symptomatic persons because laboratories are facing ongoing shortages of kits and consumable supplies. Personal protective equipment (PPE) required to collect specimens and to perform testing are also in critically short supply. Indiscriminate use will further shortages placing healthcare and laboratory personnel at risk for infection. Close contacts who adhere to 14-day quarantine rules will effectively minimize their risk to others. Testing asymptomatic contacts will not change or shorten their quarantine requirement. Testing of asymptomatic persons should be reserved for selected situations as guided by specific public health or infection control objectives (e.g., to implement cohorting during a nursing home outbreak).

 

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
16,752	462	16,269

21 test results were inconclusive

 

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12 NOON, APRIL 10, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
Honolulu	9	343	211
Hawai‘i	3	31	25
Maui	9	64	36
Kaua‘i	1	19	12
Moloka’i	0	2
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	1	4
Total	23	465
Total released from isolation			284
Deaths	2	8

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

 

Maui Memorial Medical Center Case Numbers Grow

Four additional cases connected with the Maui Memorial Medical Center have been announced. Three were healthcare workers, the other was a patient. This brings the total number of cases associated with the hospital to 19. Over Easter weekend, the Dept. of Health will continue to conduct contact-tracing, notify anyone else who may have been exposed, and supply additional personal protective equipment to hospital healthcare workers.

 

Multi-Language Physical Distancing Images Now Available For Social Media

Online images reminding everyone to practice physical distancing are now available online for anyone to use for social media. The images fit size dimensions for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They’re also available in English, Hawaiian, and Japanese. Everyone is encouraged to download the free images and share them on social media to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Download the images here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f3crddhm1dvx1e0/AADYxpbepZ5d_dpKPWFopOJHa?dl=0

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

663 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i on Thursday

Yesterday, 663 people arrived at Hawai‘i airports. This includes 107 visitors and 171 residents. Mandatory 14-day, self-quarantine is required for all passengers arriving from out of state and also covers interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

 

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	6	6	87		99
Intended New Resident			45		45
Resident	23	9	139		171
Transit			241		241
Visitor	4	3	100		107
Grand Total	33	18	612	0	663
Flights	1	1	11	0	13

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4435/041020-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Hawaiʻi “Safe Travels” App Launches

A new web-based app called “Safe Travels” is being rolled out to allow travelers who are subject to the 14-day quarantine in the State of Hawaiʻi to fill out the information required to travel electronically, including where they’re staying, prior to their trip. The Department of Taxation worked with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to roll out the system on Apr. 10. Once travellers get to a Hawaiʻi airport, they’ll have to show proof they completed their registration and provide some form of identification. After that, they’ll be expected to check-in daily during their mandatory 14-day quarantine. https://safetravels.hawaii.gov/

 

Department of Agriculture:

Emergency Farmer Relief Program

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is currently reviewing requests for assistance under the COVID-19 Emergency Farmer Relief Program which offers some financial assistance to qualified farmers, ranchers and producers who have experienced damage to their operations due to COVID-19. The funds for the program, totaling $250,000, are being utilized from the State’s barrel tax fund (Agriculture Development and Food Security Special Fund) which was made available through Gov. David Ige’s March 4 emergency proclamation. Relief funds may be used to help utilize an oversupply of agricultural products resulting from the decreased demand due to closures of restaurants, schools and other businesses. Applications were accepted until March 27 and 333 proposals were received, requesting a total of more than $1.1 million dollars. However, since the available program funding totaled just $250,000, proposals are currently being reviewed and prioritized for distribution. Under the emergency program, eligible applicants including individual farming operations may receive a maximum of $2,000. Also, non-profit organizations, commodity groups, agricultural associations with 501(c)(3) status may apply for a maximum of $10,000 in relief funds. The review and award process is expected to be completed next week and funds are expected to be sent out later this month. “The overwhelming number of requests is an indication on how this crisis is severely impacting Hawaiʻi’s agricultural industries,” said Gov. David Ige. “This COVID-19 situation makes us all more appreciative of our local food producers and acutely underscores why increasing our state’s food security has been so very important.”

https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/nr20-03covid19relief/

 

Department of Public Safety:

