Author: Jackson

Governor’s Office:

Governor Watches National Guard Salute to Hawai‘i’s Healthcare Heroes

For a few minutes today, Gov. David Ige took a break from the endless meetings, conference calls, and administrative work associated with the state’s management of the COVID-19 crisis, to join others around the state in recognizing the sacrifices of the healthcare community. From a State Capitol 5^th floor vantage point, the governor watched as aircraft from the Hawai‘i National Guard and the 15^th Wing Active Duty airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam flew three separate flyovers over 17 different hospitals and medical centers around the state. It was an occasion to recognize not only military members, many of whom are supporting Hawai‘i’s coronavirus emergency response, but to pay tribute to the thousands of healthcare workers around the islands who are on the frontlines, battling this serious disease.

“We see across the country, the ravage COVID-19 has inflicted on community after community. We know that Hawai‘i has fared much, much better than any other state in the country, and it really is due to the healthcare providers here. I’m proud of all their efforts,” said Gov. Ige.

For more: https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/hawaii-covid-19-joint-information-center-news-release/

Watch video of the flyover and hear Gov. Ige’s comments here: https://vimeo.com/418676067

Community Connections Facebook Live

Gov. Ige gave an update on Facebook live Thursday on how the State is dealing with COVID-19. The governor reminded everyone the number of cases has declined and that Hawai‘i has adequate capacity to handle COVID-19 cases. He was joined by State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park and State Laboratories Division Administrator Dr. Edward Desmond who answered questions on testing and contact tracing. Dr. Desmond said the capacity for lab testing has increased but warned that even though we have a low number of cases, there is still no need for arbitrary testing. Dr. Park reiterated the importance of testing people who are symptomatic and that have also talked with their health care providers to rule out other underlying health conditions. While many have asked about why there is not more widespread testing in the general public with people not showing any symptoms, Dr. Park explained that the test only provides a “snapshot in time.”

 

Department of Health:

No New Cases of COVID-19 Reported

For the second time in a week the DOH is reporting no new cases of coronavirus in Hawai‘i. The total number of positive cases is dropping by one (1) due to a laboratory reporting error. An out-of-state resident was erroneously reported as a Hawai‘i resident.* DOH continues to investigate a family cluster of seven (7) cases on O‘ahu. Community outreach and additional testing of case contacts is continuing.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 14, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation*
O‘ahu	0	414	377
Hawai‘i	0	75	75
Maui	0	115	92
Kaua‘i	0	21	20
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	11
Unknown	0	0
Total**	0	637
Total released from isolation			564
Deaths	0	17

* Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria. Cases that have died and one case that left the jurisdiction have been removed from these counts.

Laboratory* Testing Data

There were 866 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
38,302**	635	37,647

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **20 test results were inconclusive.

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

881 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Today marks seven weeks since the State’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i. Yesterday, 881 people arrived at State airports, including 246 visitors and 329 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew		7	131	8	146
Intended New Resident		1	72	5	78
Resident		26	289	14	329
Transit			82		82
Visitor		14	220	12	246
GRAND TOTAL	0	48	794	39	881
Flights	0	2	13	2	17

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4585/051420-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 10, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	58	82	153	48	16	3	0	0	360
Kona (KOA)	146	0	0	11	0	0	0	0	0	157
Hilo (ITO)	137	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	137
Kahului (OGG)	183	20	0	0	0	11	0	0	1	215
Līhuʻe (LIH)	52	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	52
Molokaʻi (MMK)	28	0	0	17	0	0	0	0	0	45
Lānaʻi (LYN)	4	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	8
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	6
Total Arriving	550	78	82	191	48	27	3	0	1	980

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Department of Land and Natural Resources

Beach Gathering Results In Man’s Arrest On Hawai‘i Island

A citizen reported a large gathering of people and cars at Alula Beach (near Honokohau Small Boat Harbor) to the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) early Wednesday afternoon. DOCARE officers responded to the beach and observed numerous people not engaging in permitted activity outlined in the State’s current emergency rules.

They contacted 24-year-old Dillon Kroll of Kailua-Kona and report the man immediately became agitated and combative, cussed at the officers, and was so angry other people on the beach became alarmed. Officers allege Kroll refused to follow them to their vehicles to prepare a citation and continued debating with them while yelling and swearing. They also report the man’s mother then had a verbal dispute with another woman who was objecting to Kroll’s behavior toward the DOCARE officers. Others reportedly grabbed their children and headed to their cars apparently due to the man’s unruly behavior.

Kroll was arrested for disorderly conduct, intoxication on State unencumbered land and violation of emergency rules and orders. He was booked at the Kona Police station and then released on his own recognizance.

DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla commented, “While the majority of our residents are following emergency rules, including not congregating on beaches, this arrest clearly demonstrates that there are a few who are not. They are not only possibly endangering the health of others, but their own. Health experts tell us, it takes everyone complying with social-distancing and other mandates in order to keep coronavirus at bay. Our officers will aggressively enforce the emergency rules and all other laws when they are advised of violations.”

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/14/nr20-063/

 

# # #

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

From the Governor’s Office:

Safer-at-Home Means Keeping the Curve Flat

This is the second week since Governor Ige issued the Safer-At-Home order and at an afternoon media briefing he said he is pleased the cases reported today continue to remain low. With only three new cases today, Hawai‘i is one of the safest states in the nation in the fight against COVID-19. In addition to the low number of new cases, Hawai’i has achieved some other key metrics, permitting the re-opening of specific sectors of our economy.

