Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest December 10, 2020
Posted on Dec 10, 2020 in COVID-19Governor’s Office:
Hawai‘i Ramps Up Effort to Vaccinate 81,000 People This Month
At an afternoon news conference, Governor Ige, Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, and other stakeholders laid out the first steps of Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 vaccination effort. This includes plans to distribute an expected 81,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations in December to high-risk health care workers and long-term care facilities across the state.
Earlier today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This recommendation must be adopted by the FDA, which is expected in the coming days.
Pfizer will pre-position the first shipment of 4,875 doses of vaccine in Hawai‘i, but providers will not be able to begin to vaccinate groups in the first phase until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides guidance on who can be vaccinated. ACIP guidance is also expected in the coming days.
“This pandemic has cost Hawai‘i residents so much—the lives of loved ones, our health, and our economic security,” said Governor David Ige. “The recommendation by the FDA panel to approve the Pfizer vaccine is a vital step in keeping our situation from becoming worse and beginning our road to recovery. Once final approval is granted, I am confident in DOH’s ability to distribute vaccines across Hawai‘i.”
Dr. Char commented, “However, we know that our work is just beginning. After months of planning, we are prepared to join with our partners to distribute the first shipments of a vaccine. As there will not be enough vaccine for everyone at first, we must first care for those who cared for us—essential healthcare workers and kūpuna in long-term care facilities.”
The first phase of Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan is divided into three groups:
- Phase 1a – Essential healthcare workers
- Phase 1b – Essential workers
- Phase 1c – 65 years and older and adults with high-risk medical conditions
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is scheduled to be evaluated by the FDA committee on Dec. 17. If approval is granted, Hawai‘i is expected to receive 36,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, in addition to nearly 46,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in December alone.
Essential health care workers will be vaccinated at Points of Dispensing (PODs) across the state. Vaccinations will be administered to long-term care facilities through a federal partnership with Walgreens and CVS. Both vaccines require a two-dose regimen. The second dose must match the brand of the first dose.
Additional vaccine supply is expected in the first half of 2021.
Department of Health:
https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/
Two Additional Deaths on O‘ahu and 123 New COVID-19 Cases Reported Statewide
DOH reports two (2) deaths on O‘ahu, raising the Hawai‘i COVID-19 death toll to 268 since the beginning of the pandemic. Both deaths were men; one 50-59-years-old and the other 70-79-years-old. Both had underlying health conditions and passed away while in a hospital.
DOH is also reporting 123 additional coronavirus cases today. This report includes cases up until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control website at noon each day. HawaiiCOVID19.com/dashboard
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Dec. 8, 2020
|
Island of Diagnosis |
New Cases |
Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases) |
|
O‘ahu |
79 |
16,003 |
|
Hawai‘i |
24 |
1,688 |
|
Maui |
11 |
644 |
|
Kaua‘i |
2 |
123 |
|
Moloka‘i |
0 |
22 |
|
Lānaʻi |
0 |
106 |
|
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI |
7 |
278 |
|
Total Cases |
123 |
18,864 |
|
Deaths |
2 |
268 |
Hospitalizations as of 12:00 p.m. on Dec. 9, 2020 – Hawai‘i-1, Maui-2, O‘ahu-48, Kaua‘i-0
Department of Transportation:
Celebrity Eclipse Cruise Ship to Arrive in Honolulu for Fuel
DOT’s Harbors Division is providing a heads up that the Celebrity Eclipse vessel is scheduled to arrive at Honolulu Harbor tomorrow, around 7 a.m. It will depart later in the day.
The ship is coming from San Diego and is heading to Singapore. It is stopping in Honolulu for fuel. No other operations are planned. Crewmembers will remain on board at all times while in Honolulu. No passengers have been on the ship since May. Cruise lines worldwide have extended their suspension of operations due to COVID-19. For a list of cruise cancellation updates please click here.
Department of Public Safety:
Halawa Correctional Facility COVID-19 Protocols Implemented
The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) has confirmed three (3) inmates and 10 staff tested positive for COVID-19. The positive inmates were placed in medical isolation. Inmate and staff testing are underway. As a precautionary measure, the HCF warden implemented facility-wide isolation and quarantine protocols, effective today, which includes suspending all inmate movement within the facility as well as transfers to and from the facility, for a minimum of 14 days. There is a total of 936 inmates at HCF. DOH was notified and has already begun contact tracing.
Meanwhile, surge testing of O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) and Waiawa Correctional Center (WCF) inmates and staff is continuous. The three (3) OCCC inmate test results received were negative. No new test results were reported for WCF but an additional 12 inmates have recovered increasing the total recoveries to 160 and bringing the active positive inmate cases down to 52, with two (2) inmates hospitalized. Of the 22 WCF staff results received 20 were negative and two (2) were inconclusive. All WCF staff who tested positive have recovered and been cleared to return work. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:
https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:
6,595 Passengers Arrive on Wednesday
Yesterday, a total of 6,595 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total of 2,825 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,139 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/
Helpful Resources
Trusted Testing and Travel Partners:
The state of Hawai‘i only accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners. For the full list of domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county, international and airline partners or information on how to become a Trusted Testing Partner, go to:
https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/
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 Expanded Dashboard (Tables, Charts, and Visualizations):
Safe Travels Digital Platform:
https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/data/
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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