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

  • Airports, Contact Tracing, Economic Recovery

    Airports, Contact Tracing, Economic Recovery

    Aloha Neighbor,

    Today’s  senate special committee meeting covered a lot of areas and I share with you highlights of what we learned; but you can get more details at “community reports” on our webpage.

    Passenger check at the airports.  To address concerns raised about sightings online that full fights on Korean Air were resuming as early as May 1 and incidences of visitors violating the quarantine orders, the following was  reported by Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay and Airports Deputy Director Ross Higashi; Attorney General Clare Connors; and Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)CEO Chris Tatum:

    • Confirmed that Korean Air flights to Honolulu are suspended through May. 31.
    • Confirmed that a mandatory order for self-quarantine must be signed by every passenger before leaving the airport, including verification of phone number and residence/hotel where quarantine will occur.  Passengers (visitors and residents) will be called during the 14-day quarantine to ensure they are not leaving their rooms. Should a person not be in the room, HPD will be notified to enforce.  Violation can result in a maximum of $5,000 in fines or a year in jail.
    • Low fare flight sites such as CheapTickets were advertising without notices of Hawaii quarantine requirements that commercial airlines have been posting. HTA was asked to send out notices to these companies to post visibly notices of Hawaii’s requirements.
    • AG Connors is working HIEMA on restrictions relating to ankle bracelets, prohibiting use of rental cars until the quarantine is completed, and legislation that might be needed to ensure the health of our residents once the Governor’s emergency authorization is terminated. These and other questions will be researched by the AG’s office.

    Contact Tracing.  The committee wanted answers to how Hawaii was contact tracing and testing found to be successful in other jurisdictions that have dramatically reduced COVID19 positive cases and deaths, e.g., South Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Germany. State Epidemiologist Sarah Park walked us through the state’s contact tracing procedures. See this link.  She said every person who has symptoms is called and interviewed extensively, including getting names of all people with whom they have had close contact.  They are also asked to self-quarantine. Staff calls daily to check on the person’s health status. Similar questions are asked of all contacts.  For more details on their work see this page.

    Dr. Park said they have found the most important measure to reduce the spread of the virus is social distancing, which is now in place and should continue.  One “silver lining” of the social distancing orders is that the incidence of flu is the lowest it has ever been so perhaps our experience with COVID is helping us in creating the new healthier normal.  We also find that we need a stronger healthcare and public health system –communication and working together among our hospitals, community health centers, private healthcare providers and physicians, laboratories, etc. We are seeing the positive developments from the pandemic.

    Economic and Community Pathway to Recovery Framework.  Governor appointed Alan Oshima to lead the plan development, bringing together everyone –business, government, non-profits, community organizations, people—to join in mapping out our post-pandemic future.  It is the possibility and hope that we can define and execute a new better normal once we are on strong healthy and safe ground.  The framework is what we all talk about and strive to achieve. Let’s hope we can do it this time. Alan tells us this is a good time to start while so many talented and bright folks are sheltering in place they have the time to create and dialogue remotely.  For more information refer to the presentation of the framework.

    The intent is to engage the entire community. See their dashboard on the website that is being created: https://recoverynavigator.hawaii.gov Be part of the 30 sectors and join in creating our future. Everyone interested in and. committed to building our new better normal should join in.  Go to the website and sign on. The decision-making process that Alan shared is to follow principles of: 1) developing clear priorities and goals; 2) engaging stakeholders and ensuing transparency; 3) basing decisions on facts/data; 4) leveraging national and global best practices; 5) considering federal, state, local and private funding sources; and 6) being speedy in action. Wow! Check it out!

    Neighbor to Neighbor

    • Kakaako Farmers Market (KFM) still open but be ready for stricter social distancing.  KFM continues to serve you on Saturday morning, but with stricter social distancing requirements so it is moving across Ward Avenue to a larger site — the former BOH site. It allows for more spacing between tents so lines will be adjacent to tents to reduce the number of people passing each other.  The new requirement: all vendors and shoppers must wear face masks at all times.  So if you want to shop please wear a mask. Your fellow shoppers and vendors will thank you
    • Waikiki Centennial Park sprucing up.  If you are walking about Waikiki you’ll see the park’s (at Seaside Ave & Aloha Dr) first seven coconut palms just planted on Tuesday (4/21)—part of the first phase that includes trees, grass and pathways.  Phase 2, to be completed by the end of 2021, includes construction of a rock wall, a metal picket wraparound fence, gates and new lighting. If you want to help either with your green thumbs or dollars, find out more at: www.centennialparkwaikiki.org.

    Take care and stay healthy!

  • Caring for our health, Senate hearing, Parks reopening

    Caring for our health, Senate hearing, Parks reopening

    Aloha Neighbor,

    There has been talk about the state reopening as our numbers are low; but many others, including the state’s health director, advise caution. Although we are on a downward trajectory – a total of 4 new cases and 596 total positive cases among the 26,640 cases tested since February 28. Of the positive cases, 11% have required hospitalization, and over 80% were residents returning from other areas.

