News Releases from Department of Health

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) received numerous complaints today of a fuel or gasoline-like odor from consumers of the Navy’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water system, including the Aliamanu Military Reservation, Red Hill and Nimitz Elementary Schools, and military housing. All complaints are from users of the Navy’s water system. The DOH ...
Read More Hawai‘i Department of Health advises Navy water system consumers not to drink, consume tap water

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting stronger guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Effective immediately, all adults age 18 and older who completed their primary mRNA vaccinations of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago should receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. ...
Read More DOH recommends all vaccinated adults receive a booster

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has reactivated the Hawai‘i Immunization Registry. The immunization registry is a statewide information system that stores and tracks patient immunization records for 25 diseases including vaccinations for polio, tetanus, measles, mumps and now COVID-19. “The Hawai’i Immunization Registry provides health care professionals with a patient’s individual immunization ...
Read More DOH reactivates Hawaii Immunization Registry

HONOLULU – The nursing staff of the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Center for AIDS (HICFA) will be recognized with a prestigious Suzanne Richard-Crum Award for 2021 at the annual World AIDS Day ceremony on Wednesday, Dec, 1. The virtual event begins at 6 pm. The HICFA conducts research to evaluate ...
Read More DOH’s Suzanne Richmond Crum Annual Award and World AIDS Day

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) reminds everyone to celebrate smartly this holiday season. “Many people in Hawai‘i are fully vaccinated and should be able to get together with family and friends to celebrate the holidays. We’ve taken big steps forward and our behavior in the coming weeks can show that we really ...
Read More Celebrate Thanksgiving safely

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting new guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Effective immediately all adults age 18 and older who completed their primary mRNA vaccinations of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago are eligible for boosters. The following recipients ...
Read More Booster eligibility expands

HONOLULU – Food safety can help you avoid foodborne illnesses during holiday feasts when you gather with your family or a few close friends. Food safety starts when you bring food home to prepare your meals and continues through the storing of any leftovers. “Thanksgiving and other holidays are really big for those in our ...
Read More Five food safety tips for enjoying holiday meals

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is issuing guidance to a Kaua‘i church and its congregation because of the imminent health threat posed by a large cluster of COVID-19 cases. King’s Chapel, Kaua‘i, in Nawiliwili congregants are encouraged to participate in virtual services and avoid in-person church activities until the cluster is contained. ...
Read More Large COVID-19 cluster warrants caution on Kaua’i

HONOLULU – A Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) analysis of vaccine breakthrough data found COVID-19 vaccines provide excellent protection against hospitalization and death. A vaccine breakthrough infection occurs when a fully vaccinated person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing their initial vaccine series. ...
Read More Vaccines prove effective in analysis of Hawaiʻi COVID-19 breakthrough data

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) today ordered Embry Health to immediately cease and desist collecting specimens for COVID-19 tests in the State of Hawai‘i without a license, permit or written approval. DOH also levied a $207,000 administrative penalty. Embry Health has been operating COVID-19 testing collection depots on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. ...
Read More Hawai‘i Department of Health issues cease & desist, 7,000 penalty to Embry Health for conducting unauthorized COVID-19 testing

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) was awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to train, deploy and engage community health workers as part of its public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community health workers are frontline health workers who provide assistance in accessing ...
Read More .2 Million grant to augment community health workforce training programs statewide

Honolulu – Trace levels of the chemicals Dieldrin and Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) were detected in water samples collected at the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) Pearl City Shaft and Aina Koa Well I, respectively. Both drinking water sources are part of the Honolulu-Windward-Pearl Harbor water system. Drinking water from these sources remains safe, as ...
Read More Trace levels of contaminants detected in two O‘ahu drinking water sources during testing

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) and the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department (HESD) in partnership with Hawai‘i Pacific Health are announcing the start of a new program to provide alternate emergency care treatment site options for O’ahu residents and visitors in Kapolei. Beginning this week, Kapolei patients have the ...
Read More Hawai‘i Department of Health, City & County of Honolulu Emergency Services Department announce a new emergency medical care treatment site option for O‘ahu emergency patients

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health is authorizing certified vaccination providers to administer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11 immediately. This authorization is consistent with recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today. “The CDC reviewed the clinical data and determined the vaccine is safe. The Pfizer vaccine is effective ...
Read More Vaccine for children safe and effective