Tag: hawaii state,oahu,honolulu,senator district 12,sharon moriwaki

  • Senate special session, COVID strategies, State assistance

    Senate special session, COVID strategies, State assistance

    Aloha Neighbor,

    ALOHA TOWER TURNS PURPLE FOR HUNGER & HOMELESS AWARENESS 
    You’re wondering why Aloha Tower is turning purple.  For another day, the iconic tower will be illumined in purple to observe Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week.  To find out more, click here.  Though the pandemic has exacerbated the homeless problem in Hawaii, nearly 3,400 found. permanent housing between March and September.  The conference with the many providers working with the homeless will hopefully increase those numbers.

    SENATE UPDATE: Confirms Two Judges; Leadership & Committee Assignments
    The Senate met in Special Session today and confirmed two judges:  (1) Judge Todd W. Eddins was confirmed to be associate justice on the Supreme Court.  Judge Eddins was appointed to the First Circuit Court in 2017 and presided over 85 jury trials and resolved thousands of legal motions.  Eddins also with the Office of the Public Defender before entering private practice concentrating on complex criminal, civil, and appellate litigation.  (2) Stephanie R.S. Char was confirmed a District Family Court Judge of the Fifth Circuit (Kauai).  Char has been with the Kauai Office of the Public Defender since 2003.

    The Senate also recently announced its 2021 leadership and committee assignments ahead of the Thirty-First Legislature that opens on January 20, 2021.

    UPDATES ON COVID STRATEGIES 

    • STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE

    Gov. David Ige issued his 15th COVID-19 emergency proclamation which requires a statewide mask mandate. All four counties and the state now require all persons in the State to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when in public.  Exceptions can be found here.  View the entire proclamation here.

    • STATE RELEASES WEEKLY COVID-19 CLUSTER REPORTS  

    The State Department of Health (DOH) released its first Hawaii COVID-19 cluster report, documenting COVID-19 cluster investigations during the past 14 days. The report highlights recent incidents of covid occurrences.  View it here.  A new report will be posted every Thursday as well as other data on the DOH web site here.

    You can contact the DOH Disease Investigation Branch (DIB) for the following:

    • For disease reporting concerns, call 24/7, including holidays, (808) 586-4586.

    • For inquiries on cases or exposures in healthcare settings, including community care homes, call the hotline above and/or email doh.docd.hai@doh.hawaii.gov

    • To reach the DIB Chief Emily Roberson,  call (808) 587-6567.

    • For general DIB inquiries, call (808) 586-8362.

    • SECOND ROUND OF SURGE TESTING: 10 Day Run Underway 

    The City launched a second round of free covid testing with 16,000 tests ready to use. As covid-fatigued families are itching to celebrate the holiday and with tourist numbers rising, it will be a challenge to advance to Tier 4??? Tier 3 of the City’s strategic recovery plan. Help get this pandemic under control and get tested. In our district you can go to (1) Mother Waldron Park -tomorrow (11/20) at 9am-2pm; (2) Mission Memorial- 11/25. 9-2; and Waikiki Shell- 11/20-23 from 8am-2pm.  All you need is a state ID, driver’s license, or passport. Get information and register here.

    • MORE PRE-TRAVEL TESTING PARTNERS 

    The State approved 13 more pre-testing partners for domestic trans-Pacific travel : American Family Care, American Samoa Department of Health, Seattle-based Atlas Genomics, Alaska-based Capstone Clinic, Clarity Lab Solutions, Costco/AZOVA, Go Health Urgent Care, UC San Diego Health, University of Washington Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, WestPac Labs, and XpresCheck.

    Two interisland travel partners were also approved: (1) The National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii’s Consortium. Tests are available for individuals 5 years and older, and the cost is $125. Health insurance is accepted. Walk in on-site or preregister here. (2) S&G Labs Hawaii. For more information, click here.

