Support local produce, Kakaako food distribution Friday, testing Sunday, Senate hearings and recess

The Senate and House ended the session today by passing the budget bills and a number of senate resolutions that resulted from hearings of the Senate COVID-19 Special Committee summarized below.  Also below are happenings in the district this weekend.

Today, May 21, is Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day.  See this resource page that connects consumers directly to local farms and food producers.  These resources include lists of farmers that sell direct to consumers, delivery and pickup options, and food subscription services.

FRIDAY IS FOOD DAY IN KAKAAKO: May 22 & May 29
Free food distribution at Kakaako’s Na Kupuna Makamae Center will again be available tomorrow (Friday) May 22 and also next Friday, May 29.  The food boxes, from partner Aloha Harvest, will be available noon to 2:30 p.m. at 653 Ala Moana Blvd., at the corner of Keawe Street and Ala Moana Boulevard.  This time please walk-in pickup NOT drive-thru.  Due to the high demand, deliveries to the elderly is limited to high-risk kupuna or those without families. Call 773-7047 or email carmenlee@pacificgatewaycenter.org.

COVID19 TESTING: Sunday 5/24 at Kakaako Waterfront Park
Drive-thru testing for COVID-19 will be offered by Premier Medical Group Hawaii from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Testing for regular PCR (nose swab) will be available; the attending doctor will determine who should be tested. You will need to self-quarantine. There is a charge but free if you don’t have insurance.

Antibody testing (involves actual blood draw) is also available.  You will not need to self-quarantine. The testing will be free if you have insurance; but if you don’t, the local lab will charge $40.

Those only taking part in the Antibody Testing will not need to self-quarantine. The following are encouraged to be tested:

1. If you were previously COVID-19 positive, including their families and close contacts
2. Healthcare workers and first responders
3. Front line tourism industry workers with direct exposure to visitors
4. Anyone with unexplained respiratory illness since January 2020 and were never tested for COVID-19.

You should discuss test results with your healthcare provider to understand what the results mean for you.

Test participants should follow the posted signs to the test area. You will first be screened and asked to provide personal information and contact numbers so results can be made known to them. For more information on the testing, contact Premier Medical Group Hawaii at (808) 304-8816 or (808) 367-6020.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SENATE TODAY

• Senate passes bills and recesses. The Senate passed the budget and governor appointments bills today. A number of bills were heard but will await our return in mid-June.  The Senate also adopted a number of COVID19 resolutions that came out of the special committee’s hearings: (1) urging restaurants to adopt the USFDA and National Restaurant Association safety guidelines; (2) convening a task force to assist restaurants in safe reopening;  (3) DOT to mandate the self-quarantine, safe travel and interisland forms; (4) travel quarantine to respond to any resurgence; (5) DOT/HTA to develop travel restriction notification procedure for airlines; (6) DOE to develop a strategy for reopening the schools.  The senate also established a special investigating committee.

• Senate Joint Committee on Ways & Means and on Energy, Economic Development & Tourism was briefed on the state’s framework for economic recovery.  The committees heard the daunting revenue and budget projections from the departments of taxation and of budget & finance. With the backdrop of the grim fiscal reality, the committees invited three major departments to brief us on their plans for economic recovery and creation of jobs. The Director of Labor & Industrial Relations shared job training and employment service programs for the unemployed; Dean of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR) shared the framework for supporting the development of commercial agriculture, moving small farms to growing businesses; and the diverse programs of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) – programs ranging from Hawaii Technology Development Corp, Hawaii State Energy Office, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, Creative Industries Division, and Hawaii Tourism Authority. Unfortunately, the DBEDT director aborted the session; but we hope he will provide the needed information in the coming weeks so we can work toward a strong recovery. When available, it will be posted on the committee’s web page.