Inmates Sew Cloth Masks for Public Safety Department Staff and Community

Inmates in the sewing program at the Waiawa Correctional Facility (WCF) and Kulani Correctional Facility (KCF) have begun to sew thousands of cloth masks for Public Safety Department staff, inmates, and other state agencies as a way to prevent COVID-19 from spreading and to give back to the community. The sewing project began on Apr. 1, with the assistance of the Hawaii Correctional Industries (HCI), which supplied the fabric, sewing supplies and sewing machines for the inmates. Work lines are currently producing 600-700 cloth masks per day with a goal of increasing that number to 1,200 masks a day by Apr. 17. The Public Safety Department currently does not have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any of its facilities.

https://dps.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PSD-RELEASE-Inmates-sewing-cloth-masks-4.10.20.pdf

 

The Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives:

House Select Committee on COVID-19 Schedules Fourth Informational Briefing 

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness has scheduled its third informational briefing on the economic impacts of the crisis on Hawai‘i on Monday, April 13, beginning at 10 a.m. To comply with physical distancing restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the briefing is not open to the public and no public testimony will be accepted. The hearing will be available statewide on community television: ‘Olelo, Nā Leo TV, Akakū and Hō‘ike Community Television. Livestreaming is available at:

https://olelo.org/ or http://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=31

For more information about the committee and to see related documents go to:

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/specialcommittee.aspx?comm=cov&year=2020

# # #

PDF: COVID 19 Daily News Digest April 10, 2020

Department of Health:

DOH Reports Seven (7) New Cases

The rate of positive COVID-19 cases remains steady at 2.7% of tests. Seven (7) new cases are being reported, all in adults, for a total number since Feb. 28 of 442 cases. Honolulu saw six (6) additional cases; Hawai‘i Island has two (2) new cases; and Maui has three (3) new cases.

 

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
16,070	440	15,612

18 test results were inconclusive

 

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12 NOON, APRIL 9, 2020

County of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
Honolulu	6	334	105
Hawai‘i	2	28	2
Maui++	3	57	17
Kaua‘i	0	18	4
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	-4	3	113
Total	7	442
Total released from isolation			251
Deaths	0	6

++ Includes two positive case on Molokai. 

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

 

Facemasks for Toddlers & Babies?

Someone recently asked, “Should face masks be worn by young children or babies?

Dr. Janet Berreman, DOH Kaua‘i District Health Officer provided this response,

“It’s important to remember that masks only protect others from you…they do not protect the mask wearer. Young infants generally do not generate powerful coughs like adults do, so their respiratory droplets do not travel 3-6 ft. like those of adults. Young infants don’t pose the same risk to those around them. Of concern would be the potential for obstructing normal breathing in infants less than one-year old. I would not recommend using masks on young infants. And again, the mask does not protect the baby. So, yes it’s better for infants and all of us to stay at home.”

 

Update on Pride of America Cruise Ship Cases

DOH continues to monitor a cluster of COVID-19 cases, among crew members on the Pride of America cruise ship, currently docked in Honolulu. Seven (7) crew are in isolation after testing positive. Their close contacts have also been placed in quarantine. Anyone on the ship who had symptoms or develops symptoms associated with COVID-19 will be tested immediately. The ship is following strict physical distancing procedures, recommended by the CDC and DOH, and reviewed with the ship’s officers. Offboarding of approximately 300 healthy crew members is continuing as safely as possible. These people will be masked and will proceed directly to the airport to travel to their home where they will self-quarantine for 14 days. A minimal crew of approximately 200 people will remain on board to sail the ship to the mainland and into dry dock.

 

Volunteers Help Assemble PPE

Dozens of volunteers from across O‘ahu gathered at the Neil Blaisdell Convention Center today to help assemble personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased by DOH. The PPE arrived last week, unassembled, and over a dozen community groups rose to the challenge and called on their volunteers to come help put the 4,000 PPE together. The equipment will be offered to essential workers on the front lines of the state’s COVID-19 outbreak response, in Honolulu and on the neighbor islands. The organizations that sent volunteers included; DOH, Hawai‘i Children’s Action Network, Caring for Hawai‘i‘s Neonate’s, HI COVID-19 Task Forces, Bricklayers Union, Young Democrats, FACE, Mililani High School, Hawai‘i Firefighters Association, Hawai‘i cab nautical, Hawai‘i Medical Reserve Corps, Faith Action, and HMSA. Several people not associated with one of the groups also participated.

