News Releases from Department of Health

Governor’s Office:

Second COVID-19 Death on Maui Under Investigation

Investigators from the State Health Dept. are in the process of gathering details about the second Maui resident to pass away from COVID-19. This is an adult male over 65-years-old and is another stark reminder of the human toll this disease is exacting here in Hawai‘i. Governor Ige offered his personal condolences to the friends and family of the man who passed. This brings the total number of deaths from coronavirus statewide to six.

Maui Hospital Confirms 15 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

Maui Memorial Medical Center has confirmed 15 of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The employees were immediately sent home to self-isolate and plans are being worked on to move these employees to a quarantine site away from their families. Additionally, other hospital workers will be tested for COVID-19. Gov. Ige commented, “This is a reminder to everyone that the virus doesn’t discriminate and everyone is vulnerable – including those who are taking care of the community.” Maui Mayor Mike Victorino also released a statement saying, “I want to mahalo everyone who is on the front lines of this pandemic. These are difficult times for all of us and we are taking immediate action to assist our healthcare workers. Maui County will be redirecting any available personal protective equipment to the hospital for its staff.” Everyone is reminded once again to follow the stay-at-home order, to abide by physical distancing measures and to wear a mask to protect others when needing to be around them. N95 masks and other medical grade masks should be reserved for healthcare professionals and other first responders.

Former HECO President Appointed as Economic Recovery and Resiliency Navigator

Gov. David Ige has appointed a well-known business leader to head-up Hawai‘i’s efforts in developing a plan for economic and community stabilization, recovery and resiliency. Alan Oshima, former President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Co., has been appointed to the newly-created role of Economic Recovery and Resiliency Navigator. Oshima will lead a collaborative effort of government and business interests, non-profit organizations, and the community in developing and implementing the Hawai‘i Economic and Community Recovery Resiliency Plan. Oshima is currently the senior executive advisor for HECO. He started that position in February, after spending five years as HECO’s president and chief executive. Commenting on the new position, Gov. Ige said, “This is an important step to address the state’s immediate needs while working on a path to economic recovery.”

Public-Private Partnership Secures PPE for Service Providers

Several community nonprofits are partnering with the State of Hawai‘i to secure donations of homemade and unopened store-bought personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, goggles and face shields, and distribute them to behavioral health workers and social service providers statewide, to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Three drop-off and distribution sites, or “resilience hubs,” have been organized and will open on O‘ahu on Thursday, April 9. The effort is a public-private partnership with the Hawai‘i Department of Health, the Office of the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness, the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services, and three nonprofit providers who will operate the hubs: KROC Center in Kapolei, KEY Project in Kahalu‘u and YMCA in Kalihi. Funds for the effort were donated from BlackSand Capital into the Hawai‘i Resilience Fund, with a match from The Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

In the future the resilience hubs will also begin accepting supplies such as bleach, hand sanitizer, paper towels and toilet paper. The public can drop off items Monday through Friday during set times at each resilience hub or contact the facility to schedule a delivery during different hours. The effort begins tomorrow on O‘ahu, with statewide distribution of the donated supplies.  Expansion of additional hubs on the Neighbor Islands is being discussed.

 

KROC Center in Kapolei

91-3257 Kualakai Parkway, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

(808) 682-5505

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

 

KEY Project

47-200 Waihee Road, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

(808) 239-5777

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

 

Kalihi YMCA

1335 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI 96819

Drop-off hours: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

(808) 848-2494

Opens: Thursday, April 9, 2020

 “As the pandemic continues, ensuring continuity of care of our behavioral health and homelessness services system is vital because of the pandemic’s economic, social and psychological impacts,” said Scott Morishige, the Governorʻs Coordinator on Homelessness. To learn more about this initiative or for other ways to provide community support during the pandemic, please visit the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHH-SURG) website at https://bhhsurg.hawaii.gov/.

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Lt. Governor’s Office:

Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, State COVID-19 Healthcare Liaison, provided an update today during the 2:30 p.m. daily news briefing:

Statewide Hospital Capacity Update as of April 8, 2020

	Total	In Use	%
Hospital Beds	2,773	1,304	47%
ICU Beds	338	97	28.6%
Ventilators	535	65	12%
Individuals hospitalized	59

*Numbers based on reporting from hospitals and other healthcare facilities statewide.

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Department of Health:

Second Death on Maui and 25 New COVID-19 Cases Statewide

The death of a Maui man, who was 65-years-old or older will not be counted in official DOH statistics until tomorrow, but is being investigated as the state’s sixth death from COVID-19, and Maui’s second. His passing is also not included in today’s count of new cases, which includes 25 additional adults, 14 of whom are Hawai‘i residents. Five (5) are non-Hawai‘i residents and place of residence for six (6) others is unknown.

