Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest October 14, 2020

Governor’s Office:

DOH Approves Japan’s Testing Procedure for Pre-Travel Testing Program

DOH has approved the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) authorized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Proof of a negative test result from trusted testing partners in Japan will allow travelers from that country to bypass the 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Hawai‘i.

DOH is currently in discussions with various Japanese medical institutions as it secures a list of trusted testing partners in Japan. Once the list is established, the pre-travel program will be launched for Japan. Information and updates will be posted at https://hawaiicovid19.com/.

Japanese nationals traveling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country. Travel restrictions on U.S. travel into Japan still remain in place. The State of Hawai‘i is set to begin its pre-travel testing program for U.S. mainland travelers tomorrow. To view more: https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/office-of-the-governor-news-release-health-department-approves-japans-testing-procedure-for-pre-travel-testing-program/

Department of Health:

Ten (10) COVID-19 Deaths Reported

Ten (10) COVID-19 deaths were reported today by DOH. Seven (7) of the deaths occurred between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, 2020 and are now reported as a result of updated information received on their cause of death. The other three (3) deaths, one on (1) Hawai‘i Island and two (2) on O‘ahu are recent, as of Oct. 1. COVID-19 deaths are officially reported as records are obtained, reviewed, validated, and the deaths are classified for state and national reporting.

Maui

• 1 man, 60-69 yrs., underlying condition, hospitalized
• 2 men, 80+ yrs., underlying conditions, hospitalized
• 2 women, 80+ yrs., underlying conditions, died at nursing home

Hawai‘i

• 1 man, 70-79 yrs., underlying condition, died at nursing home
• 1 man, 80+ yrs., underlying condition, hospitalized
• 1 woman, 40-49 yrs., underlying condition, hospitalized

O‘ahu

• 1 man, 50-59 yrs., underlying condition, hospitalized
• 1 woman, 80+ yrs., underlying condition, hospitalized

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

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	81	12,176
Hawai‘i	18	992
Maui	1	390
Kaua‘i	0	59
Moloka‘i	0	19
Lānaʻi	0	0
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	1	38
Total Cases	101	13,674++
Deaths	10	183

Hospitalization count as of 10/13/20 at 3:10 pm: 12-Hawai‘i, 1-Maui, 92-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i

++As a result of updated information, two cases from O‘ahu were removed from the counts.

7-Day Averages 

	Daily New Cases   (change from previous day)	% Lab Positive  (change from previous day
Statewide	92 (-2)	2.8% (+0.0)
O‘ahu	70 (-5)	3.6% (-0.1)
Hawai‘i	20 (+1)	2.8% (+0.2)
Kaua‘i	0 (+0)	0.0% (+0.0)
Maui	2 (+2)	0.1% (+0.0)

*Metrics reflect information updated as of noon the previous day. Case counts are calculated based on date of report. Percent positivity is calculated based on date of lab result. 

HawaiiCOVID19.com

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Restaurant Card Program Pre-Paid Cards Mailed out to Qualified Recipients 

A news conference was held today with Governor David Ige, Sherry Menor-McNamara, the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, and local restaurant and food industry suppliers, to announce that the new Hawai‘i Restaurant Card Program pre-loaded cards have been mailed out to all eligible individuals. The program is a private-public partnership that is providing pre-paid $500 cards to qualified Hawai‘i unemployment insurance recipients impacted by COVID-19, to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages at Hawai‘i eating establishments and fast food restaurants. The program runs through Dec. 15, 2020.

Governor Ige said, “The Hawai‘i restaurant industry is one of the hardest hit and has the highest economic boosting impact. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card Program will inject, on average, over $1.2 million into the local economy each day during this 60-day period. I want to extend a big mahalo to everyone who worked hard to create this much-needed, economy-reviving program.” Menor-McNamara said, “The Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, along with the restaurant industry are excited to announce that over 116,000 Hawai‘i Restaurant Cards are in the mail and are expected to be arriving in mailboxes, statewide, as early as this Friday.” Highway Inn Restaurant Owner Monica Toguchi Ryan added, “This exciting program will not only provide targeted help to the community, but it will re-invigorate the restaurant sector by bringing customers through our doors. These funds will initially be used to help pay our employees, and then pay our suppliers who range from small local farmers to fishermen. This program will help revitalize our local economy in more ways that most people could imagine.”

The governor also announced that the one-time benefit will not impact SNAP and Medicaid benefits or eligibility. For more details on the program and to see if you are eligible, go to: https://www.hawaiirestaurantcard.com/

Department of Public Safety:

Statewide Broad-Based Testing Continues for Jails, Prison Facilities

PSD’s Health Care Division is working with DOH, the Hawai‘i National Guard (HING) and community partners, to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. The Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center has begun their inmate testing this week.

DOH testing of O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) inmates is continuous. No new inmate or staff results were received today. There are no inmates hospitalized. Over 95-percent of the OCCC inmates who had positive COVID cases have recovered. The total number of PSD staff who have recovered and returned to work is just over 83-percent. To view more on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

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

Joint Information Center: 

Call Center Set Up to Take Questions on Safe Travels Program   

As the state prepares for travelers to begin flying to Hawaiʻi under the Safe Travels Program tomorrow (Oct. 15, 2020), a call center has been set up to answer questions for both residents and visitors. The number to call is: 1-800-GOHAWAII (1-800-464-2924). You can also view more information about the program, including FAQS, here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/

Helpful Resources 

COVID-19 Tables, Charts, and Visualizations

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii 

Safe Travels Information (Frequently Asked Questions)

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/#travel-FAQs

Trans-Pacific Passenger Arrivals Statistics

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/

Kaua‘i County
Kaua‘i COVID-19 webpage: https://www.kauai.gov/COVID-19
To report violators: https://www.kauai.gov/KPD-Online-Reporting

Maui County
Maui County mandatory travel declaration form and request for limited quarantine form: https://www.mauicounty.gov

To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or mpdquarantine@mpd.net

Hawai‘i County
Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage:
https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/
Critical infrastructure and medical travel request: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c 
To report violators: 808-935-3311

City & County of Honolulu
Honolulu COVID-19 webpage: oneoahu.org
Interisland passengers arriving on O‘ahu are not subject to the mandatory quarantine.
To report violators:808-723-3900 or HPDcovidenforce@honolulu.gov

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