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

689 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i on Wednesday

Yesterday, 689 people arrived at Hawai‘i airports. This includes 107 visitors and 274 residents. Mandatory 14-day, self-quarantine is required for all passengers arriving from out of state and also covers interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

 

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	1	7	115	2	125
Intended New Resident	4	6	31		41
Resident	33	3	196	12	274
Transit			141	1	142
Visitor	4	22	71	10	107
Grand Total	42	68	554	25	689
Flights	1	3	13	3	20

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4433/040920-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Transportation:

Four O‘ahu Residents to Disembark Cruise Ship at Honolulu Harbor

Four O’ahu residents will be getting off a Pacific Princess cruise ship when it docks at Honolulu Harbor on Monday, Apr. 13, 2020. The ship was last at port in Melbourne, Australia on March 28, but no passengers or crew disembarked. There are no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 associated with the vessel. The ship will also have been at sea longer than the 14-day quarantine period. No one else will be allowed to get off the ship besides the four Hawai’i residents, and they will be medically vetted on board prior to disembarkation. After they’re cleared, they will be shuttled directly from the harbor to their residences where they’ll immediately begin a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The ship will refuel before leaving for its final destination in California.

 

Another ship, the Seabourn Sojurn, is scheduled to arrive six days later on Apr. 18, 2020, however no one will be allowed to get off that vessel. The Seabourn Sojurn was previously in Melbourne, Australia on March 29, 2020. No one left the vessel while at port. The ship will dock at Honolulu Harbor for fuel and provisions and is scheduled to leave Honolulu the same day it arrives.

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/04/09/four-oahu-residents-to-disembark-cruise-ship-at-honolulu-harbor/

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 9, 2020

Governor’s Office:

Second COVID-19 Death on Maui Under Investigation

Investigators from the State Health Dept. are in the process of gathering details about the second Maui resident to pass away from COVID-19. This is an adult male over 65-years-old and is another stark reminder of the human toll this disease is exacting here in Hawai‘i. Governor Ige offered his personal condolences to the friends and family of the man who passed. This brings the total number of deaths from coronavirus statewide to six.

Maui Hospital Confirms 15 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

Maui Memorial Medical Center has confirmed 15 of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The employees were immediately sent home to self-isolate and plans are being worked on to move these employees to a quarantine site away from their families. Additionally, other hospital workers will be tested for COVID-19. Gov. Ige commented, “This is a reminder to everyone that the virus doesn’t discriminate and everyone is vulnerable – including those who are taking care of the community.” Maui Mayor Mike Victorino also released a statement saying, “I want to mahalo everyone who is on the front lines of this pandemic. These are difficult times for all of us and we are taking immediate action to assist our healthcare workers. Maui County will be redirecting any available personal protective equipment to the hospital for its staff.” Everyone is reminded once again to follow the stay-at-home order, to abide by physical distancing measures and to wear a mask to protect others when needing to be around them. N95 masks and other medical grade masks should be reserved for healthcare professionals and other first responders.

Former HECO President Appointed as Economic Recovery and Resiliency Navigator

Gov. David Ige has appointed a well-known business leader to head-up Hawai‘i’s efforts in developing a plan for economic and community stabilization, recovery and resiliency. Alan Oshima, former President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Co., has been appointed to the newly-created role of Economic Recovery and Resiliency Navigator. Oshima will lead a collaborative effort of government and business interests, non-profit organizations, and the community in developing and implementing the Hawai‘i Economic and Community Recovery Resiliency Plan. Oshima is currently the senior executive advisor for HECO. He started that position in February, after spending five years as HECO’s president and chief executive. Commenting on the new position, Gov. Ige said, “This is an important step to address the state’s immediate needs while working on a path to economic recovery.”

Public-Private Partnership Secures PPE for Service Providers

Several community nonprofits are partnering with the State of Hawai‘i to secure donations of homemade and unopened store-bought personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, goggles and face shields, and distribute them to behavioral health workers and social service providers statewide, to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Three drop-off and distribution sites, or “resilience hubs,” have been organized and will open on O‘ahu on Thursday, April 9. The effort is a public-private partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Health, the Office of the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services, and three nonprofit providers who will operate the hubs: KROC Center in Kapolei, KEY Project in Kahalu‘u and YMCA in Kalihi. Funds for the effort were donated from BlackSand Capital into the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund, with a match from The Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

In the future the resilience hubs will also begin accepting supplies such as bleach, hand sanitizer, paper towels and toilet paper. The public can drop off items Monday through Friday during set times at each resilience hub or contact the facility to schedule a delivery during different hours. The effort begins tomorrow on O‘ahu, with statewide distribution of the donated supplies.  Expansion of additional hubs on the Neighbor Islands is being discussed.