    A negative covid test result must be uploaded into the Safe Travels digital platform here OR be presented upon arrival in Hawaii. For more information about the state’s testing partners and the pre-travel testing programs, visit https://hawaiicovid19.com/

      UPDATE ON STATE ASSISTANCE 

    • SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES  

    The City will spend $151 million in CARES Act money to support small businesses, or nearly 40% of the funds. The City expects to spend all $387 million of its federal COVID-19 funding to comply with the federal requirement that all CARES funds be expended by December 31, 2020. Check out the City’s website here: https://www.oneoahu.org/small-business

    • UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

    Labor Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio reached out to UI claimants to explain the UI programs and challenges of processing the thousands of claims while complying with federal law: (1) UC

    (Unemployment Compensation or “regular UI”) – 26 weeks of benefits; (2) PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program) – 39 weeks of benefits;   (3) PEUC (Pandemic Extended Unemployment Compensation Program) – 13 weeks of benefits once UC and PUA benefits are exhausted; and (4) EB20 (Extended Benefits Program) – 13 weeks of benefits or until the state’s unemployment rate decreases to less than 5%.

    I’ve heard from so many of you frustrated and confused. It is confusing and complex!  We have been learning and the following messages from the Labor Director hopefully will clarify for those who are still having problems: (1) What’s the difference whether I’m on UC or PUA –https://labor.hawaii.gov/a-message-for-our-community-from-anne-perreira-eustaquio-director-dlir/ and (2)Why hasn’t my PEUC claim been processed – https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/main/a-peuc-message-for-our-community/

    • PROMISING JOBS IN DEMAND: If You’re Considering a Career or Job 

    A new report identified 137 promising careers that matter most when Hawaii employers hire and make promotion decisions. These are in-demand, living wage occupations throughout the state.  The Promising Credentials in Hawaii report can be found here.

    HAWAII STATE LIBRARY WELCOMES YOU BACK THE WIKI WAY! 
    The Hawaii State Public Library welcomed users back last Sunday  with “Wiki Visits”  allowing a limited number into the library for quick grab and go trips to select books and materials and for Computer Time appointments.  Visits start at the top of the hour and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis; visitors will have up to 45 minutes to find books and materials, ask for assistance, use copiers or use a computer.  Wiki Visit is limited to one person per day.  View the Wiki Visits video here: https://www.librarieshawaii.org/

    Everyone entering the public libraries will be required to follow health and safety protocols at all times. Due to ongoing renovation and repair work, the McCully-Moiliili Public Library will not be offering Wiki Visits. The Hawaii State Library will offer Library Take Out only.  For more information, call the Office of the State Librarian at 586-3714. To access ebooks and streaming movies, go to  https://www.librarieshawaii.org/.

    SANTA GOES DIGITAL
    Dubbed “Operation Santa,” the US postal service launched this past Monday a program that fulfills wish lists for families and children in need. Gift-givers can adopt families online. Online adoptions starts Dec. 4 and ends Dec. 19. Kids can address their letters and lists to: Santa Claus, 123 Elf Rd. North Pole 88888. Santa will accept mail through Dec. 15. Gift givers should register and can adopt as many letters as they want online. Gifts must be dropped off at any post office location, preferably wrapped. The Postal Service recommends using free Priority Mailboxes. For more information about the program, click here.

    Take care & stay safe!

  • COVID vigilance, Community happenings

    COVID vigilance, Community happenings

    Aloha Neighbor,

    “Some people think wearing a face covering as, if you don’t wear it, you’re making a statement about freedom. I actually think wearing a face covering is a statement for freedom…Wearing a face covering means our economy becomes more robust because we don’t have to retreat.”

    -Mayor Kirk Caldwell, November 12, 2020

    COVID: BAD NEWS BUT YOU CAN WORK ON CHANGING IT FOR HAWAII
    We know Hawaii’s economy has been the hardest hit by covid. Hawaii (along with Nevada) had the lowest economic growth rate in the country. We’ve seen businesses closing, workers at home, and the community in fear of a surge if we reopen too quickly.  We have to change that by reopening our businesses but we must reopen safely to protect our public health.