With Mall and Retail Reopening’s Governor Encourages Continued Vigilance

On Friday, many retail stores and shopping malls on O‘ahu can reopen under the Safer-At-Home order—joining retailers and malls that have already opened on the neighbor islands.

Today, Governor Ige encouraged residents to shop at the newly opened stores and malls, but to please remain vigilant. Ige commented, “Please follow social distancing requirements at malls and stores. Avoid congregating and gathering in large groups. And please wear your face masks. Remember that malls are not places to loiter. Please make your purchases and head home where it is safer.”

Millions in Federal Funding to Hawai‘i for Contact Tracing

Governor Ige is thanking Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation for securing $50 million in federal funding to pay for contact tracing. The governor said, “They have been working tirelessly to help the people of Hawaiʻi in the fight against this pandemic. And this grant will go a long way in covering the cost of training and responding to a future surge.” (See DOH & UH items below)

Read the news release from Senator Brian Schatz: https://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/hawaii-receiving-50-million-in-new-federal-funding-to-ramp-up-covid-19-contact-tracing

 

Lieutenant Governor’s Office:

Lt. Gov. Green Proposes “Travel with Aloha” Program

As the state looks toward the eventual reopening of air travel to and around the state, Lt. Governor Josh Green proposed a program, he is calling, “Travel with Aloha,” at this afternoon’s media briefing. He believes such a program will help the state mitigate possible importation of coronavirus from traveling visitors and residents. A key component of Green’s proposal is having visitors and returning residents voluntarily getting COVID-19 tests within 72-hours of their departure to the islands. People who decline to get tested would undergo additional testing and screening upon arrival at State airports. Green said, “This could cut several hours from their vacation or return home and they could be required to undergo a possible 14-day mandatory quarantine.” He added, “It’s imperative we do everything we can to safeguard our state from importing coronavirus through travel, while maintaining our community’s aloha for visitors.”

Report on Statewide Hospital Bed Capacity

During today’s COVID-19 news briefing, Lt. Gov. Green also noted a Harvard Global Health Institute study that announced Hawai‘i is among nine states that have exceeded testing minimums necessary for reopening. Supporting this study, he said if there were a large number of positive cases that have not been detected or reported, we would see more COVID-19 positive patients in our healthcare system. “We are still doing great, in terms of our hospital capacity,” Green commented. Across the state, 54% of all hospital beds are in use, 43% of intensive care unit beds are occupied, and ventilator use is only at 12%. He is encouraging people to get medical treatment if needed and to not fear hospitalization. For more on the Harvard/NPR study: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/07/851610771/u-s-coronavirus-testing-still-falls-short-hows-your-state-doing

 

Department of Health:

Three New Cases of COVID-19 Reported

There are three (3) new cases of coronavirus being reported today by the DOH. All of the cases are on O‘ahu, one is an adult and the two others are minors. Both minors are members of a family cluster that DOH has been monitoring. The adult case continues to be under investigation.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 13, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation*
O‘ahu	3	414	376
Hawai‘i	0	75	75
Maui	0	115	90
Kaua‘i	0	21	20
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	11
Unknown	0	0
Total	3	638
Total released from isolation			563
Deaths	0	17

* Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria. Cases that have died and one case that left the jurisdiction have been removed from these counts.

Laboratory* Testing Data

There were 391 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
37,436**	636	36,780

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **20 test results were inconclusive.

For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

Contact Tracing and Testing Capacity

DOH is working on a plan to rapidly increase testing and contact tracing capacity. As more businesses open back up, this will be necessary to detect and respond to any increase in new cases. An important part of the contact tracing plan is ensuring adequate numbers of people who are well trained. DOH Director Dr. Bruce Anderson has put together a partnership with the University of Hawai‘i for a program which will train 300 more contract tracers who can be mobilized in case of a surge. This is in addition to the more than 80 contract tracers already available. At Wednesday’s news briefing UH President David Lassner provided an update on the university’s role in the contact tracing program. (See item below)

DOH Reiterates Continued Need for Vigilance During Safer-at-Home Phase

Complacency is a serious concern as reports of fewer cases inadvertently signals less urgency. Informal gatherings are being observed and people are doing less social distancing, and everyone is not wearing a mask. Any success we are seeing now will backslide if everyone in our communities does not comply with staying at home, social distancing, mask-wearing, and other measures to keep the spread of coronavirus controlled. State legislators are urged to remind their constituents that maintaining community efforts and sacrifices will allow us to reopen the state. Not complying will likely create a second wave of COVID-19 and delay reopening businesses and resumption of travel.

 

University of Hawai‘i

Leveraging Expertise for Contract Tracing

As Governor Ige announced, a one-year, $2.5 million program, forged as a partnership between the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division and UH’s UHealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative will leverage UH faculty expertise and existing courses across the 10-campus system to quickly develop content for contact tracing training. The plan is to then train the approximately 300 contact tracers in two to three days, or two to three months, depending on their educational backgrounds, as well as increase the universityʻs capacity to graduate 100 community health workers each year. DOH can then hire the trained individuals as needed, including as emergency hires, in the event of a surge in COVID-19 cases. The university will offer two tracks for contact tracing training: a course for clinical professionals (approximately two to three days to complete for those with at least an undergraduate degree and a clinical health background) and an intensive contact tracing program (approximately two to three months for those with undergraduate degrees, health sciences preferred). All training content and materials will be approved by the DOH.

