Hawai‘i Department of Health reports first COVID-19 case in Kalawao County
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is reporting the first positive case of COVID-19 in an adult resident of Kalaupapa Settlement in Kalawao County on the island of Moloka‘i. Kalawao is a county within the State of Hawai‘i under the management of the DOH and was reported to be the last county within the U.S. with no reported positive COVID-19 cases prior to this announcement. The individual received their positive test result after returning on a local flight to the Kalaupapa Settlement and is in self-isolation with no symptoms. The DOH immediately conducted contact tracing, and close contacts [...]
Hawai‘i hospitals prepare for arrival of COVID-19 vaccine
Healthcare community is working together to ensure coordination; The Queen’s Medical Center takes part in drill on receiving Pfizer vaccine HONOLULU - Hawai‘i’s hospitals and healthcare systems, in close coordination with the Hawai‘i Department of Health, are gearing up to ensure that they are prepared for the arrival and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. “My colleagues across the state have put their lives on the line in order to care for Hawaii’s COVID-19 patients,” said Kelley Withy, MD, MS, PhD, Director, Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Education Center. “As a clinical trial participant, I feel confident in the vaccine safety protocols. [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health updates quarantine guidance based on review of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new recommendations
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) announced that effective today it is reducing the required quarantine period of those who have been exposed to COVID-19 from 14 days to 10 days to improve compliance without significantly increasing the risk of transmission in the community. The updated quarantine guidance is based on updated recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this week. The previous 14-day quarantine period was based on the full incubation period of the virus. The maximum COVID-19 incubation period was imposed to reduce the risk of transmission. However, the 14-day period [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health offers nursing homes grants to buy visitation equipment for in-person visits
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health is making Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds available to Medicare-certified skilled nursing facilities to acquire visitation equipment for in-person visits from relatives and friends. A total of $135,000 is available. Skilled nursing facilities may apply for grants up to $3,000 for equipment that includes clear barriers for indoor visits and tents for outdoor visits. “It has been an especially difficult time for residents of skilled nursing facilities who have been separated from their family and friends for months because of necessary restrictions in place to prevent the spread of [...]
State adds trusted partners for domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county pre-travel testing program
The state will accept COVID-19 test results from the new partners starting Nov. 17. HONOLULU – The State of Hawai‘i has added new trusted partners for its domestic transpacific and inter-county pre-travel testing programs. The state will accept COVID-19 test results from the new partners starting Nov. 17. Partners were selected based on their ability to administer the test and expand the testing network, with the goal of making it easier to safely travel to Hawai‘i. DOMESTIC TRANSPACIFIC PRE-TRAVEL TESTING PROGRAM Domestic transpacific travelers, five years and older, arriving in the State of Hawaiʻi may bypass the state’s mandatory 14-day [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health shares new weekly data on COVID-19 clusters under investigation
HONOLULU - The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is releasing weekly COVID-19 cluster reports to illustrate COVID-19 trends across the state. The DOH will also adjust its practices for collecting and reporting daily COVID-19 data. The Weekly COVID-19 Cluster Report highlights recent incidents in which the virus occurred at one time, in the same geographic location, or among people with the same or similar shared exposures. For example, this week’s report includes information on clusters related to college students attending parties, a cluster connected to a group of co-workers who ate lunch together, and a cluster at an O‘ahu school. [...]
Pre-travel testing thoughts and tips
Honolulu Couple Finds Preparation is Key HONOLULU – When Jeff and Jean Lilley flew to Dallas to be present for the birth of their first grandchild, they knew there was a chance they’d have to quarantine when they returned home. However, they report their experience with Hawai‘i’s pre-travel testing program for incoming passengers, which started on October 15, was largely positive. Jeff, the pastor of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, says preparation and practice were key to a smooth return to the islands and bypassing the mandatory 14-day quarantine with a negative test result from a trusted testing and travel [...]
Hawai‘i Department of Health launches new safe gatherings campaign in time for the holidays
HONOLULU — The holiday season is a time for celebrations and parties with family, friends and co-workers, but large gatherings are the primary cause of COVID-19 clusters. To demonstrate how to gather safely with ‘ohana, friends, and co-workers, the Hawai‘i Department of Health has produced a new campaign called “How to Gather. For Real.” The campaign offers practical guidance that is consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two public service announcements — one focusing on gatherings with family and friends and the other on workplace gatherings —began airing this week on TV, radio, online, in [...]
First international flight under pre-travel testing program arrives
ANA Flight from Japan Landed This Morning HONOLULU– International travel to Hawai‘i resumed today with the arrival of 64 travelers from Japan on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The visitors are the first to take part in the state’s pre-travel testing program that now includes both domestic trans-Pacific travelers and those from Japan. At a morning news conference, held while the passengers were clearing customs and taking mandatory steps to prevent the spread of infectious disease, Gov. David Ige said, “Today we welcome additional visitors from Japan who are participating in the pre-travel testing [...]
Expanded COVID-19 dashboard launches Monday
HONOLULU - Hawai‘i’s Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) will launch an expanded COVID-19 dashboard on Monday, November 2, 2020 at 3 p.m. This expanded dashboard will update daily at 3 p.m. and provide access to daily COVID-19 case counts, seven-day case averages, positivity rates, and the number of deaths caused by COVID-19. The dashboard will also feature a county-by-county summary of hospital resources, including the availability of ICU beds and ventilators. It also includes graphics which depict the number of daily visitor arrivals, state tax revenues, unemployment claims, and bankruptcy filings. The [...]