 

KROC Center in Kapolei

91-3257 Kualakai Parkway, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

(808) 682-5505

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

 

KEY Project

47-200 Waihee Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

(808) 239-5777

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

 

Kalihi YMCA

1335 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

(808) 848-2494

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

“As the pandemic continues, ensuring continuity of care of our behavioral health and homelessness services system is vital because of the pandemic’s economic, social and psychological impacts,” said Scott Morishige, the Governorʻs Coordinator on Homelessness. To learn more about this initiative or for other ways to provide community support during the pandemic, please visit the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHH-SURG) website at https://bhhsurg.hawaii.gov/.

 

Lt. Governor’s Office:

Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, State COVID-19 Healthcare Liaison, provided an update today during the 2:30 p.m. daily news briefing:

Statewide Hospital Capacity Update as of April 8, 2020

	Total	In Use	%
Hospital Beds	2,773	1,304	47%
ICU Beds	338	97	28.6%
Ventilators	535	65	12%
Individuals hospitalized	59

*Numbers based on reporting from hospitals and other healthcare facilities statewide.

 

Department of Health:

Second Death on Maui and 25 New COVID-19 Cases Statewide

The death of a Maui man, who was 65-years-old or older will not be counted in official DOH statistics until tomorrow, but is being investigated as the state’s sixth death from COVID-19, and Maui’s second. His passing is also not included in today’s count of new cases, which includes 25 additional adults, 14 of whom are Hawai‘i residents. Five (5) are non-Hawai‘i residents and place of residence for six (6) others is unknown.

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
15,566	433	15,177

16 test results were inconclusive

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12 NOON, APRIL 8, 2020

County of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
Honolulu	16	328	83
Hawai‘i	3	26	9
Maui++	6	54	14
Kaua‘i	0	18	7
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	0	7	113
Total	25	435	85
Deaths*	1*	6

* Deaths reported after 12:00 midnight are included in the following days official report.

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

++ Includes two positive case on Molokai. 

Updated Multi-Language Physical Distancing Posters Available

Revised posters reminding everyone to practice physical distancing are now available online for anyone to use. The posters are written in English, Hawaiian, and Japanese, and are free to download. Everyone is encouraged to print the posters out and hang them for others to see to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Download the posters here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f3crddhm1dvx1e0/AADYxpbepZ5d_dpKPWFopOJHa?dl=0

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

654 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i on Tuesday

Yesterday, 654 people arrived at Hawai‘i airports. This includes 160 visitors and 239 residents. Mandatory 14-day, self-quarantine is required for all passengers arriving from out of state and also covers interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	7	14	104	6	131
Intended New Resident	6		67		73
Resident	34	24	178	3	239
Transit	1	2	48		51
Visitor	31	9	111	9	160
Grand Total	79	49	508	18	654
Flights	3	3	13	1	20

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4426/040820-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Defense:

Hawai‘i National Guard (HING) Confirms First Positive COVID-19 Cases

Two Hawai’i National Guardsmen have tested positive for COVID-19. The Guardsmen were not part of the Guard activation or in the Joint Task Force supporting various missions around the state during the pandemic. The first case involves an Airman with the Hawai‘i Air National Guard – who works a full-time civilian job. The second involves a Hawai‘i Army National Guard member, who works full-time in the HING, but started tele-working in March. Both members are in good condition and are being monitored by their medical providers. In response to the cases, Hawai‘i National Guard Deputy Adjutant General Col. Stephen Logan said, “The Hawai‘i National Guard is a big ‘ohana and it hurt us when two of our own tested positive during this unprecedented time. We will support these two Guardsmen and their families during this time of need.”

