Highest one-day COVID-19 count since beginning of coronavirus pandemic
HONOLULU – 50 cases in Honolulu, three (3) on Hawai‘i Island, and two (2) on Maui comprise today’s COVID-19 case count of 55 new positive cases. This is the highest number of cases reported on a single day, since the Dept. of Health (DOH) began tracking cases in late February. The previous highest one-day count was on July 11, with 42 cases. Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said, “These cases represent people from all walks of life and varied professions, indicating the apparent challenges of maintaining safe practices is widespread across the state.” Anderson also extended condolences to the [...]
Second challenge to mandatory traveler quarantine denied
HONOLULU – U.S. District Court Judge Jill A. Otake denied a motion today, for a preliminary injunction, from a South Carolina traveler who challenged the State of Hawai‘i’s current mandatory traveler quarantine. In a 25-page long ruling, Judge Otake pointed out that, “Like many states across the nation and countries around the world, Hawai‘i has issued a series of Emergency Proclamations to limit the spread of COVID–19, a novel severe acute respiratory illness with no known cure, no effective treatment, and no vaccine…Further complicating efforts to contain COVID-19 is the fact that individuals who are infected but asymptomatic . [...]
State Moves Forward with Reopening of Public Schools on Aug. 4 Governor and DOH support HIDOE’s “Return to Learn” plan as part of phased approach for Hawaii’s recovery
HONOLULU - During a joint news conference this afternoon, Governor David Ige, Hawai‘i State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park, Board of Education (BOE) Chairperson Catherine Payne, and Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto confirmed the state’s plans to move ahead with school reopening for students on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Teachers return on Wednesday, July 29. Ige cited the state’s decision to push back the pre-travel testing program to Sept. 1 as one of the reasons to move forward with HIDOE’s reopening date, stating, “We do not want to reopen our schools and receive more travelers simultaneously. [...]
Quarantine Chronicles
Two Travelers Detail Successful Mandatory Quarantine HONOLULU – The day after Gov. David Ige extended the mandatory 14-day travel quarantine until Sept. 1, 2020, two people who recently completed their quarantines describe in detail their experiences. Both Cari Pang Chen and Kevin Barnard are from California, and while it is not required yet, both and Barnard’s brother, got COVID-19 tests before flying from the mainland to Hawai‘i. Pang Chen spent quarantine in a hotel with her 12-year-old middle-schooler. The family elected to have Cari’s husband and son stay home, to better accommodate their own work and school schedules. She [...]
24th COVID-19 Death in Hawai‘i
HONOLULU – An elderly O‘ahu woman, with underlying medical conditions, is the 24th death due to coronavirus. According to the Hawai‘i Dept. of Health the woman died yesterday, and her passing was reported today. Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson once again joined the entire community in extending sympathies to the woman’s family and friends. “It strikes at all of our hearts, each and every time we have to report another casualty of COVID-19. Please be safe and practice all precautions. People who have been sick with this disease and tragically the victims of coronavirus and their loved ones, deserve [...]
Exemption Procedures for Out-Of-State Students Returning to O‘ahu & Kaua‘i Campuses
HONOLULU – Out-of-state students attending any University of Hawai‘i campus on O‘ahu, Chaminade University, Hawai‘i Pacific University, and Kaua‘i Community College for the 2020 fall semester will face strict requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The requirements were agreed upon by the schools, the State, the City and County of Honolulu, and Kaua‘i County. Pursuant to the exemption students must show proof, upon arrival in the state, of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their point-of-departure. The test must be valid and one approved by the State of Hawaiʻi. If they have not received the [...]
Quarantine enforcement is active for visitors & returning residents
HONOLULU – More than 2,200 returning residents and travelers flew into Hawai‘i airports on Wednesday and unless they have an exemption, all of them are required to abide by the State’s current 14-day quarantine rules. It’s a monumental effort to keep track of everyone who should be in quarantine and it involves a hui of law enforcement agencies, representatives of Hawai‘i’s visitor industry, state transportation workers, and the community generally. So far,182 people have been arrested by state or county law enforcement officers for violating emergency quarantine rules. This is the number for O‘ahu (arrests made by the Dept. [...]
Three COVID-19 deaths and 86 new cases since Friday renew calls for safe practices in Hawai‘i
HONOLULU – A tragic reminder of the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and their families are the deaths of three more Hawai‘i residents from coronavirus. The Department of Health’s (DOH) Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOCD) reports an elderly Kaua‘i resident is the 22nd recorded COVID-19 death. This person died out of state, in Arizona, where he had been receiving treatment for several months for underlying medical conditions. The 21st fatality was also reported by DOCD over the weekend. This female died in an O‘ahu hospital Sunday morning and had previously been a resident of a care home. Today DOCD [...]
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 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,” [...]