Celebrate Thanksgiving safely
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) reminds everyone to celebrate smartly this holiday season. “Many people in Hawai‘i are fully vaccinated and should be able to get together with family and friends to celebrate the holidays. We’ve taken big steps forward and our behavior in the coming weeks can show that we really care,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. Here are some Thanksgiving safety tips. Celebrate with fully vaccinated people Stay away from others if you are sick, have symptoms or have COVID-19 Get tested in you have COVID-19 symptoms Limit gathering size to a small [...]
Booster eligibility expands
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting new guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Effective immediately all adults age 18 and older who completed their primary mRNA vaccinations of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago are eligible for boosters. The following recipients of a Pfizer or Moderna primary series should receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. People aged 50 years and older Adults in long term care settings All other persons aged 18 and older who received a Pfizer or Moderna primary series may receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. Boosters [...]
Large COVID-19 cluster warrants caution on Kaua‘i
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is issuing guidance to a Kaua‘i church and its congregation because of the imminent health threat posed by a large cluster of COVID-19 cases. King’s Chapel, Kaua‘i, in Nawiliwili congregants are encouraged to participate in virtual services and avoid in-person church activities until the cluster is contained. People who attended events hosted by King’s Chapel Nawiliwili on or after October 31, especially youth group activities, are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19. They should closely monitor themselves for symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or loss of taste or smell. [...]
McDonald’s pop-up events
Hawaiʻi residents are bound by a sense of community—and this people-oriented mindset has extended to COVID-19 vaccination efforts. As vaccination numbers began to level off this summer, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, businesses, health care providers and nonprofit groups stood up community-focused pop-up vaccination clinics to provide both convenience and familiar, welcoming environment to those considering vaccination. Churches, markets, public and private schools, community centers and restaurants statewide have offered the use of their parking lots and facilities to support outreach vaccination efforts. Inside their mobile health van, members of the Hawai‘i Pacific Health COVID-19 Vax Squad (top left) [...]
Keeping COVID-19 at Bay in Hawai‘i’s Schools
COVID-19 vaccinations are critical to keeping the pandemic under control, but the value of ongoing testing should not be underestimated as a mitigation tool. Although COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to children ages 5 to 12, testing will remain important in Hawai‘i’s schools as a tool to prevent the spread of the virus. Through the collaborative efforts of the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Hawai‘i Department of Education, the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawai‘i Keiki Nurse Program, and private laboratories, COVID-19 testing is becoming a part of the daily routine of students, teachers and administrators at Hawaii’s public schools. The turnaround time [...]
Vaccines prove effective in analysis of Hawaiʻi COVID-19 breakthrough data
HONOLULU – A Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) analysis of vaccine breakthrough data found COVID-19 vaccines provide excellent protection against hospitalization and death. A vaccine breakthrough infection occurs when a fully vaccinated person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing their initial vaccine series. Hawaiʻi data on deaths that occurred from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 found that fully vaccinated people age 0-59 were 34 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. Fully vaccinated people age 60 and older were nine times less likely [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health issues cease & desist, $207,000 penalty to Embry Health for conducting unauthorized COVID-19 testing
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) today ordered Embry Health to immediately cease and desist collecting specimens for COVID-19 tests in the State of Hawai‘i without a license, permit or written approval. DOH also levied a $207,000 administrative penalty. Embry Health has been operating COVID-19 testing collection depots on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. Embry Health testing sites known to DOH include Kahala Mall, Kaimana Beach Hotel, Mauna Kea Beach Resort, Patsy T. Mink Central O‘ahu Regional Park, Wahiawa District Park and Waipahu District Park. Collection depots are sites that collect test specimens and send them to a laboratory [...]
$2.2 Million grant to augment community health workforce training programs statewide
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) was awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to train, deploy and engage community health workers as part of its public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community health workers are frontline health workers who provide assistance in accessing healthcare, government, and social service resources. “Hawaii’s COVID-19 response was strengthened by community health workers who understood and advocated for their communities,” said Danette Wong Tomiyasu, Deputy Director of the Health Resources Administration. “This grant will augment statewide training programs for community health workers. Growing [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health, City & County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department announce a new emergency medical care treatment site option for O‘ahu emergency patients
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) and the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department (HESD) in partnership with Hawai‘i Pacific Health are announcing the start of a new program to provide alternate emergency care treatment site options for O’ahu residents and visitors in Kapolei. Beginning this week, Kapolei patients have the option of being transported to selected urgent care facilities rather than a hospital emergency department. This will ensure O‘ahu residents have faster access to appropriate medical care, including emergency care. This emergency care option was authorized by the 2019 Hawai‘i State Legislature’s Act 140. The [...]
Vaccine for children safe and effective
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health is authorizing certified vaccination providers to administer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11 immediately. This authorization is consistent with recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today. “The CDC reviewed the clinical data and determined the vaccine is safe. The Pfizer vaccine is effective in preventing severe illness and death. The vaccine will provide another important layer of protection in keeping our children and the entire community safe,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine [...]