Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest March 5, 2021

Posted on Mar 5, 2021 in COVID-19

Office of the Governor:

Governor approves Kaua‘i’s re-entry into Safe Travels for Trans-Pacific travelers

Gov. David Ige has approved Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami’s request to rejoin the Safe Travels pre-travel testing program for Trans-Pacific travel, effective April 5, 2021. Existing rules for travel to Kaua‘i remain in place until that date. Gov. Ige said, “This emergency rule will simplify travel to Hawai‘i by including Kaua‘i in the existing Safe Travels program. The increased restrictions over the winter months helped Mayor Kawakami safely balance travel with the health and safety of residents and visitors on the Garden Island.”

Kaua‘i mayor Derek Kawakami said, “I thank Governor Ige for recognizing Kauai’s unique rural community with limited resources, and allowing us to institute stricter testing and quarantine rules over the winter months as cases spiked on the mainland. Since that time, Kaua‘i has built a robust vaccine distribution program. By April, we will have offered vaccines to our hospitality industry and restaurant employees, and our healthcare workers, first responders and kupuna will have been fully vaccinated.”

Gov. Ige and Mayor Kawakami urge residents to install the Aloha Safe app, which will notify users if they come into contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. All incoming travelers to the state must be able to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 pre-arrival test from a trusted partner. For more information on the Safe Travels Program:

www.hawaiicovid19.com/travel

To view the full news release:

https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/office-of-the-governor-news-release-governor-ige-approves-kauais-re-entry-into-safe-travels-for-trans-pacific-travelers-beginning-april-5/

Department of Health:

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

Daily and Weekly Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates

The charts below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday.

54 New COVID-19 Cases and Two Additional Deaths Reported

DOH reports 54 new cases of coronavirus and two additional deaths today, both on O‘ahu, of women, 60-69 years-old with underlying conditions and who had been hospitalized.

This report includes cases up until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website daily: HawaiiCOVID19.com/dashboard.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. March 3, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	29	22,055
Hawai‘i	4	2,256
Maui	18	2,273
Kaua‘i	0	184
Moloka‘i	0	27
Lānaʻi	0	108
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	3	850
Total Cases	54	27,753
Deaths	2	443

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 3/4/21 – Hawai‘i-1, Maui 9, O‘ahu-18, Kauaʻi-0

First Johnson & Johnson Vaccines Administered
DOH administered hundreds of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 to Dept. of Education employees at a clinic today in Kāneʻohe. DOH Director Dr. Elizabeth Char said, “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is similar to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in that they are all highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death, but different because Johnson & Johnson is a single-shot regimen.”

Soon after Hawai‘i’s first shipment of Johnson and Johnson vaccines arrived Wednesday, DOH sent emails to DOE employees who had expressed an interest in being vaccinated. Dr. Amy Curtis, DOH Adult Mental Health Division Administrator said, “The invitation had links allowing people to sign up for this clinic today or for a Moderna clinic here next week. We had almost 500 people sign up for Johnson & Johnson in a day and a half. We are glad there is so much interest.” To view more: https://hawaiicovid19.com/first-johnson-johnson-vaccines-administered/

DOH Expands Mental Health Assistance in Response to the Ongoing Pandemic
In collaboration with CARE Hawai‘i, DOH has launched a new crisis counseling assistance program to provide support to both children and adults experiencing challenges due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The new program, called “Kū Makani – The Hawai’i Resiliency Project,” offers counseling, education, information, and resource navigation while promoting healthy coping, empowerment, and resilience. Amy Curtis, Adult Mental Health Division Administrator said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has touched everyone in the islands, from keiki to kūpuna. We are pleased to be able to provide yet another resource to help those of us who need some extra support right now.”

Residents can access “Kū Makani” by calling Hawai‘i CARES 1-800-753-6879 and selecting option #1 from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and state holidays, and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Services are available for children, teenagers, and adults. Trained crisis counselors are located on each major island, including staff bilingual in Ilokano, Spanish, Hawaiian, Tongan, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Japanese, Palauan, and Samoan.

This expansion was made possible by a $2.1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To view more: https://hawaiicovid19.com/department-of-health-expands-mental-health-assistance-in-response-to-the-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic/

Department of Public Safety:
Statewide Inmate Testing Continues
COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted statewide at all facilities. The Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) reports 33 inmate results. Of that number, 20 were positive and 13 were negative. MCCC also reported six (6) inmate recoveries which brings the total active positive inmate count to 43. There were 22 negative MCCC staff test results reported through DOH testing. One (1) MCCC employee reported a positive result from independent testing. All other facility inmate populations are clear of the virus. 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:

15,546 Passengers Arrive on Thursday

Yesterday, a total of 15,546 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 10,061 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,159 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 Vaccine Status in Hawai‘i and FAQs:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/

Vaccine Call Center: 808-586-8332

COVID-19 Expanded Dashboard (Tables, Charts, and Visualizations):

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

Safe Travels Digital Platform:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/data/