    The city’s recovery plan is our guide based on daily count of covid cases as a measure of our public health and the better we are, the more activities and businesses can open.  See Honolulu’s reopening guide and where we are daily here.  We have two weeks to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases to move to the next tier of reopening. The daily average positive cases over the next 14-days needs to remain below 50.  We were at 92 with 3.2% positivity rate yesterday — not at what we need to move to Tier 3.  You can track our status daily at the HIEMA dashboard that has these and other useful data.

    Senate Special Committee’s meeting provides health expert guidance to change course: Yesterday, the senate special covid committee was briefed by Queens Health Systems President Jill Hoggard Green and HMSA President & CEO Mark Mugiishi.  See the senate website for their excellent presentation on the fact and strategies for addressing covid infections.  Both warned that we can expect a surge in December-February following the pattern of the summer surge, with the upcoming holidays and more indoor activities and congregating.  Under the city’s recovery plan, that will mean going back to Tier 1 and closings.

    The good news is that we can prevent the surge. They urged mandating masks, dine outdoors, and beware of covid fatigue of hunkering down and wrongly easing up instead stay vigilant to prevent the spread.  Simple acts of mindfulness and caring for each other and ourselves with the mantra you should know by now: wear masks, keep the 6-foot distance from others not from your household, and wash your hands frequently.  Simple acts that can move us to Tier 3 and keep our businesses open and improve our economy.

    But many are still maskless or haphazardly wearing masks as a necklace when in public places. Some argue that it’s their constitutional right to go maskless, but this is a public health –community well-being—matter.  If you need the evidence, University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation (IHME)–an independent health research center that measures the world’s most important health problems and evaluates strategies to address them—gives projections for Hawaii (and the world) of how much wearing masks can reduce the spread.  Hawaii could reduce as much as 47% of the covid cases and flatten the curve (remember that term when we were surging in March???)

    It’s a simple act of caring for others and self. It is bigger than oneself.  It will help reopen our economy, get the jobless back to work and get on track to being the healthiest state and city in the world, and show the world how to overcome corona by living aloha!

    TESTING TO BE VIGILANT:  Finding Positive Cases to Contain & Treat
    Mahalo to LONGS DRUG STORE launching curbside testing starting November 13 at nine curbside COVID-19 test sites across the state. The tests are self-administered and will be free to those with insurance, and to those who meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing criteria of covid symptoms, had close contact with a COVID-positive person, or referred to get tested by their doctor or the health department. The testing sites in our district: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite #2004, 988 Halekauwila St. Suite#C103. You must register in advance for an appointment at CVS.com .

    MANAGING COMMUNITY COVID: Waikiki Health Center Partners with the City 

    • The City announced a new partnership with the Hawaii Primary Care Association, a community advocacy group for healthcare reform, and the island’s seven community health centers to keep Oahu healthy and safe. Our district’s Waikiki Health Center is one of the seven centers providing the following services:

    • Contact tracing

    • Case management for patients exposed to COVID-19

    • Health care navigators for their patients who need to quarantine or isolate

    • Support for the patient’s household

    • Daily wellness checks

    • Culturally appropriate education about the coronavirus

    • Food and medication delivery and more.

    • For more information, go to: https://www.hawaiipca.net/waikiki-h

    ANOTHER RESTAURANT CARD: Business Holiday Card
    The Hawaii Restaurant Card Business Holiday Card Program will be available to any registered business. Like the state’s first $500 Restaurant Card, it can be used at any restaurant in the state. Unlike the first card, it is not free, but it can still help businesses boost sales. This is how it works: A business can buy a card, programmed between $5 and $1,000. It can gift it to anyone who can use it at no cost but not for grocery and convenience stores or for grab-and-go prepared meals.  Organizations like City Mill and Iolani School plan to purchase hundreds of cards.  HMSA plans to buy cards and give to different charities. The holiday cards expire on March 31.  Registered businesses can apply here.

