HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has partnered with the University of Hawai‘i to offer 150 free COVID-19 rapid tests each day at its West O‘ahu campus in Kapolei today and Saturday, March 19 & 20. DOH will administer testing from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Those being tested, may expect a minimum ...
Read More Free rapid COVID-19 testing at UH West O‘ahu, March 19 & 20
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HONOLULU- Hawai‘i State Director of Health Dr. Elizabeth Char released the following statement following her unanimous confirmation by the Hawai‘i State Senate this morning: “Mahalo to Governor Ige and the members of the Senate for their confidence in my leadership of the Department of Health. I’m honored to be leading DOH with our team of ...
Read More Following unanimous confirmation, Director Char pledges to continue work to save lives, help Hawai‘i navigate through the pandemic
Preliminary vaccine data by race guide expanded outreach HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health today outlined state- and community-based initiatives to address racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection and Hawaii’s vaccination efforts. DOH also released data illustrating the challenges in ensuring health equity in Hawaii’s COVID-19 response. A new report, “COVID-19 in ...
Read More Department of Health & community partners take action to address COVID-19 race & ethnic disparities
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) has issued a formal notice to proceed to retail to Maui Grown Therapies for their second retail location in Lahaina at 1087 Limahana Place, Unit 4B on March 11, 2021. The location is scheduled to open on March 17, 2021 by appointment only for registered patients ...
Read More Hawai‘i Department of Health approves a second medical cannabis retail dispensary for Maui Grown Therapies
HONOLULU- Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Director Dr. Elizabeth Char provides detail on the state’s upcoming move to Phase 1c while appearing in a new DOH communication platform called The Weekly Dose. Char also discusses the latest COVID-19 Weekly Cluster Report, which includes investigation into a “breakthrough” case of COVID-19 in a fully vaccinated Hawai‘i ...
Read More Health Director Provides Details on Move to Vaccination Phase 1c, “Breakthrough” Case of COVID-19 in Vaccinated Individual
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces the state will extend vaccine eligibility to people age 65 and older and those who qualify as members of phase 1c beginning Monday, March 15. “This is another huge step in the ongoing effort to protect Hawaii residents from COVID-19,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. ...
Read More Vaccinations for those 65+ and phase 1c to begin Monday, March 15
HONOLULU – Every year about 12,000 people in Hawai‘i go to an emergency room seeking treatment for a brain injury and approximately 1,300 are hospitalized. Brain injuries can happen to anyone and often cause significant changes in the ability to think, communicate, move, and regulate emotion. To bring attention to this serious public health concern, Hawai’i Governor David Y. Ige and City and ...
Read More State lights up prevention, awareness and education during Brain Injury Awareness Month
HONOLULU – Independent pharmacies on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island have administered first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to about 10,000 residents and caregivers in approximately 1,700 small care homes and have now begun returning to administer second doses. As of mid-February, 1,537 small care homes on O‘ahu and 152 small care homes on Hawai‘i ...
Read More Independent pharmacies administer COVID-19 vaccinations at nearly 90% of small care homes on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island
HONOLULU – Initial public reaction to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Hawai‘i has been very positive, highlighting its value in the fight against COVID-19. Its proven ability to reduce severe illness and hospitalization after just one shot makes it an attractive option for people across the state. Those who are currently eligible under the ...
Read More Johnson & Johnson vaccine available across Hawai‘i
HONOLULU – The Department of Health State Laboratories Division (SLD) has detected a new variant of concern. This new strain has the technical name B.1.351 and is sometimes referred to as the South African variant. It was found in an O‘ahu resident with no travel history. “This is concerning because B.1.351 has a mutation that ...
Read More Highly transmissible variant detected in Hawai‘i
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) administered hundreds of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines to Department of Education (DOE) employees at clinic in Kaneohe today. “It is gratifying to see that so many people recognize the benefits this new vaccine offers,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine ...
Read More First Johnson & Johnson vaccines administered
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health, in collaboration with CARE Hawaii, launched a new crisis counseling assistance program to provide support for children and adults experiencing challenges due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion was made possible by a $2.1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Substance Abuse ...
Read More Department of Health expands mental health assistance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces the state is expanding the pool of those eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations by offering vaccinations to people age 70 and older beginning Monday, March 8. “We are excited to be ahead of schedule and pleased that we can now provide another layer of protection to this vulnerable ...
Read More Vaccinations for those 70 and older begin Monday, March 8
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Food Safety Branch has issued a Notice of Violation and Order (NOVO) to Doner Shack located at 79 South Pauahi St. in Honolulu. The company is ordered to pay a fine of $4,000 for removing the red placard posted at their establishment by a health inspector and ...
Read More Department of Health fines Doner Shack ,000 for food safety placard and permit violations
Ongoing need for life-saving program for the state’s most underserved populations HONOLULU — Hawaii’s syringe exchange program (SEP), the nation’s first, was established more than 30 years ago by the Hawai‘i Department of Health to respond to the growing AIDS/HIV crisis in the state. It continues to demonstrate its effectiveness in preventing disease, based on ...
Read More New report highlights ongoing success of Hawai‘i Syringe Exchange Program
HONOLULU – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today granted Emergency Use Authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccination. With the FDA authorization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will soon issue recommendations on who should receive the vaccine and how it should be distributed. “Today’s announcement ...
Read More Following FDA approval, Hawai‘i awaits national guidelines on use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is advising the public to avoid waters near the City and County of Honolulu Kailua Wastewater Treatment Plant’s ocean outfall (pictured below). The City began discharging wastewater that exceeds the bacteria limits in their state permit on Feb. 18, 2021. The permit violation was first reported by ...
Read More Department of Health warns ocean users at Kailua Bay to avoid waters near the Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant’s ocean outfall
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) confirms the presence of a new COVID variant in Hawai‘i. The P.2 variant, which contains the E484K mutation, was identified through surveillance testing conducted on O‘ahu. While the implications of this additional strain are unknown at this time, the P.2 variant is closely watched ...
Read More Department of Health State Laboratory finds new variant
HONOLULU – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance that has helped Hawai‘i to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Hawai‘i returns the favor to the CDC by providing lessons learned from last year’s cluster traced to three fitness centers highlighted in a scientific paper published today in the CDC’s ...
Read More Hawai‘i Department of Health presents best practices on managing clusters with CDC
HONOLULU – Hawai‘i State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char today announced that the state will soon open COVID-19 vaccinations to those 70 and older. Currently, kūpuna 75 and older are eligible to get vaccinated. “We’re still in Phase 1b, and we’re not ready to go into Phase 1c yet. But soon, we’d like to welcome ...
Read More Department of Health prepares to open COVID-19 vaccinations to those 70 and older