The UH Community Colleges will add capacity in the community health worker programs and update curricula so that community health worker graduates will be prepared to be part of COVID-19 contact tracing teams as needed. In an effort to increase enrollment, $1,000 scholarships will be available to UH Community College health worker students once they complete the program. They are a critical component to the contract tracing teams with their special community-based training and ties to work effectively with identified high-risk populations. Learn more about the UHealthy Hawai‘i Initiative: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2019/08/20/uhealthy-hawaii/

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

852 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Yesterday, 852 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 264 visitors and 321 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR MONDAY, MAY 12, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	3		114		117
Intended New Resident	16		88		104
Resident	27		294		321
Transit			46		46
Visitor	26		238		264
GRAND TOTAL	72	0	780	0	852
Flights	1	0	12	0	13

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4582/051320-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 9, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	64	110	100	60	26	1	0	0	361
Kona (KOA)	109	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	115
Hilo (ITO)	126	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	126
Kahului (OGG)	238	3	0	0	0	2	3	0	3	249
Līhuʻe (LIH)	57	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	57
Molokaʻi (MMK)	27	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	37
Lānaʻi (LYN)	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	5
Total Arriving	561	67	110	121	60	28	4	0	3	954

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Hawai‘i House of Representatives:

House Awaits $5.1 Billion Capital Improvement Project Budget from the Senate

The Senate Ways and Means Conference Committee agreed Wednesday on the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021, totaling more than $5.1 billion. Some of the funding would address statewide needs that have become apparent due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as upgrades to outdated Department of Labor and Industrial Relations unemployment computer systems and modernizing the Department of Accounting and General Services finance systems. The CIP budget also includes funding for many “shovel ready” construction projects that can begin work quickly providing much-needed jobs to help resuscitate the economy. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a second reading. To read more about the proposed budget: https://www.hawaiihousedemocrats.com/post/house-awaits-5-1-billion-cip-budget-from-the-senate

 

Department of Land and Natural Resources

Kaua‘i Temporarily Adds Hunting Days for Covid-19 Response

Kaua‘i hunters are invited to apply for special use permits to hunt goats, pigs, and deer on closed hunting days in State Forest Reserves, Natural Area Reserves, and Game

Management Areas. Usually, most hunting areas on Kaua‘i are open only weekends (Friday-Monday). Beginning on Monday, May 18, people who want to hunt on closed days can submit online applications. “Hunters have asked us to increase open hunting days to help them feed our community,” said Sheri S. Mann, Kaua‘i Branch Manager for the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW). “With so many people out of work, and concerns about national meat shortages, it is likely many folks are interested in hunting during the middle of the week.  We want hunters to practice social distancing recommendations. Opening up daily hunting should spread hunting trips out and reduce the likelihood of overlaps.” Applicants must have a current hunters license and permits will be issued for a one-month period, with opportunity to reapply for future months after submitting harvest data. Permits will be processed several times a week.

For more information: www.KauaiForestUsers.com or 808-274-3433.

Read the full news release here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/13/nr20-062/

# # #

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

Department of Health:

One New Case of COVID-19

There is one (1) new case reported today by the DOH. This is an out-of-state resident who was screened at the airport and subsequently tested positive. Complacency is a serious concern as reports of fewer cases inadvertently signals less urgency. Informal gatherings are being observed and people are doing less social distancing and everyone is not wearing a mask. Any success we are seeing now will backslide if everyone in our community does not comply with the safer-at-home order, social distancing, mask-wearing, and other measures to control the spread of coronavirus. State legislators are urged to remind their constituents that maintaining community efforts and sacrifices will allow us to reopen the state. Not complying, could create a second wave of COVID-19 and delay reopening businesses and resumption of travel.

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

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation*
O‘ahu	1	411	376
Hawai‘i	0	75	75
Maui	0	115	90
Kaua‘i	0	21	20
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	11
Unknown	0	0
Total	1	635
Total released from isolation			563
Deaths	0	17

* Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria. Cases that have died and one case that left the jurisdiction have been removed from these counts.

Laboratory* Testing Data

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
37,045**	632	36,390

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **23 test results were inconclusive.

For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

893 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Yesterday, 893 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 286 visitors and 339 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew		6	131		137
Intended New Resident		2	85		87
Resident		37	302		339
Transit			44		44
Visitor		18	268		286
GRAND TOTAL	0	63	830	0	893
Flights	0	1	13	0	14

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4580/051220-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 8, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	145	140	162	110	36	4	0	0	597
Kona (KOA)	220	0	0	26	0	0	0	0	0	246
Hilo (ITO)	267	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	267
Kahului (OGG)	383	19	0	0	0	34	2	0	4	442
Līhuʻe (LIH)	304	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	304
Molokaʻi (MMK)	45	0	0	21	0	0	0	0	0	66
Lānaʻi (LYN)	4	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	8
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total Arriving	1,223	164	140	214	110	70	6	0	4	1,931