 

LABORATORY TESTING DATA

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
15,566	433	15,177

16 test results were inconclusive

 

HAWAI‘I COVID-19 COUNTS AS OF 12 NOON, APRIL 8, 2020

County of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total Released from Isolation
Honolulu	16	328	83
Hawai‘i	3	26	9
Maui++	6	54	14
Kaua‘i	0	18	7
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	2
Unknown**	0	7	113
Total	25	435	85
Deaths*	1*	6

* Deaths reported after 12:00 midnight are included in the following days official report.

** Refers to positive cases that have an unknown county of diagnosis at the time of this report. As more information becomes available for these cases, they are assigned to the proper County of Diagnosis. A negative number indicates the number of previously unknown cases that have now been assigned to a county.

++ Includes two positive case on Molokai. 

Updated Multi-Language Physical Distancing Posters Available

Revised posters reminding everyone to practice physical distancing are now available online for anyone to use. The posters are written in English, Hawaiian, and Japanese, and are free to download. Everyone is encouraged to print the posters out and hang them for others to see to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Download the posters here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f3crddhm1dvx1e0/AADYxpbepZ5d_dpKPWFopOJHa?dl=0

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Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

654 Passengers Arrive in Hawai‘i on Tuesday

Yesterday, 654 people arrived at Hawai‘i airports. This includes 160 visitors and 239 residents. Mandatory 14-day, self-quarantine is required for all passengers arriving from out of state and also covers interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

 

	Kona	Maui	O‘ahu	Līhu‘e	Total
Crew	7	14	104	6	131
Intended New Resident	6		67		73
Resident	34	24	178	3	239
Transit	1	2	48		51
Visitor	31	9	111	9	160
Grand Total	79	49	508	18	654
Flights	3	3	13	1	20

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4426/040820-passenger-count-press-release.pdf

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Department of Defense:

Hawai‘i National Guard (HING) Confirms First Positive COVID-19 Cases

Two Hawai’i National Guardsmen have tested positive for COVID-19. The Guardsmen were not part of the Guard activation or in the Joint Task Force supporting various missions around the state during the pandemic. The first case involves an Airman with the Hawai‘i Air National Guard – who works a full-time civilian job. The second involves a Hawai‘i Army National Guard member, who works full-time in the HING, but started tele-working in March. Both members are in good condition and are being monitored by their medical providers. In response to the cases, Hawai‘i National Guard Deputy Adjutant General Col. Stephen Logan said, “The Hawai‘i National Guard is a big ‘ohana and it hurt us when two of our own tested positive during this unprecedented time. We will support these two Guardsmen and their families during this time of need.”

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Department of Land and Natural Resources

State Conservation Officers Cite 34 People For COVID-19 Rules Violations

Over the past few weeks, on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island, officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) have cited 34 people for violations of State Parks rules, self-quarantine and the governor’s stay-at-home orders, associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Hawai‘i Island DOCARE Officers cited a 28-year-old Kailua-Kona woman, for Entering a Closed Area within Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area which had been closed by the DLNR Division of State Parks. A 31-year-old Russian was cited for violating terms of the State’s self- quarantine order, after being observed operating a small dinghy in an erratic manner at Waiākea Public Fishing Area in Hilo. A subsequent investigation revealed he had arrived in the Port of Hilo aboard a sailing vessel and had already been given the self-quarantine order by the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation-Harbors Division. On Kaua‘i, DOCARE Officers have cited ten people for violating State Park closures at Kalalau, Polihale, Kōkeʻe, ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls and Wailua River State Parks. DOCARE Enforcement Chief Jason Redulla noted, “In addition to these violations, aimed at keeping everyone safe during this crisis, DOCARE Officers conducting law enforcement operations recently at the long-closed Sacred Falls State Park cited ten (10) individuals. Not only were they violating stay-at-home orders and closed-area laws, they were putting their lives and the lives of emergency first-responders at risk. The park is closed for good reason.” Eight people lost their lives and dozens of others were injured in a May 1999 landslide. Redulla noted that many of the citations happened on a day when all of O‘ahu was under a flash flood watch. At Diamond Head State Monument on O‘ahu a dozen people have been issued citations for entering the park while closed.

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Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Banking and Financial Resources Available For COVID-19

The DCCA is encouraging the public to contact their financial institutions and government agencies if they need financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals and small businesses. Nearly $2.2 trillion is being released as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help during this time. Of that money – $349 billion will be made available for small business loans – and can be used to pay employees, cover healthcare benefits, loan and repayments, and utilities. Starting Apr. 10, independent contractors and self-employed individuals will also be able to apply.

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest April 8, 2020