Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 8, 2020
Department of Health: No New Cases Of Covid-19 Likely Just A Lull Today is the first day since mid-March DOH has not reported any new cases. While this is good news, it does not mean, in any way, the end of the COVID-19 crisis. DOH and State leaders caution that social distancing measures, use of masks when in public places, and frequent hand-washing and sanitization of surfaces must continue to keep the infection curve flat in Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 8, 2020 Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) [...]
Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 7, 2020
Governor’s Office: Governor & DLIR Director Provide Update on Unemployment Insurance Gov. Ige and Scott Murakami, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), gave updates on progress being made regarding unemployment insurance, during today’s Community Connection Facebook Live. Murakami reported 141,077 claims were processed as of Wednesday, which represents 63% of the total claims received. Of that number,100,602 claims were paid out. DLIR is asking anyone who needs to file weekly certifications for their unemployment claims to file on designated days based on their last names to avoid overloading the system. The schedule is A-G (Mondays), [...]
Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 6, 2020
Governor’s Office: Greenlight for Phase One of Hawai‘i’s Re-Opening is Tomorrow Governor Ige announced yesterday the stabilization phase of the state’s reopening and economic recovery. This includes reductions in restrictions for businesses classified as low risk from a health perspective. Today the governor provided further clarification on the specifics of his 7th Supplementary Proclamation which lists businesses/operations designated for reopening, outlines safety guidelines, and includes county-specific requirements. Retail businesses on O‘ahu may not open until May 15. Maui County is announcing its plans today for re-openings. The governor reiterated his philosophy that while statewide directives are being worked [...]
Governor’s Office – News Release: Gov. Ige gives first round of businesses greenlight to re-open
HONOLULU – Gov. Ige today signed a 7th Supplementary Emergency Proclamation(PDF) that authorizes the first group of businesses to re-open since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the temporary closure of non-essential businesses across the state on Mar. 25. The latest proclamation also allows residents to leave their homes to patronize certain businesses and activities under the new “Safer-at-Home” order. Under Phase 1 of the state’s re-opening, the following businesses and operations can re-open starting May 7, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. However, everyone is advised to check the restrictions in place in each county, as they may differ. Agriculture (non-food), such as landscape, [...]
Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 5, 2020
Governor’s Office: Stay-at-Home Order Becomes Safer-at-Home At a late morning news briefing Governor David Ige announced that the phased approach to re-opening Hawai‘i’s economy is beginning. He said, “Today was another victory in the battle with COVID-19. Only four positive cases were reported. This makes more than two-weeks of single-digit daily new cases. We have some of the lowest numbers of cases in the country. And we have flattened the curve. The Governor’s 7th Supplementary Proclamation allows people to leave their homes to patronize certain businesses and activities. To reflect the new approach in the COVID-19 response, the Stay-at-Home [...]
Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 4, 2020
Governor’s Office: Governor Ige Expresses Condolences for Family & Friends of 17th Victim Calling it “another reminder of how deadly this disease is, and the way that COVID-19 continues to hurt our community,” Governor Ige expressed his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the latest Hawai‘i resident to fall victim to coronavirus. He said, “Nevertheless, things are getting better every day. The numbers continue to look very good. With only one new case announced today, we are confident that we have flattened the curve.” The governor indicated that testing capacity remains strong and hospital capacities are very [...]
Maui woman is Hawai‘i’s 17th coronavirus-associated death
HONOLULU - Hawai‘i is mourning the passing of another kupuna that may be associated with COVID-19 infection. Dept. of Health Director (DOH) Dr. Bruce Anderson said, “Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of another valued member of our community. COVID-19 is still a critical issue for everyone in Hawai‘i. Please follow social distancing guidelines and current emergency rules to help protect our most vulnerable people.” DOH reports the 17th death is a woman, over 60-years-old, with underlying medical conditions. She had been in the hospital at Maui Memorial Medical Center since late February. Her infection occurred in [...]
Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 1, 2020
Department of Health: Only One New COVID-19 Case Reported The single case of coronavirus being reported by DOH is an O‘ahu adult and brings the total positive case count in Hawai‘i to 619. The City and County of Honolulu has 400 of the cases reported since Feb. 28th. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 1, 2020 Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) Total Released from Isolation O‘ahu 1 400 368 Hawai‘i 0 73 60 Maui 0 114 84 Kaua‘i 0 21 20 Moloka‘i 0 2 0 Lana‘i 0 0 0 Residents [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health distributes COVID-19 rapid test equipment and supplies to public health and clinical laboratories in all counties
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) State Laboratories Division (SLD) has distributed a total of 12 Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 rapid test instruments to all counties. The rapid coronavirus tests can produce results within 15 minutes when conducted in a certified laboratory. “Having this capability to test a critically ill patient within 15 minutes is a great tool in the fight against COVID-19.” Said Dr. Edward Desmond, State Laboratories Division Administrator. “It helps us detect the virus quickly and respond much faster to help the patient and inform staff to ensure safety measures are in place.” Six instruments [...]
Q&A on COVID-19 Testing: Edward Desmond, Hawaii State Laboratories Division Administrator
Edward Desmond, Ph.D., lead administrator of the Hawaii State Laboratories Division, says that Hawaii’s public health and private sector laboratories have stepped up to establish and expand their capacities for testing. His lab conducts testing for the State’s environmental and public health programs. A microbiologist and 40-year veteran of managing public health and hospital laboratories, Dr. Desmond manages a 100-strong team, now largely dedicated to COVID-19-related work in Hawaii. The questions he is most often asked revolve around coronavirus testing, including “Who should get tested?” and “Why isn’t everyone tested?” Desmond sat down with us to answer a few of [...]