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Department of Defense:

Team Hickam Salutes First Responders in Statewide Flyover

The Hawai‘i Air National Guard and 15th Wing Active Duty Airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will perform a flyover throughout the State on Thursday, May 14, around 11:00 a.m. The flyovers are scheduled above most of Hawai‘i’s large hospitals and major metropolitan areas in a salute to all frontline workers battling COVID-19, as well as those staying home to “flatten the curve.” The flyover will feature all locally-based U.S. Air Force planes, including a C-17 Globemaster III, a KC-135 Stratotanker and a four-ship flight of F-22 Raptors. These aircraft were already scheduled for training flights, so the flyover comes at no additional cost to the taxpayer. The flight path was coordinated with Hawai‘i State officials as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. The altitude of the flyover will vary between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above ground level. 154^th Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Dann Carlson said, “This event will recognize the hard work that everyone in Hawai‘i has already accomplished to keep Hawai‘i’s COVID cases among the lowest in the nation, while also acknowledging the need for continued vigilance. These flyovers are meant to provide hope and reaffirm confidence in our state and nation while emphasizing the Air Force’s enduring commitment and support to the people of the State of Hawai’i.” Residents watching should do so from the safety of their homes while adhering to social distancing guidelines and should refrain from traveling to see the flyovers.

For more information:

https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/office-of-the-governor-news-release-team-hickam-salutes-hawaiis-first-responders-health-care-facilities-with-statewide-flyover/

# # #

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

Governor’s Office:

Don’t Congregate, No Big-Groups, Masks in Public – Governor Reminds

At a Monday afternoon news briefing Governor David Ige again asked everyone to remain vigilant in order to stay on the right track. He commented, “We’ll lose all of our progress and the sacrifices you’ve all made if we see a surge in COVID-19 cases. All of your work will have been meaningless.” Hawai‘i has reported fewer than three new cases each of the past four days, with no new cases reported last Friday. The governor said we have flattened the curve, but the state has received numerous reports of people not following social distancing guidelines and not wearing masks while in close proximity to other people.

CARES Act Provides $1.25 Billion to Hawai‘i

While the appropriation of the one and a quarter billion dollars the state is receiving from the federal CARES Act does not require the legislature to take action, Governor Ige thanked law makers for their work and said he thought it was important to engage the House and the Senate for accountability and transparency. $862 million of the funding is allocated to the State for a variety of response, prevention and recovery activities. Of that amount the counties of Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i will receive a total of $175 million. The City and County of Honolulu is receiving $387 million. The governor intends for the remaining balance of $553 million to bolster unemployment benefits for Hawai‘i residents.

 

Department of Health:

Two New Cases of COVID-19 Reported on O‘ahu

One adult and one minor are the latest two cases of COVID-19 being reported by DOH. Both cases are O‘ahu residents and are travel-associated. It is critical for all those who return from essential travel to stay in mandatory 14-day self-quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The total of coronavirus cases in the state is 634 since Feb. 28, 2020.

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

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation*
O‘ahu	2	410	376
Hawai‘i	0	75	74
Maui	0	115	89
Kaua‘i	0	21	20
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	11
Unknown**	0	0
Total	2	634
Total released from isolation			561
Deaths	0	17

* Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria. Cases that have died and one case that left the jurisdiction have been removed from these counts.

** 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.

Laboratory* Testing Data

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
36,612**	632	35,956

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **24 test results were inconclusive.

Please note: There appears to have been a glitch in the ELR reporting, in that the system was over counting some tests over the past week. Staff have fixed the issue and adjusted the data.

For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

DOH Reminder – Check for the Green Placard Before Buying Food from Vendors

DOH is reminding you to check for the official Green “Passed” Placard before purchasing food especially from online or roadside vendors, some have never been inspected or licensed by state health officials. Individuals selling prepared foods without a food safety permit put people at risk of food-related illness and foodborne disease outbreaks. It is illegal to sell perishable foods without state approval and a permit from the DOH Food Safety Branch.

Exemptions to state food safety regulations are homemade non-perishable baked goods candies, and snacks sold directly to individuals and not sold to food establishments, retailers and distributors. For example, an office bake sale does not require a food service permit. Please contact the Food Safety Branch at (808) 586-8000 for questions or to report illegal food establishments. To check if a food establishment has a valid state food safety permit or to review inspection reports, go to: https://hi.healthinspections.us/hawaii/

Read the entire news release: https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/hawaii-department-of-health-advises-the-public-to-always-check-for-the-green-passed-placard-before-purchasing-food-from-vendors/

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

854 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Yesterday, 854 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 246 visitors and 334 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	2	12	118		132
Intended New Resident	3	1	76		80
Resident	20	10	304		334
Transit			62		62
Visitor	17	14	215		246
GRAND TOTAL	42	37	775	0	854
Flights	3	3	13	0	19

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4576/051120-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 7, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	104	153	131	99	31	5	0	0	523
Kona (KOA)	212	0	0	13	0	0	0	0	0	225
Hilo (ITO)	233	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	234
Kahului (OGG)	250	8	0	0	0	10	1	0	6	275
Līhuʻe (LIH)	118	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	118
Molokaʻi (MMK)	28	0	0	11	0	0	0	0	0	39
Lānaʻi (LYN)	5	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	7
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2
Total Arriving	846	112	153	160	99	41	6	0	6	1,423