 

Department of Land and Natural Resources

State Conservation Officers Cite 34 People For COVID-19 Rules Violations

Over the past few weeks, on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island, officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) have cited 34 people for violations of State Parks rules, self-quarantine and the governor’s stay-at-home orders, associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Hawai‘i Island DOCARE Officers cited a 28-year-old Kailua-Kona woman, for Entering a Closed Area within Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area which had been closed by the DLNR Division of State Parks. A 31-year-old Russian was cited for violating terms of the State’s self- quarantine order, after being observed operating a small dinghy in an erratic manner at Waiākea Public Fishing Area in Hilo. A subsequent investigation revealed he had arrived in the Port of Hilo aboard a sailing vessel and had already been given the self-quarantine order by the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation-Harbors Division. On Kaua‘i, DOCARE Officers have cited ten people for violating State Park closures at Kalalau, Polihale, Kōkeʻe, ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls and Wailua River State Parks. DOCARE Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla noted, “In addition to these violations, aimed at keeping everyone safe during this crisis, DOCARE Officers conducting law enforcement operations recently at the long-closed Sacred Falls State Park cited ten (10) individuals. Not only were they violating stay-at-home orders and closed-area laws, they were putting their lives and the lives of emergency first-responders at risk. The park is closed for good reason.” Eight people lost their lives and dozens of others were injured in a May 1999 landslide. Redulla noted that many of the citations happened on a day when all of O‘ahu was under a flash flood watch. At Diamond Head State Monument on O‘ahu a dozen people have been issued citations for entering the park while closed.

 

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Banking and Financial Resources Available For COVID-19

The DCCA is encouraging the public to contact their financial institutions and government agencies if they need financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals and small businesses. Nearly $2.2 trillion is being released as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help during this time. Of that money – $349 billion will be made available for small business loans – and can be used to pay employees, cover healthcare benefits, loan and repayments, and utilities. Starting Apr. 10, independent contractors and self-employed individuals will also be able to apply.

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 8, 2020

Governor’s Office:

Honolulu Repurposes ‘Ohana Zone Funds for Additional Help for People Experiencing Homelessness

Utilizing State ‘Ohana Zone funds, the City and County of Honolulu today announced the rapid deployment of its HONU (Homeless Outreach and Navigation for the Unsheltered) program, which provides short-term shelter and triage services to people experiencing homelessness. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 both the State and the City have recognized the need for more immediate shelter options that implement physical distancing measures. HONU resources are being directed to the City’s new Provisional Outdoor Screening and Triage (POST) facility at

Ke‘ehi Lagoon. POST will provide meals, hygiene and security. The Honolulu Police Dept. offered the concept of the POST facility which will serve as a resource for homeless individuals needing temporary shelter and access to hygiene and other basic needs. The city repurposed a portion of its $6 million ‘Ohana Zone contract with the State to meet the immediate crisis needs of the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. Services provided by the POST facilitiy are consistent with the intent of ‘Ohana Zone funds to offer flexible and low-barrier services to people experiencing homelessness.

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Lt. Governor’s Office:

Many people were tested on Moloka‘i today at a COVID-19 drive-through testing site thanks to the efforts of Lt. Governor Josh Green, Dr. Scott Miscovich and the County of Maui. The event followed the diagnosis of two positive cases of the virus on the island over the past week. 500 tests kits were provided for the drive-through testing. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said, “I want to deeply thank Lt. Gov. Green and Dr. Miscovich for stepping up to provide these test kits. We appreciate their quick response to the needs of our Moloka‘i residents as we face this pandemic together.”

https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=9981

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Department of Health:

Reported Hawai‘i COVID-19 Cases Exceeds 400

With the addition of 23 positive cases, Hawai‘i now has a total of 410 reported cases of COVID-19 since February 28, 2020. Of today’s cases, all are adults. DOH reports a decrease of traveler-associated cases, but investigators are looking at community-associated cases, primarily on O‘ahu and Maui. Three (3) of the most recent cases are travel-related, none are community-related and 20 are unknown. This is why the continued practice of physical distancing is so critical in flattening the curve of infection in the state. No new deaths have been reported and the total stands at five (5); two women and three men.

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
14,981	408	14,560

18 test results were inconclusive

 

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12 NOON, APRIL 7, 2020

County of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
Honolulu	20	312	83
Hawai‘i	0	23	9
Maui++	4	48	14
Kaua‘i	1	18	7
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	-2	7
Total	23	410	113
Deaths	0	5

++Includes two positive cases on Molokai. 

*“Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

 

New Website for Mental Health and Homeless Service Providers

The Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHHSURG) has launched a website to ensure the continuity of coverage of essential health and homelessness services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website features resources for providers who work with mental health and homeless populations, including provider Q&A webinars, weekly newsletters, updates from partners, and guidance on using telehealth and personal protective equipment. The site also contains information for clients and consumers, such as guidance on everyday prevention and how to access services. The goal is to enable providers and the people they serve to find answers to common questions and to provide them with updates to behavioral health homelessness and other social services during this challenging crisis.

