News Releases from Department of Health

HONOLULU — On Nov. 26, 2024, Governor Josh Green, M.D., approved amendments to Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR), Chapter 11-37 (interim rules) Hemp Processing and Manufactured Hemp Products. These amendments include language to allow for gummies and beverages to contain a low concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol derived from hemp. The amendments also ...
Read More DOH AMENDS ADMINISTRATIVE RULES REGARDING HEMP PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURED HEMP PRODUCTS

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) Harm Reduction Services Branch (HRSB) is pleased to announce Bryan Chin as the recipient of the 2024 Suzanne Richmond-Crum Award. The award will be presented during the annual World AIDS Day ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 1. Chin is being honored for his outstanding contributions to HIV ...
Read More DOH ANNOUNCES RECIPIENT OF 2024 SUZANNE RICHMOND-CRUM AWARD ON WORLD AIDS DAY

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) is investigating human contacts to the flock infected with H5N1. No humans in Hawaiʻi have tested positive for avian influenza at this time. To date, 54 individuals have been investigated for potential exposure. Of those, 34 were offered testing because of unprotected exposure (meaning without use ...
Read More DOH INVESTIGATING HUMAN CONTACTS TO INFECTED H5N1 FLOCKS-No Humans in Hawaiʻi Tested Positive for Avian Influenza

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Food and Drug Branch (FDB) is alerting residents to a recall issued by Grimmway Farms for multiple brand names of organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots because of potential E. coli O121:H19 contamination. These products were sold throughout the U.S., and include 365 Whole Foods Market, ...
Read More DOH ISSUES RECALL ALERT FOR MULTIPLE CARROT BRANDS DUE TO E. COLI CONTAMINATION

HONOLULU — Investigation by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) and Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA) of confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in a backyard flock of various birds in Central Oʻahu has identified a potential exposure to members of the public who attended the Mililani Pet Fair held on Nov. 2, 2024. While certain birds ...
Read More DOH NOTIFIES PUBLIC OF POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO AVIAN INFLUENZA AT MILILANI PET FAIR HELD NOV. 2

Risk to the Public Remains Low HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) today received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in a backyard flock of various birds in Central O‘ahu. The property involved is within the area served by ...
Read More AVIAN INFLUENZA CONFIRMED IN BACKYARD FLOCK OF BIRDS

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Food Safety Branch was informed on Nov. 7, 2024, 6:30 p.m., that a woman with dark hair identified herself as a health inspector and began questioning a Whole Foods Kahala employee about the store’s food products. When the Whole Foods staff requested further ID and credentials, the ...
Read More WOMAN IMPERSONATES DOH INSPECTOR AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET KAHALA MALL

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is investigating possible sources of H5 avian influenza, which has been detected for the first time at a wastewater sampling site on Oʻahu. The specimen was collected on November 7, 2024, and DOH received the result today. Wastewater sampling is routinely performed across Hawaiʻi as part of ...
Read More H5 AVIAN FLU DETECTED AT WASTEWATER SAMPLING SITE ON OʻAHU, DOH CLOSELY MONITORING SITUATION 

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is issuing Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Residential Kula, Maui. It was developed in an effort to support Kula residents affected by the wildfires, working to rebuild and reoccupy their homes. This guidance follows a similar framework as the guidance for the Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision in ...
Read More DOH ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR EXISTING CESSPOOL USE IN RESIDENTIAL KULA

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is proud to join forces with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH) and other state, local, military, public and private sector partners to advance the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan by answering the call to care, connect and collaborate with traditional ...
Read More DOH, UH, PARTNERS JOIN FORCES TO PREVENT SUICIDE THROUGH CONNECTION

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has identified a new travel-related dengue virus case on Maui, bringing the number of total cases to 14 identified in the state in 2024 (one on Kauaʻi, four on Maui, nine on Oʻahu). The affected traveler was exposed in a country where dengue is common.   DOH ...
Read More DOH REPORTS TRAVEL-RELATED DENGUE VIRUS CASE ON MAUI