Gyms and patrons encouraged to practice safety after recent COVID-19 clusters
HONOLULU – Contact tracing by the Dept. of Health has uncovered a total of 17 cases to-date involving two O‘ahu commercial gym facilities. DOH says cases in both gyms are linked to one person who participated in exercise classes at both. State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said, “By their very nature, gyms that operate in closed spaces with poor ventilation and without physical distancing can be breeding grounds for all kinds of infections, including coronavirus. It is imperative that all gyms follow the safe practices required by state and county governments. These include proper physical distancing in work-out areas [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest July 9, 2020
Office of the Governor: Governor Ige’s Statement on COVID-19 Planning with Mayors Governor David Ige released a statement Thursday about his recent meetings with the county mayors, saying, “The mayors and I met yesterday and are meeting again today to assess the current situation and discuss what it might mean for the state, including the planned pre-travel testing program. We are getting input from community leaders as we carefully consider the health and safety of our residents and the financial health of our communities because we know they are interconnected.” Department of Health: 36 New Cases of COVID-19 [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health to begin issuing red placards to restaurants and bars that violate physical distancing and other mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19
HONOLULU – There are now severe consequences for food establishments that do not take physical distancing and other guidance seriously. The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Food Safety Branch will begin to temporarily suspend the operations of restaurants, bars and other food establishments that do not comply with physical distancing, wearing cloth face masks and other required guidance. “The department is taking these steps now to enforce preventive measures that are known to be effective in preventing the transmission of the disease, especially as we have seen a recent increase in the number of COVID cases and evidence of community spread,” [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest July 8, 2020
Department of Health: 23 New Cases of COVID-19 Reported Twenty-three (23) new cases of COVID-19 were reported by DOH Wednesday. Twenty (20) of those cases are on Oahu, one (1) on Hawai‘i Island, and two (2) on Maui. Community outreach and testing activities continue. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, July 8, 2020 Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) Total Released from Isolation* O‘ahu 20 808 572 Hawai‘i 1 96 88 Maui 2 128 114 Kaua‘i 0 42 35 Moloka‘i 0 2 2 Lana‘i 0 0 0 Residents Diagnosed outside HI 0 18 [...]
Doing whatever it takes to support youth and families
Joe Soong is a Multisystem Therapy (MST) therapist with Child and Family Service in Kailua-Kona. The pandemic may have put some activities on hold, but it has not stopped love and caring for families. At a time when there is more social distancing and families separated from each other, there are bright, uplifting stories of families coming together because of hard-working professionals in communities across our state. Thanks to dedicated therapists like Joe Soong, a Multisystem Therapy (MST) therapist with Child & Family Service in Kailua-Kona, support for juvenile offenders and families has continued without interruption during the [...]
Social Bubble FAQs: Bubble up but don’t bubble over
There is a safe way to expand your social circle without compromising your health. Social bubbles, also known as a pods or “quaranteams” can help you socialize safely after months of physical distancing. Joining with another household or just one or two individuals allows families to take turns caring for each other’s children, provides children more opportunities to play and socialize with others, and will help ease loneliness and provide improved social support for those who have felt isolated. 1. What is a social bubble? You probably have a social bubble and may not realize it. It could be [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest July 7, 2020
Office of the Governor: At a news briefing, Gov. David Ige said the 41 new COVID-19 cases reported by DOH Tuesday is still manageable. It is the highest case count since the pandemic began earlier this year. Gov. Ige said, “It is the highest we’ve had, and it is concerning. However, as we re-opened our economy, we expected this. We are tracking this very closely and it is manageable right now. We have the ability to test people we need to test, and DOH has significantly increased the number of people available to trace the contacts of positive cases.” [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest July 6, 2020
Governor’s Office: Hawai‘i Hits Milestone of Three Months Living with Restrictions Governor David Ige thanked Hawai‘i residents at a news briefing Monday on all of their efforts and sacrifices to keep Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 cases low. The State recently marked a milestone of living with restrictions for over three months. At the briefing Gov. Ige said, “Your commitment has made Hawai‘i the national leader in controlling COVID-19.” However, with the recent spike in cases the governor is urging people to continue safe practices to remain the lowest in the nation for per capita transmission and the fewest fatalities. Hawai‘i’s Financial [...]
Oahu COVID-19 death brings state total to 19
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health is reporting the 19th COVID-19 death today of an elderly adult on O‘ahu who was hospitalized with multiple underlying health issues. Governor David Ige expressed his condolences to the family and friends for their loss. “Every COVID-19 death is an emotional reminder of the need for all of us to be vigilant and wear a face covering when outside our homes, physically distance ourselves from others and wash hands frequently,” said Gov. Ige. “It’s about protecting each other and allowing the state to reopen safely. We all have a stake in this and now is the most [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest July 2, 2020
Department of Health: 20 New Cases of COVID-19 Reported Twenty (20) new cases of COVID-19 were reported Thursday by DOH. The cases include 17 from Honolulu, most which were associated with identified cases or clusters, as well as three (3) cases on Hawai‘i Island. Community outreach and testing activities are ongoing. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, July 2, 2020 Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) Total Released from Isolation* O‘ahu 17 676 525 Hawai‘i 3 90 86 Maui 0 123 113 Kaua‘i 0 38 20 Moloka‘i 0 2 2 Lana‘i 0 0 [...]