Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 20, 2020

Department of Health:

Two New Cases of COVID-19 Reported

O‘ahu and Hawai‘i island each have a new positive coronavirus case according to the latest count from DOH. One of the cases is an adult and the other is a minor. The investigation of these cases is ongoing, and it’s not known whether either of the cases was travel-associated or community-associated.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 20, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation*
O‘ahu	1	416	385
Hawai‘i	1	79	76
Maui	0	115	95
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**	2	643
Total released from isolation			578
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 819 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting.

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
42,024**	641	41,335

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **28 test results were inconclusive

HawaiiCOVID19.com

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

Resilience Hubs Continue to Distribute PPE Donations

To help protect essential workers who provide mental health services and their patients, DOH and the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHHSURG) are coordinating the distribution of donated personal protective equipment (PPE) across the state. So far, more than 12,000 surgical masks, among other items, have been donated to one of three drop-off and distribution sites, or “resilience hubs,” on Oʻahu. “We’d like to thank the community for their generous spirit and outpouring of Aloha. The donations allow our providers to safely ensure a continuity of care while keeping our staff and clients protected,” said Eddie Mersereau, Department of Health Deputy Director of Behavioral Health.

Donated PPE are being used by behavioral health and homelessness service providers working across the state, including at the Hawai‘i State Hospital and the Temporary Quarantine and Isolation Center on O‘ahu. A partnership with the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute will begin establishing additional resilience hubs on Neighbor Islands to receive donated PPE.

Donations of homemade and unopened store-bought PPE such as masks, goggles, gloves and face shields continue to be welcomed. In addition, the resilience hubs are now accepting sanitation supplies including bleach, disinfecting wipes, paper towels, and toilet paper.

To date, the resilience hubs have received:

• 12,153 Unused and Unopened Surgical Masks
• 8,735 Pairs of Disposable Gloves
• 7,069 N95 Masks
• 288 Homemade Masks
• 590 Unused Medical Gowns
• 204 Homemade or Locally Manufactured Face Shields
• 315 Pairs of Unused Eyewear or Goggles

To learn more about this initiative or for other ways to provide community support during this time, please visit https://bhhsurg.hawaii.gov/.

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

Please Note: New Travel Declaration form

A new mandatory travel declaration is now in use at Hawai‘i’s airports to collect passenger information which helps authorities monitor people subject to the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine order. The agencies involved are adjusting to the added information collected which may require additional time to analyze and input the data. Passenger information, from both incoming out of state and interisland travelers, will be included in the Daily News Digest as it is received.

Monday’s Hawai‘i Passenger Arrivals By Air

On Monday 1,093 people arrived in Hawai‘i. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state on May 18 and does not include interisland travel. This data was collected from the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Mandatory Travel Declaration Form.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR MONDAY, MAY 18 2020

	KONA	MAUI	O‘AHU	LĪHUʻE	TOTAL
Crew		7	126		133
Exempt			44		44
Military			63		63
Relocate to Hawai‘i		8	76		84
Returning Resident		48	344		392
Transit			68		68
Visitor		33	276		309
GRAND TOTAL	0	96	997	0	1093
Flights	0	1	14	0	15

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/

Hawai‘i State Senate:

Ways and Means Committee to Discuss Economic Recovery for State

The State is facing significant challenges with revenues and unemployment due to COVID-19. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means will meet Thursday at 1 p.m., to discuss a framework to address the pandemic’s impact on the state’s revenues, discuss an economic framework to recovery, and hear from specific entities that can reshape a new economy for the state. The State Capitol is still closed during the ongoing pandemic, but anyone may view the livestream briefing at: http://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=13

Hawai‘i House of Representatives:

Informational Briefing Held on Recent Inmate Release

The House Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, and Military Affairs held an information briefing Wednesday afternoon, to get an update on the release of inmates in an effort to reduce correctional facility populations statewide to mitigate COVID-19 risks. Those who provided testimony include Judge Dan Foley, Attorney General Clare Connors, Public Defender James Tabe, County Prosecutors, and Dennis Dunn, the Director of Victim Witness Kokua Services.

https://www.hawaiihousedemocrats.com/post/house-select-committee-on-covid-19-to-hear-update-on-inmate-releases

House Speaker to Appear on PBS Insights

House Speaker Scott Saiki is set to appear on PBS Insights Thursday at 8 p.m. He’ll be joined by Lt. Gov. Josh Green, Infectious Disease Expert, Dr. Erlaine Bello, and a representative from the Hawai‘i Restaurant Association, to discuss re-opening the economy and the work of the House Select Committee on the Economy and Financial Preparedness. Viewers can phone in questions or leave a comment on PBS’ Facebook or Twitter. It’ll also be streamed live:

https://www.pbshawaii.org/

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest May 20, 2020