COVID-19 Daily Update March 3, 2020

Posted on Mar 3, 2020 in COVID-19

World Health Organization situation in numbers

No cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawai‘i at this time

Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawai‘i. The Department of Health is actively preparing for possible cases and working with state, county, and federal partners including the medical community in Hawai‘i. The following summary as of March 3 shows the number of individuals being monitored or under quarantine. Many of these individuals were identified through screening by federal officials at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. These numbers fluctuate often as travelers arrive, depart, or begin and end their self-monitoring with supervision by the Department of Health.

COVID-19 Summary of Numbers as of March 3, 2020
(updated as new information becomes available)

Number of Confirmed Case(s) 

  0

Number of Persons Under Investigation (current, testing pending) 

  0

Number of Persons Under Investigation (closed, testing negative)

  6

Number of Persons Under Quarantine

  0

Number of Persons Self-Monitoring with DOH supervision

89

Of the 89 individuals who are self-monitoring with public health supervision, 81 are on O‘ahu, 5 are on Hawai‘i Island, 1 is on Maui, and 2 are on Kaua‘i. 

Confirmed: Meets CDC criteria and positive test result received from a certified laboratory.

Person Under Investigation (PUI): Meets CDC criteria for investigation and testing pending.

Quarantine: Individuals are required to remain in a designated location and separated from others. They are actively monitored by Department of Health staff. Quarantine is enforceable by law.

Monitoring: Individuals voluntarily remain at home and refrain from work, school, gathering places, and public transit. They communicate daily with Department of Health staff.

CDC Guidance for public gatherings/events

At this time the Department of Health is not recommending the cancellation of any events or large gatherings. The CDC has issued interim guidance on public events/gatherings as the COVID-19 outbreak evolves. Event planners are asked to prepare plans for the phases before, during, and after the event. The link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html

CDC Guidance for schools and childcare programs

The CDC recently posted interim guidance for administrators of childcare programs and K-12 schools to plan, prepare, and respond to COVID-19. School closures have taken place in Japan and South Korea. CDC will update this guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.

Business continuity planning

State and county agencies are actively preparing for continuity of business operations to deal with the potential impact of COVID-19. The goal is to enable ongoing operations during a public health emergency. To address concerns about workers who have travelled to China, the Department of Health developed a list of frequently asked questions and answers to guide local businesses.

Preventing the spread of misinformation and disease

The Department of Health is committed to sharing information as it becomes available. People are urged not to spread misinformation or inaccurate statements that are not confirmed, and keep updated and informed on the situation. Everyone can help prevent the spread of respiratory illness with these everyday actions.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from illnesses, including COVID-19. Keep in mind that supplies are limited and we need to make sure there are enough masks for our front-line health care workers. If you are sick then wear a mask to protect the people around you.
  • Prepare for the possibility that people may want to stay home or may be asked to stay home to prevent the spread of illness.
    • If you have daily medication needs, have more than a week’s supply on hand and have as much on hand as your insurance will allow you to have.
    • Not everyone can afford to stock up on supplies or has the space to store them, but anything you can arrange in advance means one less inconvenience or one less trip to the store while you are sick.
    • Make family plans for the possibility of school or day care closures. Do some contingency planning in advance at the family level.
  • Sign up for public notifications at health.hawaii.gov/news/covid-19-updates.

National travel advisories

Before you travel, check out Travel Advisories and Alerts for your destination(s) at www.travel.state.gov/destination. The State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide specific advice to travelers on their websites. At this time, the CDC recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China and Iran, and entry of foreign nationals from these areas has been suspended. CDC also recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to South Korea and Italy, and older adults or those who have chronic medical conditions consider postponing travel to Japan.

Screening of arriving passengers at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu

Foreign nationals who have traveled to mainland China within the last 14 days are being denied entry into the U.S. This includes not only people with a China passport, but all foreign nationals per Department of Homeland Security guidance. The exception is U.S. citizens, legal permanent U.S. residents or their immediate family. Airport passenger screening continues to be conducted by federal authorities from the CDC and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

COVID-19 testing

The Dept. of Health State Laboratory is now testing samples for COVID-19. Testing is only conducted on patients who meet the CDC criteria for a person under investigation (PUI). Only a physician can request testing after consulting with Hawaii Department of Health disease investigators.

Lab tour

On Tuesday the Department of Health set up and conducted a tour of the State Laboratory facility in Pearl City that tests for COVID-19. Gov. Ige was in attendance and addressed the media – giving them an overview of the process of testing. To watch the press conference: https://www.facebook.com/GovernorDavidIge/videos/202818467475258/

PDF: COVID-19 Daily Update March 3, 2020

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