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Hawai‘i State Legislature:

House and Senate Reconvene, Public Viewing Held Online

The Legislature reconvened Monday and will remain in session through Monday, May 18. The session is focusing on stabilizing the state budget and budget-related bills in anticipation of a $1 billion shortfall in state revenues. The State Capitol remains closed, but anyone can still submit written testimony and livestream the proceedings:

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/broadcasts.aspx

 

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands:

DHHL, Aloha United Way Launch Beneficiary Rental Relief Program
A new program to provide rental relief for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) Applicant Waiting List beneficiaries launched today, in partnership with Aloha United Way (AUW). The program’s implementation was approved by the Hawaiian Homes Commission (HHC) at its April meeting. DHHL’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program will provide eligible beneficiaries with rental assistance using $7 million in Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant funds. HHC Chairman William J. Ailā, Jr. said, “We started by implementing mortgage relief programs for existing homesteaders and now we are pleased to launch this initiative with AUW to help applicants on our Waiting List. Norm Baker, interim AUW President and CEO commented, “Through data we understand the native Hawaiian population is one of our most vulnerable. The funds from the DHHL rental relief program administered by AUW will prevent native Hawaiian families from slipping into homelessness. We estimate more than 2,500 households will be saved from eviction.” Eligible native Hawaiians on DHHL’s Applicant Waiting List who have experienced a loss of income or job as a result of COVID-19 may receive assistance for the payment of their security deposit and/or rent for up to six months. To apply for DHHL’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program, call AUW at 2-1-1. Learn the latest about COVID-19 impacts on DHHL activities by visiting dhhl.hawaii.gov/covid-19.

 

Department of Human Services:

Emergency SNAP Supplement to Aid Households 

DHS has received approval to provide three months of emergency SNAP supplements to address temporary food needs for SNAP households. This emergency SNAP supplement will bring all households up to the maximum benefit amount, based on household size, regardless of income. SNAP households who already received the maximum benefit amount will not receive an emergency supplement. There is no action needed from customers to receive these payments. Emergency supplements will be automatically issued to the SNAP household’s EBT card. To view how much you would now be getting based on your household size:

https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/blog/emergency-snap-supplement-will-bring-households-the-maximum-benefit/

Preschool Open Doors Program Deadline Extended to May 15th

Additional help is being offered for families in need of affordable preschool for the 2020-2021 school year. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, DHS is extending the deadline to submit applications until May 15, 2020 for the Preschool Open Doors program. DHS Director Pankaj Bhanot said, “During these challenging times, we will continue to serve our State with aloha. Together, we honor our commitment to supporting our collective community; individuals and families from keiki to kupuna.” Both the application period and funding are limited, so DHS is encouraging families to apply before that May 15 deadline. To qualify for the program, children must be eligible to enter kindergarten in the 2021-2022 DOE school year (born between August 1, 2015 and July 31, 2016). If awarded a subsidy, families may use any one of the 426 state-licensed preschools. DHS also gives priority to underserved or at-risk children.

https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/blog/preschool-open-doors-program-deadline-extended-to-may-15-2020-amid-covid-19/

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 11, 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)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	0	408	385
Hawai‘i	0	74	67
Maui	0	114	93
Kaua‘i	0	21	21
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	10
Unknown**	0	0
Total	0	629
Total released from isolation			566
Deaths	0	17

** 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.

 

Laboratory* Testing Data

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
34,836**	629	34,188

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **19 test results were inconclusive.

Please note: There appears to have been a glitch in the ELR reporting, in that the system was over counting some tests over the past week. Staff have fixed the issue and adjusted the data.

For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

Hawai‘i State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park said, “We have seen a steady decline in new cases over the past several weeks, although today we’re at zero, we want to maintain these declines. As businesses reopen, as people become more active and travel more freely, we will inevitably see an increase in cases.” Health experts indicate that while Hawai‘i is fortunate to have this pause, it should be used to reassess response capacity, preparedness plans, and to ensure the state is ready for a second and potentially larger wave of the disease.

Of particular concern now, is Hawai‘i residents resuming travel to the mainland, particularly to COVID-19 hotspots. Dr. Park explained, “Travel continues to pose a risk for the spread and reintroduction of the coronavirus. This risk is not just posed by visitors. Residents can actually pose a greater risk by unknowingly infecting others. When people travel for entirely appropriate and necessary reasons (work, healthcare, significant family events) they can inadvertently bring the infection home.” Park and other health experts say this is why it is critically important for everyone (visitors and residents) to observe the mandatory traveler 14-day self-quarantine. It protects our community.

The State is again emphasizing that Hawai‘i is not a “me first” culture, but a culture of “we.” This philosophy is what’s allowed control of the COVID-19 pandemic up until this point. Hawai‘i residents particularly respect our kupuna and others who may be more susceptible to this serious disease.

For that reason, DOH says the strongest defense we have against future, rapid increases in COVID-19 cases is dependent on everyone’s consistent observation of safe practices.