To view the website or to subscribe to the BHHSURG newsletter, visit bhhsurg.hawaii.gov.

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Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

Fewer Flights, Fewer Arrivals at State Airports

On Monday, 513 people arrived in Hawai‘i, slightly fewer than the day before. This includes 133 visitors and 182 residents. Mandatory 14-day, self-quarantine is required for all passengers arriving from out of state and also covers interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday. Interisland travel table is below.

 

HAWAII PASSENGER ARRIVALS BY AIR FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE, APRIL 6, 2020

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	2	3	120	2	127
Intended New Resident	3		46		49
Resident	8	6	163	5	182
Transit			22		22
Visitor	7	2	111	13	133
Grand Total	20	11	462	20	513
Flights	1	2	12	2	17

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4422/040720-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

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Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism:

Interisland Air Travel Stats

Latest numbers from DBEDT for arrivals April 4, 2020.

Arriving airport
Departing airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MKK	LNY	LUP	JHM	TOTAL Departing
HNL	–	34	59	21	18	9	11			152
KOA		–
ITO			–
OGG	1			–						1
LIH					–			1		1
MKK						–
LNY				2			–
LUP								–
JHM									–
TOTAL Arriving	1	34	59	21	18	9	11	1		154

 

dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19

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Department of Defense:

National Guard Helps Kaua‘i Police at Checkpoints

Today, members of the Hawai‘i National Guard (HING) assisted officers from the Kaua‘i Police Dept. (KPD) at two monitoring/compliance checkpoints. The operation was to help check to see if people are abiding by both state and county emergency orders in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The collaboration is under the unified command of the COVID-19 incident management team of the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency. People who have essential work or activities are encouraged to consider additional travel time in anticipation of lengthy traffic delays as more routine checkpoints are planned. HING soldiers are not armed and all enforcement actions will be taken by KPD officers. A recent checkpoint on Kaumauali‘i Highway near Halfway Bridge saw nearly 4,000 vehicles pass through, with the majority of drivers saying their travel was essential. To review essential travel exemptions: http://kauai.gov/COVID-19

 

Hawai‘i State Senate:

Special Senate Committee on COVID-19 Meets Wednesday

The special committee will convene on Wednesday, April 8, to assess and advise the Senate regarding the State of Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 plans and procedures.

1. Confirm the development of the state departmental plans and procedures;
2. Review and assess current state departmental plans and procedures;
3. Review and assess whether state departmental plans and procedures are properly and timely implemented to safeguard public health and safety; and
4. To communicate and disseminate information obtained therefrom.

The special committee will be meeting with Lt. Governor Josh Green, DOH Director Dr. Bruce Anderson, HI-EMA Incident Commander Kenneth Hara, and Ryker Wada, DHRD Director.

Watch via: `Ōlelo Channel 49

YouTube livestream: https://youtu.be/whQc_hol4QA

 

Hawai‘i House of Representatives:

House Select Committee Receives Reports on Economic Recovery

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness reviewed economic and financial preparedness for Hawaiʻi following the pandemic, during its third informational briefing yesterday. The committee first heard a report from the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaiʻi (UHERO), on its new report: How to Control Hawaii’s Coronavirus Epidemic and Bring back the Economy: The Next Steps.

The report spells out in detail how increased testing, comprehensive historical contact tracing, and isolation of exposed and infected individuals can lead to a rapid reduction in new infections and hospitalizations. According to economist Carl Bonham, once this system has been put in place and has operated successfully for several weeks, we may begin to approach several measurable targets — number of new infections, number of new hospitalizations, and the capacity of the health care system to treat newly infected or exposed individuals. This would enable Governor Ige to gradually relax stay-at-home orders and for individuals to gradually relax some physical distancing restrictions. Bonham said after the disease has been eliminated, the local economy will need to be reopened first, followed by the tourism economy. He said the worst-case scenario would be for the economy to reopen following the development of a vaccine in 12 to 18 months. A more optimistic forecast would be for the disease to be brought under control in about 45 days on the mainland. Bonham said that when Hawaiʻi is perceived as a safe place to visit, it could become the premier destination for U.S. travelers over then next year, but that Hawaiʻi residents must be reassured that any tourists are coronavirus free.

Read the full news release on the hearing: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QdlvHZX4_3U_o7_eAucc0K9Z97u4gvlb

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily Digest April 7, 2020