News Releases from Department of Health

Governor’s Office:

Governor Announces Delay for State Furloughs

Governor David Ige announced today that there will be a delay in state furloughs. In a letter sent to state employees this afternoon, the governor said the state had been waiting months to see if Congress would provide additional federal funds to help address the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts here in Hawai‘i. On Monday, a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill was passed, and while the aid package doesn’t provide designated funding to state and local governments for revenue shortfall, it does provide direct funding for mitigation measures that the state would have to pay for otherwise, such as vaccine distribution, testing, education, and more. Based on the promise of federal aid, the governor made the decision to delay the implementation of the furloughs, which was set to begin on Jan. 1, 2021. However, he added that because it’s a fluid situation, there is no timeline of when the furloughs will begin.

Gov. Ige said, “I know the uncertainty makes things difficult for you and your families. We are continuing to monitor the latest information and will provide an update as soon as we can.” He also added, “With the safe and effective vaccines being administered, I’m hopeful we can limit the number of new cases and see our revenues pick up soon. Nevertheless, the impact to the state’s budget has been severe, and economists predict it will take years to recover. I anticipate that permanent and ongoing changes must be made to state government and ask your help in creating a more resilient way to serve the people of Hawaiʻi.”

 

Department of Health: 

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

Three Deaths, 107 New COVID-19 Cases Reported Statewide

DOH is reporting three (3) additional COVID-19 deaths today. All had underlying conditions and were hospitalized at the time of their death.

• 1 Woman, 50-59 yrs.
• 1 Woman, 70-79 yrs.
• 1 Man, 80-89 yrs.

107 additional coronavirus cases were reported today. This report includes cases up until Monday 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. 21, 2020   

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since           2/28/2020           (including new cases)
O‘ahu	69	17,277
Hawai‘i	13	1,835
Maui	15	806
Kaua‘i	0	138
Moloka‘i	0	22
Lānaʻi	0	106
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	10	338
Total Cases	107	20,522++
Deaths	3	285

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 22, 2020 – Hawai‘i-1, Maui-1, O‘ahu-59, Kaua‘i-0

++As a result of updated information, one case on Maui and one case on O‘ahu were removed from the count, and one case from Maui was re-categorized to out-of-state.

 

Department of Public Safety:

Inmate and Staff Testing Continues

The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) reported 60 more inmate test results as part of surge testing efforts. Of that total, 33 were positive and 27 were negative. Additionally, 66 inmates have recovered reducing the total active inmate cases to 300. There were three (3) new positive HCF staff results and two (2) more staff recoveries reported, for a total of 40 active positive staff cases. Surge testing, with the assistance of DOH, the Hawai‘i National Guard and Project Vision Hawai‘i, will continue until there are no new positive cases at the facility.

All other facilities that experienced outbreaks have brought their COVID-19 count under control. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) has zero (0) active positive inmates. The Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ is also clear of the virus in their facility. There are three (3) inmates in an Arizona hospital who are expected to be medically cleared in coming days. The Waiawa Correctional Facility reports two (2) negative test results and has only three (3) active positive cases, including one (1) hospitalized inmate. 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/

 

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:

Beware of Looming COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

DCCA is reminding Hawai‘i residents to be on guard against scam attempts tied to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Possible variations of the scam could include someone requesting payment for early access to the vaccine, or to be placed on a wait list. Scammers may even ask for your social security number or other personal information claiming they’ll help you sign up to get the vaccine. Don’t fall for it. DCCA OCP Executive Director Stephen Levins said, “People should avoid opening or responding to text messages and emails with hyperlinks about COVID-19 from unknown sources as it may lead to malware that can allow scammers to access private information through your electronic devices. The best practice is to simply ignore or hang up on anyone offering unsolicited services.” You’re also reminded to check with your healthcare provider first before exploring any COVID-19 related treatment. For the latest information about the state of COVID-19 vaccines in Hawai‘i: https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/.

 

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

9,841 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday

Yesterday, a total of 9,841 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total of 4,742 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,168 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):

https://hawaiicovid19.com/data-dashboard/

 

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