• Wear a mask when you are outside your home.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Keep a distance of 6 feet from non-household members.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces often.
• Stay at home when you are sick.

https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/hawaii-covid-19-joint-information-center-news-release-no-new-cases-of-covid-19-likely-just-a-lull-may-8-2020/

 

Hawai‘i Tops in Nation for COVID-19 Testing

This week, Harvard’s Global Health Institute published a state-by-state simulation that estimates the amount of coronavirus testing that will be needed by May 15. The institute started from a model of future case counts and then calculated how much testing would be needed for a state to test all infected people and any close contacts they may have exposed to the virus.

The study was conducted in partnership with National Public Radio (NPR). In an interview with NPR, institute director Ashish Jha said, “Testing is outbreak control 101, because what testing lets you do is figure out who’s infected and who’s not…that lets you separate out the infected people from the noninfected people and bring the disease under control.”

NPR reports that only nine (9) states have exceeded testing minimums estimated by Harvard and are mostly lower population states: Alaska, Hawai‘i, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The model suggests that Hawai‘i’s first pandemic wave of COVID-19 is “mild” relative to the state’s population and falls well below the 10 percent threshold advised by WHO. In the testing vs. target category, Hawai‘i is averaging 797 tests each day, more than the estimated minimum tests recommended by May 15. In the positive test ratio category, only 0.3% percent of tests in Hawai‘i have come back positive; much lower than the WHO recommended rate of 10 percent or lower. Only Montana has a better positive test ratio of 0.1%.

Read the entire story and view state charts here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/07/851610771/u-s-coronavirus-testing-still-falls-short-hows-your-state-doing

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

756 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Yesterday marked six weeks since the State’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i from out of state. Yesterday, 756 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 239 visitors and 214 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	3		115		118
Intended New Resident	9		117		126
Resident	16		198		214
Transit			59		59
Visitor	18		221		239
GRAND TOTAL	46	0	710	0	756
Flights	1	0	12	0	13

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4569/050820-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:

State Pays Out $140,300,082 in Unemployment Insurance Benefits

DLIR announced Friday that it distributed $140,300,082 in unemployment insurance benefits over the past week. $83,776,600 of that total represents the $600 bonus made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27, 2020. DLIR Director Scott Murakami said, “I am tremendously grateful for our workers as well as the volunteers working at the Hawai‘i State Library and Hawai‘i Convention Center. We know that there are still many in our community who are suffering and with the help of our sister departments, the Legislature, private sector partners and non-profits, we are resolute in providing a greater level of relief as soon as possible.” A total of 76 DLIR staff have been internally reallocated to process claims, and about 600 volunteers are trained and working at the Hawai‘i Convention Center processing claims and staffing the phone center.

https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/news/state-pays-out-140300082-in-unemployment-insurance-benefits/

 

Department of Public Safety:

Jail Population Report

From March 2 to May 8 there has been an 823-person decrease in the jail population. These reductions are due to the huge, up-front diversion efforts made by county police departments, PSD’s Intake Services Center Division and the State Judiciary. More recent, additional reductions are due to the collaborative efforts of the state public defender’s office, county prosecutors, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court and the Supreme Court appointed Special Master, Judge Dan Foley.

Inmate Testing

Currently there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the prisons or jails. The latest Inmate Testing Report can be found:

http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/

 

Hawai‘i State Legislature:

House and Senate to Reconvene Monday, Public Viewing Held Online

House Speaker Scott Saiki and Senate President Ronald Kouchi confirmed yesterday that the Legislature will reconvene on Monday, May 11 through Monday, May 18. The session will focus on stabilizing the state budget and budget-related bills in anticipation of a $1 billion shortfall in state revenues. Speaker Saiki said, “We are reconvening the session because the immediate priority is to stabilize the state budget so that we can avoid drastic cuts and furloughs.” Senate President Kouchi said, “Clearly, in the area of visitor arrivals basically down to zero, G.E.T. activity has stopped as well, along with income tax filings deferred to July 20, so some of the most significant impacts have come from these income generators. While it’s possible that we can do the session in six days to take care of the budgetary process, we might need nine or 10 days overall to finish up business, so we will work in concert with the House through this process.” The State Capitol remains closed, but anyone can still submit written testimony and livestream the proceedings:

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/broadcasts.aspx

 

Department of Land and Natural Resources:

Hawai‘i Fishing Sector To Receive Portion of $300 Million CARES Act Funding

Hawai‘i’s struggling fisheries could be getting some help. On Thursday, the Secretary of Commerce announced the allocation of $300 million in fisheries assistance funding provided by the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act). This funding is to states, tribes, and territories with coastal and marine fisheries who have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

The DLNR and its Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is currently in the process of developing a spending plan, which, if approved by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will allow fishery participants to apply for financial relief from Hawai‘i’s $4.3 million portion. “This is welcome relief for our struggling local fisheries,” said Brian Neilson, DAR Administrator.  “Unfortunately, it will only cover a fraction of the economic losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, so we continue to encourage residents to support our local fishers and seafood producers as much as possible.”

