News Releases from Department of Health

Department of Health:

Three (3) COVID-19 Deaths Reported

Three (3) COVID-19 deaths were reported today by DOH. All three (3) were on O‘ahu. Two (2) deaths involved men, 80+ years old, who were hospitalized with underlying medical conditions. The third death was a woman, 80+ years old, who was also hospitalized with underlying medical conditions.

28 New Cases Reported on Lāna‘i 

DOH’s Maui District Health Office (MDHO) has confirmed 28 new cases of COVID-19 in residents on the island of Lāna‘i. That brings the total to 49 confirmed cases on Lāna‘i. DOH has identified a couple of large social gatherings that have likely contributed to this community outbreak. Some are also attributed to household transmission. One case had a history of travel to O‘ahu, but there is no clear tie to the other cases. MDHO is actively performing contact tracing and investigation of the cases. DOH is engaging with the Lāna‘i health care community to enhance outreach, testing, and contact tracing.   

There will also be drive-thru testing on Lāna‘i tomorrow at the Old Dole Administration Building in Lāna‘i City from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is available for anyone 15 years or older, by appointment only. To make an appointment, call the Straub Medical Center – Lāna‘i Clinic at 808-565-6423, or the Lāna‘i Community Health Center at 808-565-6919. Testing is also available Monday – Saturday at the clinic and health center.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Oct. 23, 2020       

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since        2/28/2020        (including new cases)
O‘ahu	67	12,734
Hawai‘i	34	1,154
Maui	1	396
Kaua‘i	0	60
Moloka‘i	0	19
Lānaʻi	28	49
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	1	52
Total Cases	131	14,464++
Deaths	3	209

Hospitalization count as of 10/22/20 at 3:32 pm: 12-Hawai‘i, 3-Maui, 56-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i

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

HawaiiCOVID19.com

 

Department of Public Safety:

Negative Broad-based Testing Results at All Neighbor Island Jails, and Kulani Correctional Facility.

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 Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center (HCCC) has begun inmate and staff testing. The first batch of test results received for 22 HCCC inmates and 18 staff were all negative. The test result for one (1) Maui Community Correctional Center inmate was negative.  Negative results were also received for 16 Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center staff and one (1) Kulani Correctional Facility staff member.

DOH testing of O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) inmates is continuous. Of the six (6) new inmate test results received today, one (1) was positive, three (3) were negative and two (2) were inconclusive. Additionally, 97% of inmates and 86% of staff who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered. Information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19 can be found at: https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.  

 

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority: 

Monthly Vacation Rental Performance Report Released

Today HTA released its monthly Vacation Rental Performance Report and the supply of vacation rentals in Hawai‘i last month was down 52.5-percent, and unit demand was down 94-percent compared to the same time last year. On O‘ahu, short-term rentals (rented for less than 30 days) were not allowed to operate during September. For Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, and Maui County, legal short-term rentals were allowed to operate as long as they were not being used as a quarantine location. To view more: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/5505/hta-september-2020-hawaii-vacation-rental-performance-final.pdf

6,237 Passengers Arrive on Wednesday

Yesterday, a total of 6,237 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. The bulk of the passengers, or 2,634 people, indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 854 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system. 

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

 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism: 

Hawaiʻi Business Pivot Grant Now Open for Applications 

The Hawai‘i Business Pivot Grant program has opened its application portal for eligible Hawai‘i businesses and non-profits. The program will provide approximately 2,500 small businesses and non-profits with grants up to $10,000 to reimburse them for expenses incurred while making changes to their business models since the pandemic’s arrival in March 2020. In order for businesses to qualify for the grant program, the business must have less than 100 employees, operate in a physical commercial space in Hawai‘i, have suffered economic injury due to COVID-19, and have been in business prior to March 20, 2020. Expenses they can be reimbursed for include but aren’t limited to; web design and social media, improving automation or training, and implementing physical distancing measures. 

The Hawai‘i Business Pivot program is a partnership between DBEDT and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. Chamber of Commerce Hawaii President and CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara said, “As Hawai‘i businesses and non-profit organizations continue to pivot and adjust operations to survive, this grant could not come at a more critical time. We encourage all eligible businesses and non-profits to apply for the reimbursement grant and take advantage of valuable educational opportunities that are provided through this program.” DBEDT’s Business Development and Support Division Administrator, Dennis Ling, added, “Businesses have had to face a lot of challenges as a result of COVID-19. The Hawai‘i Business Pivot Grant Program will enable Hawai‘i companies to be responsive to the changing environment and better serve their employees and clientele in a safe and responsible way.” The grant application portal will remain open through Nov. 23, 2020 as long as funds are available. To view more:

https://www.hawaiibizpivot.org/

 

Hawaiʻi House of Representatives: 

House Select Committee to Meet with Governor

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness will hold an informational briefing on Monday with Gov. David Ige and others for an open discussion on COVID-19. The meeting, which is set for 10 a.m., will also include reports from two subcommittees on Hawai‘i’s economy, as well as communications and strategy. The committees are led by University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) Executive Director Carl Bonham and Hawai‘i Pacific Health President and CEO Ray Vara, respectively. The briefing will be televised on ‘Olelo channel 49, as well as online. You can livestream it here: https://olelo.org/

 

Helpful Resources 

Safe Travels Hawai‘i Program
Program overview: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/

FAQs: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/

Email: [email protected]

Call Center Number: 1-800-GO-HAWAII

 

COVID-19 Tables, Charts, and Visualizations

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

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

Rest, Test, Enjoy! Voluntary visitor post-travel test: https://www.kauai.gov/visitorposttest

Resident post-travel test: https://www.kauai.gov/residentposttest

Maui County
Maui County travel and COVID-19 information:
https://www.mauicounty.gov 

To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or [email protected]  

 

Hawai‘i County
Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage:
https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/travel

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 [email protected]  

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PDF: COVID-19 Daily News Digest October 23, 2020