Hawai‘i COVID-19 Daily News Digest November 4, 2020

Posted on Nov 4, 2020 in COVID-19

Office of the Lieutenant Governor:

Safe Travels Testing Evaluation Program Update

Known as a strategic surveillance study, the Safe Travels Testing Evaluation Program, collects and evaluates data from COVID-19 testing of travelers after they’ve arrived in Hawai‘i. Lt. Gov. Josh Green said, “We are at a critical point in the pandemic, where we need to balance public health and safety with the economic well-being of our islands. We anticipate this study will serve as a guide for state leadership and policy makers on how to move forward.”

This surveillance study is an added layer of safety to compliment the overall Safe Travels pre-travel testing program. People participating must have also participated in a pre-travel test and are selected randomly to take a free, voluntary second test one to four days after their arrival.

Dr. DeWolfe Miller, an epidemiologist with the John A. Burns School of Medicine is leading the study in coordination with HI-EMA, Governor’s Office, the LG and trusted testing partners. Dr. Miller commented, “The results of this study will demonstrate if screening for symptoms and a negative Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) prior to travel will be sufficient to prevent additional introduction of infection.” CARES Act funding provided $1.5 million for surveillance testing.

Department of Health:

Complete COVID-19 Data Available on Newly Expanded Dashboard

The COVID-19 dashboard has complete statistics, visualizations, graphs and charts on all health and economic related factors. The dashboard is updated at 3 p.m. daily. Hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard DOH reports 156 new coronavirus cases today.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Nov. 4, 2020

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	125	13,445
Hawai‘i	21	1,332
Maui	4	414
Kaua‘i	0	67
Moloka‘i	0	17
Lānaʻi	1	104
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	5	94
Total Cases	156	15,473++
Deaths	0	219

++As a result of updated information, one case from O‘ahu was removed from the counts.

Hospitalizations as of 3:51 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2020 – 8/Hawai‘i, 4/Maui, 43/O‘ahu, 2/Kaua‘i

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

5,841 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday

Yesterday, a total of 5,841 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total of 2,310 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,107 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/

Hawaiʻi House of Representatives:

Committee to Review Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 Statewide Vaccination Program

A house informational briefing will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m., to discuss Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 vaccination program. The briefing will focus on the concerns and challenges of the program specific to Hawai‘i in order to ensure effective implementation once a vaccine does become available. The briefing will also include reports from DOH, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, and Pfizer Vaccines. To stream the briefing:

https://www.facebook.com/hawaiihouseofreps/

Department of Public Safety:

PSD COVID-19 Update

Statewide Inmate Mass Testing Continues

DOH testing of O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) inmates and staff is continuous. Of the 27 OCCC inmate results received 3 were positive and 24 were negative. There are no OCCC inmates in the hospital. All 30 OCCC staff results received were negative. 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 other correctional facilities statewide. There were no new staff or inmate results received today. Additionally, 90% of PSD 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/.

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