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/08/nr20-060/

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 8, 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), H-O (Tuesdays), P-Z (Wednesdays), with Thursday-Sunday designated as open days for anyone. DLIR is also expanding its call center with an additional 150 phones to handle more questions. Staff are also working to create a database for businesses that are bringing back their employees and receiving PPP federal loans. Murakami and the governor answered numerous questions during the Facebook Live, including why weekly certifications are still needed, the timeline for the new PUA system for self-employed and contract workers, and how to certify and backdate claims. Gov. Ige conducts Facebook Live’s weekly to answer questions. Watch: https://www.facebook.com/GovernorDavidIge/

 

Department of Health:

Three Additional COVID-19 Cases Reported

Three O‘ahu adults are the lastest positive cases of coronavirus being reported by DOH. This brings the total of COVID-19 positive cases among state residents to 629. Non-resident cases remain at 54 and 6 are unknown place of residence.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 7, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (includes new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	3	408	384
Hawai‘i	0	74	67
Maui	0	114	93
Kaua‘i	0	21	21
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	10
Unknown**	0	0
Total	3	629
Total released from isolation			565
Deaths	0	17

** 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.

Laboratory* Testing Data

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
34,206**	627	33,556

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **23 test results were inconclusive.

Please note: There appears to have been a glitch in the ELR reporting, in that the system was over counting some tests over the past week. Staff have fixed the issue and adjusted the data.

For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

669 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i

Today marks six weeks since the State’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i from out of state. Yesterday, 669 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 233 visitors and 189 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	4	7	126	6	143
Intended New Resident		3	52		55
Resident		19	159	11	189
Transit			49		49
Visitor*		8	198	27	233
GRAND TOTAL	4	37	584	44	669
Flights	1	1	14	1	17

*Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4567/050720-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 4, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	161	71	198	108	28	1	0	0	567
Kona (KOA)	199	0	0	11	0	0	0	0	0	210
Hilo (ITO)	183	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	183
Kahului (OGG)	0	5	0	0	0	5	2	0	0	12
Līhuʻe (LIH)	104	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	104
Molokaʻi (MMK)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lānaʻi (LYN)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	5
Total Arriving	486	166	71	214	108	33	3	0	0	1,081

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Department of Transportation:

Power Outage Test Scheduled at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

There are two scheduled power outages at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport coming up. DOT and Hawaiian Electric will be testing the Emergency Power Facility. The planned events are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9, to 4 a.m. Sunday, May 10
• 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, to 4 a.m. Sunday, May 17

During the outage there will be no power to Terminals 1 and 2, and all parking structures. Facilities on ‘Ewa Service Road will also be impacted. Additionally, the roads and H-1 Freeway offramps leading to HNL will be closed to the public throughout that time. The outage will be conducted when no flights are scheduled to arrive or depart, however the power to the airfield will remain on and unchanged during the test. Deputy Director Ross Higashi, Hawai‘i DOT Airports Division said, “It is an ideal time to complete this test since there are fewer flights and passengers at the airport as a result of COVID-19. DOT employees continue to work on maintenance projects and efforts like this test during the pandemic.”

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/07/power-outage-test-scheduled-at-hnl/

Contraflow Operations Resume on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i; Update on Kaua‘i Contraflow

As low-risk businesses prepare to reopen across the State, the DOT will be resuming special-use lane operations for congestion mitigation. The DOT suspended those operations temporarily due to the COVID-19 emergency, including contraflow lanes such as the Zipper lane, on March 25. Special-use lane operations on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island will resume Thursday, May 7. The Kuhio Highway Contraflow on Kaua‘i is planned to resume Monday, May 11 at the latest after temporary work is completed at the Mauka Wailua Bridge. A list of these lanes statewide and hours of operation can be found at:

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/special-use-lanes/

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/06/contraflow-operations-resume-on-oahu-and-hawaii-island-thursday-may-7-update-to-kuhio-highway-contraflow-on-kauai/

 

Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority:

HPHA Accepting Affordable Housing Applications in Maui County

The Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority (HPHA) announced today that it has dozens of affordable housing units available throughout Maui County to assist families affected by the COVID-19 emergency. HPHA’s Executive Director, Hakim Ouansafi said “The COVID-19 Emergency is undoubtedly one of the most life-changing events that we have seen in modern times. During this rapidly changing time, the HPHA stands ready to continue to assist our most disadvantaged families with safe, decent and sanitary affordable housing.” Visit HPHA for more information:

http://www.hpha.hawaii.gov/

 

Hawai‘i State Legislature:

House and Senate Scheduled to Reconvene on Monday

House Speaker Scott Saiki & Senate President Ronald Kouchi confirmed today that the Legislature will reconvene on Monday, May 11 through Monday, May 18. The Senate could go longer because of the large number of board & commission nominations that need to be taken up. In addition, both bodies are scheduled to take up budget bills.

# # #

PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 7, 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 7^th 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 on, he recognizes that the counties should have the flexibility to adjust plans to meet the unique needs of their communities. Exclusive of individual county re-openings these are the businesses/industries approved for opening under the proclamation:

• Agriculture (non-food), such as landscape, ornamental plant growers, and nurseries
• Auto Dealerships
• Car Washes
• Childcare services, licensed or authorized under the law
• Pet Grooming Services
• Observatories & Support Facilities
• Retail & Repair Services, such as apparel, florists, watch & surfboard repair (Note: retail does not re-open in City & County of Honolulu until May 15)
• Shopping Malls – limited to retail and repair services

https://governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2005024-ATG_Seventh-Supplementary-Proclamation-for-COVID-19-distribution-signed-1.pdf

 

Lieutenant Governor’s Office:

• As of today, 558 people have recovered out of 626 cases, an 89.1% recovery rate
• In national comparisons, we have 43.6 total cases per 100,000 people, which is the second lowest case rate in the U.S., only behind Montana.
• Hawai‘i has the lowest mortality rate in the U.S. with 1.2 deaths per 100,000 people in our population.

