Category: Newsletter

  • Legislative hearings, retail stores and malls opening tomorrow, testing at Kakaako Park Sunday

    Legislative hearings, retail stores and malls opening tomorrow, testing at Kakaako Park Sunday

    Aloha Neighbor,

    SENATE UPDATE: WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE BRIEFING
    Today the committee was briefed on the State Administration’s proposal for $1.25 billion appropriated under the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act (SB75 SD2) which is before the House Finance Committee. You can see a recording of the briefing at when it’s available on the Senate Webcast Archive.  There were more questions than answers as these funds are to assist states in responding to the emergency and its effects, such as economic support to the suffering. Missing was funding to provide economic relief to those suffering from the COVID-19 emergency such as the Unemployment Insurance applicants still awaiting a benefit payment.  We hope some of these needs will be addressed by the House.  See the House Finance hearing tomorrow at 9 am on Olelo TV or Olelo.org.

    RETAILERS AND MALLS OPENING TOMORROW (FRIDAY)
    Many retail stores and shopping malls – including Ala Moana Center, Royal Hawaiian Center, and the International Marketplace – will reopen tomorrow. While you are encouraged to shop at the newly-opened stores and malls, please remain vigilant and do follow the social distancing rules: avoid congregating and gathering in large groups, keep your 6-foot distance, use sanitizer and wear your face masks.  Do not loiter in malls; make your purchases and head home where it is safer.

    • Ala Moana Center will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.  The center said it has added hand-sanitizing stations, touch-free interactions and clean frequently and intensely. Signs will advise customers and employees that face coverings are required. The food court dining areas, however, will remain closed, except for delivery and takeout.
    • Royal Hawaiian Center will reopen on Friday. Signs will remind guests to wear facial masks and practice social distancing. The center’s complimentary cultural classes and live entertainment, however, will remain on hiatus.  From Friday to July 31, the center is offering guests three hours of free, validated parking with any purchase, no minimum required.  
    • The International Market Place will be open 11am – 7pm but its center court and grassy lawn areas will remain closed. There will be hand sanitizers at designated stations.

    TESTING AT KAKAAKO WATERFRONT PARK SUNDAY
    Drive-thru testing for COVID-19 will be offered at Kakaako Waterfront Park this Sunday, May 17, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. by Premier Medical Group Hawaii.  Testing using the PCR (nose swab) will be conducted; but a new Antibody Test will also be available (if approved by the attending doctor).  Everyone who gets tested must follow the DOH quarantine protocol at the Department of Health website. Testing will be offered without charge for those without insurance.

    What is Antibody Testing? It will be through actual blood draw. It determines whether a patient has had or has COVID-19 antibodies against the virus; it is not used to determine whether someone currently has the disease. The test also does not tell you whether or not you may be susceptible to getting COVID again. If you do take this test, do discuss the results with your healthcare provider to understand what the results mean for them.

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

    1. Previous COVID-19 positive individuals and their families and close contacts
    2. Healthcare workers and first responders
    3. Frontline tourism industry workers with direct exposure to visitors
    4. Anyone with unexplained respiratory illness since January 2020 and never tested for COVID-19

    SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON COVID-19 MEETS MONDAY AT 1PM
    The committee will meet Monday, May 18 to discuss enforcement of quarantine procedures.  Invitees include Mayor Kirk Caldwell, HPD Chief Susan Ballard, Angela Keen of the Visitor Aloha Society, and Kathy Sokugawa of the City Dept. of Planning and Permitting.

    Take care and stay healthy!

  • Care facilities, district improvements, Senate hearing

    Care facilities, district improvements, Senate hearing

    Aloha Neighbor,

    The Legislature is meeting daily, with the senate and house committees meeting primarily on the budget. The senate also has before it quite a number of the governor’s nominations for boards and commissions.  The Senate COVID19 Special Committee has also continued to meet, and is currently focusing on more stringent public health safeguards so that deplaning passengers –visitors and residents—are checked for their health status, including thermal screens, and are ordered to adhere to the Governor’s 14-day self-isolation quarantine. Today I share with you other work going on that may interest you:

    COVID SAFE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
    A couple of you asked about the safety of our most vulnerable kupuna in long term care facilities. I checked in on Dr. Keith Ridley, Chief of the Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA), who shared the following:

    During the past few weeks, OHCA contacted about 90% of Hawaii’s skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), with unannounced onsite or phone call inspections focusing on infection control. They found all of them to be in compliance with the official federal guidelines (of the CMS and the CDC). OHCA intends to contact the remaining 10% over the next several days.  Additionally, inspections of all state-licensed or certified health care facilities are continuing, including adult day care centers, as they become due for licensing or certification. Another division of the department of health, the Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOCD), will also be calling to educate these facilities on COVID guidelines over the next few weeks.

    IMPROVEMENTS FOR SCHOOLS
    The Ways and Means Committee today (Wednesday) heard an essential capital improvement projects (CIP) bill (HB2725 HD1 SD1) containing funding for new key projects in our district.  While not yet final– as the bill still needs the full vote of the legislature– support by both house and senate budget committees signifies general agreement. But stay tuned for the final vote next week. Some items of interest to our district are:

    • Ala Wai Elementary:  $1,000,000 for covered playcourt (phase 2); $1,500,000 for school-wide electrical upgrades
    • Jefferson Elementary:  $350,000 for dedicated electrical outlets of its aquaponics systems; $250,000 for electrical upgrades to Building R classrooms
    • Kaahumanu Elementary:  $300,000 for cafeteria ceiling fans
    • Lunalilo Elementary:  $277,000 for renovation of 1st floor B Building restrooms
    • Washington Middle:  $250,000 for a coordinated performing arts studio
    • Kaimuki High:  $400,000 for student center and cafeteria plans

    IMPROVEMENTS FOR WAIKIKI
    Another CIP item is the restoration of Waikiki Beach.  In one of my previous messages I mentioned that CIP funding was released for restoring/replacing the groin near the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the work recently began.  Additional needs for the area is in the CIP budget for Fiscal Year 2021, which provides $1,850,000 for improvements related to the Waikiki Master Plan, including improvements along Waikiki Beach in the Sheraton-Halekulani, Royal Hawaiian, and Kuhio Beach sectors, sand restoration, refurbishment of derelict groins, and construction of new groins, with offshore sand dredging and beach sand placement.

    SENATE WAYS & MEANS INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING
    The committee asked the administration to provide more specific details on its proposed use of the federal appropriation to the state under the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The briefing will begin at 9:15 am tomorrow (Thursday). Presenting are representatives of the Office of the Governor, the Economic Navigator, Budget & Finance, Defense, Health, and Labor & Industrial Relations. See the agenda here.

    Take care and stay healthy!