Hawai‘i Department of Health survey shows diverse views of pandemic and responses
HONOLULU – The majority or 91% of respondents in a recent statewide survey plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a strong indication that attitudes about the vaccine are rapidly shifting since administration of the vaccinations first began in mid-December. According to the survey commissioned by the Hawai‘i Department of Health, 55% plan to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and 36% will wait before receiving their vaccinations. The survey, conducted by Anthology Research from Dec. 30, 2020 to Jan. 11, 2021, included 445 adult Hawai‘i full-time residents statewide. Anthology has been tracking resident attitudes and behaviors relating to [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 9, 2021
Office of the Governor: Governor Updates Hawai‘i’s Financial Future At a news conference this afternoon Governor David Ige provided an update on Hawai‘i’s current financial picture, the near-term outlook, and post COVID-19 pandemic predictions. “We are continually monitoring our state revenues, advocating for federal funding, and doing all that we can to provide much-needed programs to help people in need,” Governor Ige said. Key Points: Fiscal Biennium Budget and Financial Plan submitted to the Legislature in Dec. Federal government passed an aid package in December to assist with the state’s pandemic response and is currently considering another. In [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health warns public about COVID-19 scams
HONOLULU – There has been an alarming increase in various types of COVID-19 scams across the nation, and kūpuna and other Hawai‘i residents are not exempt from being targeted as potential victims. The Hawai‘i Department of Health, in collaboration with the Department of the Attorney General, Executive Office on Aging’s Senior Medicare Patrol Hawaii (SMP), and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, is alerting Hawai‘i residents about new COVID-19 vaccination scams. Scammers usually send phone and text messages demanding individuals to call back to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in exchange for money. Callers may falsely claim the vaccine will [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 8, 2021
Department of Health: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/ Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary with final vaccination numbers will be included each Wednesday. 33 New COVID-19 Cases Reported DOH reports 33 new cases of coronavirus today. There were no additional deaths. This report includes cases up until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website at noon each day at HawaiiCOVID19.com/dashboard. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Feb. 6, 2021 Island [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 5, 2021
Governor’s Office: Presence of COVID-19 Variant Confirmed At an afternoon news conference Governor David Ige announced that the DOH State Laboratories Division (SLD) has been working with private sector labs to collect and examine specimens of the virus that causes COVID-19. Gov. Ige said, “We also reported that whole genome sequencing was being performed on four specimens containing a molecular clue to determine whether they are the B1.1.7 variant, commonly called the UK variant. The results are in – and for the first time, we can confirm that this highly transmissible variant has been detected here in Hawaiʻi.” [...]
Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo receives $510,640 federal civil penalty for infection control deficiencies
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA) conducted a series of site visits at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The unannounced visits were designed to determine the Home's compliance with federal certification requirements. The unannounced visits resulted in the facility being cited for not being “in substantial compliance" and for causing “immediate jeopardy to resident health and safety.” A follow-up survey on Oct. 30 revealed the facility was still not being in substantial compliance and having the most serious scope and severity [...]
Department of Health State Laboratory confirms presence of B.1.1.7 variant
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) confirms the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant in Hawai‘i. The confirmed specimen is one of four samples previously identified in Hawai‘i as having a molecular clue consistent with the B.1.1.7 variant. The other specimens are still being analyzed. “We have already initiated contact tracing investigations and are monitoring these cases closely,” said Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble. The variant strain was detected in an O‘ahu resident with no history of travel. This person initially experienced symptoms in late January. One close contact also tested positive for the COVID-19. [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 4, 2021
Department of Health: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/ Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary with final vaccination numbers will be included each Wednesday. 107 New COVID-19 Cases Reported and Two Additional Deaths on O‘ahu DOH reports 107 new cases of coronavirus today. There were two (2) additional deaths. Deaths: Oʻahu 2 men, 70-79 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized This report includes cases up until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website at noon [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 3, 2021
Department of Health: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/ Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary with final vaccination numbers will be included each Wednesday. 74 New COVID-19 Cases Reported and Four Additional Deaths on O‘ahu DOH reports 74 new cases of coronavirus today. There were four (4) additional deaths. Deaths: O‘ahu 1 man, 50-59 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized 1 woman, 60-69 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized 1 woman, 80-89 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized 1 woman, 90-99 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized This report includes cases up until Monday at 11:59 p.m. [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest February 2, 2021
Department of Health: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/ Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary with final vaccination numbers will be included each Wednesday. 64 New COVID-19 Cases Reported DOH reports 64 new cases of coronavirus today. There were no additional deaths. This report includes cases up until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website at noon each day at HawaiiCOVID19.com/dashboard. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Jan. 31, 2021 Island [...]