 

Department of Health:

Only One New COVID-19 Case Reported

The one new case is an adult from the City & County of Honolulu. Two cases changed residence status. One was changed from non-resident to Honolulu resident. The other changed from non-resident to Maui resident. This brings the total of COVID-19 positive cases among state residents to 566. Non-resident cases total 54 and 6 are unknown place of residence.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 6, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
O‘ahu	1	405	379
Hawai‘i	0	74	66
Maui	0	114	91
Kaua‘i	0	21	20
Moloka‘i	0	2	2
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	10
Unknown**	0	0
Total	1	626
Total released from isolation			558
Deaths	0	17

** 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.

Laboratory* Testing Data

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
35,216**	624	34,568

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **24 test results were inconclusive.

For more tables please visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

 

Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i Produces Multi-Lingual Acute Care Info

A resource created by the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing and the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i focuses on post-acute for COVID-19 patients and includes valuable information for people outside of healthcare, particularly for non-English speakers. Anyone can access it (no password required).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XePaKv7Ar59PG7z37QqzIb8WfynEx5BK5ZfK3VLXIJA/edit#gid=1165090206

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

HTA Releases Breakdown of Visitor’s “Purpose of Trip”

HTA has released a breakdown of what incoming visitor’s said was their reason for coming to Hawai‘i, otherwise known as their “purpose of trip.” The breakdown is data available from March 26, when the State started a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all incoming passengers, to April 30. The list includes reasons such as honeymooning, getting married and business, among other things. A majority of those visitors indicated they were visiting friends and relatives. Only  272 people indicated they were strictly here for vacation during that time period. A majority of the passengers also indicated their accommodations would be at a friend or family member’s residence.

Visitors are people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID, including essential healthcare workers, essential federal workers, former residents like mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment and leisure travelers.

To view the entire table:

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4564/050620-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

Yesterday Hawai‘i’s airports saw 773 total passengers. This includes 216 visitors and 286 residents. The following table shows passenger numbers coming into the state. The table in the DBEDT section shows interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew	6		113	2	121
Intended New Resident	14		65		79
Resident	32		254		286
Transit			71		71
Visitor	15		201		216
GRAND TOTAL	67	0	704	2	773
Flights	2	0	12	1	15

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

INTERISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR MAY 3, 2020

Arriving Airport

Departing Airport	HNL	KOA	ITO	OGG	LIH	MMK	LNY	JHM	MUE	Total Departing
Honolulu (HNL)	0	69	49	142	45	15	0	0	0	320
Kona (KOA)	157	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	167
Hilo (ITO)	116	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	116
Kahului (OGG)	194	14	0	0	0	3	4	0	0	215
Līhuʻe (LIH)	47	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	47
Molokaʻi (MMK)	28	0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	38
Lānaʻi (LYN)	4	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	11
Kapalua (JHM)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waimea (MUE)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total Arriving	546	83	49	169	45	18	4	0	0	914

https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/covid19/

 

Department of Land and Natural Resources:

More Information on Reopening of Select Hawai‘i State Parks

At Governor Ige’s daily news briefing, DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “We’re very pleased that the curve has flattened and this is allowing the DLNR Division of State Parks to re-open select parks and monuments. State Parks administration and staff carefully looked at each park to determine which ones could be opened with an emphasis on social distancing.” There are several, very popular parks such as Diamond Head State Monument that will remain closed because creating social distancing is not possible. There are other lookouts or trails in parks where the six-foot social distancing recommendation is difficult. The Dept. of Health advised DLNR that as long as people are moving past each other, even if they’re within 6 ft of each other and not wearing a mask, we wouldn’t categorize those persons as anything but low risk at most and likely no risk. Common park activities like parties, gatherings, picnics, setting up on the beach, and camping are still not allowed. Use is strictly for mobile activities such as hiking and ocean use to support our residents physical and emotional health during the safer at home mandate. The list of re-opened state parks is quite long and includes restrictions related to open hours and parking, so people are encouraged to visit the State Parks website, as things can change quickly. That address is dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/

Read the full news release here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/06/nr20-056/

Read about respectful wildlife viewing here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/06/nr20-057/

 

Department of Transportation:

Low Risk Safety Checks Can Resume May 15

In consideration of Governor Ige allowing the reopening of low risk businesses that take necessary precautions, DOT is coordinating the reopening of stations for Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspections (PMVI or Safety Checks) starting Friday. The safety check waiver announced on April 30 will not be changed to allow PMVI stations, Counties, and the public enough time to conduct and process safety checks. The waiver announced previously was:

Safety check certificates and stickers expiring on or before May 31, 2020, will remain valid until August 31, 2020. All other safety checks that expire in 2020 will be valid for an additional 3 months after the 2020 expiration date.

The safety check extension does not impact the validity of the motor vehicle registration. The motor vehicle registration must still be unexpired to be valid. County motor vehicle registration offices are accepting renewals through a variety of methods, including mail, kiosk (where available), and online.

https://hidot.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/06/low-risk-safety-checks-can-resume-may-15/

 

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 6 2020