    DOH gives data and a map of where cases are located on their website. The health director and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HiEMA) medical lead told us numbers are not enough; we need to make sure we have the health and medical system, with PPE, ventilators and beds, at the ready should there be a surge in cases. The senate committee is asking the administration to provide a plan and the data we need to know when and what to reopen.

    The data show that all of us working together in new norms of social distancing –as difficult as they are — are making a difference.  But, we need to do more.  Before we can reopen businesses, before many of us can go back to work, we need that curve to turn into a horizontal flat line!  Testing, contact tracing, and social distancing, including masking up, are key.  Some of this may be the new norm for months to come (until we are all immune or find a vaccine).

    The Senate Committee asked the State Department of Health and HIEMA to communicate their joint efforts more effectively so we can all be a part of the solution. Today (Friday) the committee hears from the Governor’s economic recovery lead Alan Oshima and calls back the health department and the state epidemiologist Sarah Park to tell us how they are gearing up with contract tracing and testing. See the agenda.

    What’s happening with the air passenger quarantine? Some international airlines could resume service to Hawaii as early as May 31.  The Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 expressed concern Wednesday that state government doesn’t have a plan to reopen travel.  Other than the defense industry, we live off the tourism industry so of course we want it to start up. But we don’t want to go back to a big surge and open our borders without having the infrastructure in place like hospital beds and ventilators to protect our safety and our health.

    Many thanks going out to our neighbors and hoteliers in Waikiki who reported the tourists who were not adhering to the 14-day mandatory quarantine.  Thank you for looking out for all of us and reporting them to the Honolulu Police Department!  The Department of Transportation-Airports, in partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, were changing their procedures to ensure compliance with the state’s quarantine rules. For details, see KHON2 News story.

    UPDATES

    Unemployment Insurance: On Thursday the senate committee was briefed by Labor Director Scott Murakami on the department’s progress to get UI claims processed and paid to over 290,000 applicants.  Over 200 state employees volunteered to help and have been trained to…

    This is just one of 4 rooms at the Hawaii Convention Center gearing up to process claims and respond to calls

    …process claims and respond to calls and emails in two shifts (7am-noon and 12:30-6pm). Filings and weekly/biweekly certification reports have been uploaded into a separate system so you should be able to get in sooner. While they are gearing up, the impacts of the changes will probably begin next week.

    I asked the director about the following concerns that some of you raised. Below is information that I hope will help:

    • If you still are trying to file a new claim: keep trying– click on “For New Claims, please complete this form” at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/ or if you cannot get in, call (833) 901-2272 or email dlir.ui.oahu@hawaii.gov (If you received a “congratulations” message, do not reapply. Wait until you get your username/password.
    • If you are trying to get in to submit your weekly/biweekly report: go to claimant services and sign in with your user name at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/login. If you have problems call (833)901-2275 or email: dlir.ui.oahu@hawaii.gov. Keep trying as you must submit your weekly/biweekly report (answer that you are available and looked for work). Reason for needing your report is to let UI know if your work status changes, e.g. some have been called back to work when their employers received federal relief funding.
    • If you want to know whether your claim was accepted and what’s happening try clicking on “check your claim status” at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/
    • If you have other concerns or need help you may find it at: https://labor.hawaii.gov

    In any event, do not give up! The labor director said that staff at all levels are working to serve you and as fast as they can. They all know that it’s important to help get payments out as soon as they can; and that includes gig workers and independent contractors. The claim processing will go much faster if the information you input is correct; the lag in time is due to incorrect or incomplete information. If you are having problems submitting your weekly report call or email and someone will call you (be patient there may be 60,000 others in line!) but be assured they will get to you and your benefit period will start from the date of termination.   So take a break and try next week but hang in there!

    City Parks opening for some exercise activities. This weekend, city parks will be open for designated forms of exercise that include: running, walking, jogging, and bicycle riding.  Please enjoy the fresh air, exercise, and sunshine!  See the City’s press release for more details.  City parks in our District include Kapiolani Park, McCully District Park, Ala Moana Regional Park, and more.  For a list of parks run by the City and County of Honolulu, please visit their website.

    The Senate Committee on COVID-19 convenes today (Friday) at Noon.  The meeting will be available for live viewing on Olelo Channel 49 or online at olelo.org.  We will hear about airport procedures for deplaning passengers from Attorney General Clare Connors, Department of Transportation-Airports Division Deputy Director Ross Higashi and Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO Chris Tatum; about contact tracing/testing procedures from Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson & Epidemiologist Sarah Park; and on the Hawaii Economic and Community Recovery & Resiliency Plan from Alan Oshima.  See the agenda here.

    Take care and stay healthy!