    DISTRICT HAPPENINGS OF INTEREST: 

    • UPDATE: KAKAAKO DISPUTED “PRIVATE” STREETS TRIAL  

    The disputed ownership of Kakaako streets trial is wrapping up.  The Kakaako Land Company (KLC) – the Chun Brothers – continues to claim ownership of the streets so they can justify charging exorbitant fees for street parking and enforce them using predatory towing tactics.  On Friday the parties in the case (State, City, & KLC) submitted their proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.  As background on the position of the parties: (1) State’s position– ownership of the streets transferred to the government in 1903 by gift, surrender or abandonment. It asks for a declaration of ownership and injunctive relief against KLC, directing that it cease charging for parking and any other control over the streets; (2) City’s position–supports the State’s position that the roads became government roads in 1903, citing that it has maintained and improved the streets since about 1915 and the lack of any evidence that Mr. Desky or his heirs ever did anything for the streets, including paying tax on the property; KLC position – They acquired the property from the original owner’s heir and there was no abandonment or surrender because the government never “accepted” the roads.  See the parties’ proposed findings of facts and conclusions of law by clicking here: State, City, KLC.  Closing arguments are scheduled for 9:00 AM on December 3rd.  You can view it live on Webex here.

    • UPDATE:  MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC COMPLEX IMPROVEMENTS 

    McKinley’s proposed improvements to its athletics facilities has crossed a major hurdle.  The recently released Environmental Assessment (EA) has determined, “the Project will have no significant impact on the natural or human environment.”  The EA is for plans for a two-story P.E. & Athletic Building; north and south stadium bleachers (3,444 seats); four to eight light poles at the track and football/soccer field; plaza with gathering areas; gravel parking area with space for 41 unmarked parking stalls; and a perimeter fence.  The legislature has allocated $3.2 million for bleachers and lighting at the field so far.  This would allow McKinley to host home games after sundown.  You can see the summary of the EA here or the full 416 page document here.

    • UPDATE: SCOPING MEETINGS ON THE ALA WAI CANAL FLOOD MANAGEMENT PROJECT  

    The public is invited to scope the project as part of an environmental assessment process sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the City and County of Honolulu.  Virtual public scoping meetings and engineering forum sessions prior to the publication and solicitation of public comment for the Draft Environmental Assessment Report are schedule on:

    • November 14 – Environmental Impacts scoping meeting, 8-10 a.m.

    • November 21 – Environmental Impacts scoping meeting, 8-10 a.m.

    • November 28 – Design and Engineering Forum, 8-11 a.m.

    • December 5 – Design and Engineering Forum, 8-11 a.m.

    The public is invited to attend the virtual meetings via the following:

    Anyone wishing to present project concepts or engineering solutions at the design and engineering forums should contact Jeffrey A. Herzog at jeffrey.a.herzog@usace.army.mil or Cindy Acpal at cindy.m.acpal@usace.army.mil before 4 p.m., Nov. 16, 2020, for a presentation time assignment.

    • TRAFFIC ADVISORY: SEWER WORK  

    The Department of Environmental Services is alerting the public that traffic will be affected next week as City Contractors will be conducting work between the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm at 816 Cedar Street (Ala Moana) on November 18-20.

    • VIRTUAL VISITS WITH SANTA AT ALA MOANA: NOV. 14 – JAN. 7 

    Make this holiday magical with a “JingleRing” virtual visit to the North Pole!   Santa’s helpers have been working hard decking the halls for you and your family.  See below for the enchanting experiences:

    • Visit with Santa: Live from the North Pole, enjoy a live virtual visit with Santa. Invite up to four guests for this experience.

    • Storytime with The Clauses: Choose a session with either Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus and gather the family around as they read you a story. Choose from a selection of stories and invite up to four guests to join.

    • Pre-Recorded Personalized Santa Video: Bring Santa and his magical world straight into your home! Receive a pre-recorded message from St. Nick that’s personalized just for you. Santa will record a video message to your kids based on information you provide in your family profile during your booking. Watch your children stare in amazement as they watch their very own video from Santa.

    Don’t let Santa wait. Set a date! Make your reservations here.

    Take care & stay safe!