Tag: oahu

  • COVID-19: Gov. Ige Issues Stay-At-Home Proclamation

    COVID-19: Gov. Ige Issues Stay-At-Home Proclamation

    FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR:

    Governor Ige issues statewide order to stay at home, work from home to fight COVID-19

    State tax deadlines also extended

    March 23, 2020

    For video click here

    For photos click here

    HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige signed a third supplementary proclamation Monday, ordering the entire state to stay at home and work from home starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Mar. 25 through Apr. 30. Essential workers are exempt.

    The action complements orders issued by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Maui County Mayor Mike Victorino over the weekend.

    “The threat of COVID-19 is unprecedented and requires aggressive action,” said Ige. “I have been in discussions with our county mayors who are developing their own plans to meet the unique needs of their counties. We also agree that a statewide order is necessary for cohesion and consistency.”

    To ensure that the state continues to provide essential, core services, there are exemptions in the following categories: Healthcare services, grocery stores and pharmacies, food production and farming, public and private schools, restaurants offering take-out services, hotels and motels, construction, and essential government functions.

    In turn, residents can leave their homes for various needs, including healthcare, purchasing food, medicine and gasoline, taking care of the elderly, minors, and those with disabilities, returning to a place of residence outside of Hawai‘i, picking up educational materials for distance learning, receiving meals and any other related services, and outdoor exercise – including surfing, swimming and walking pets.

    Non-compliance would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, or up to one year in jail, or both.

    For questions about exemptions, email CovidExemption@hawaii.gov.

    Those who would like to volunteer ideas or resources to assist in the response effort should email CovidKokua@hawaii.gov.

    Gov. Ige also announced the state is extending tax deadlines for the Hawai‘i 2019 individual and corporate income tax filing and payments. The deadline is extended from April 20 to July 20.

    Taxpayers do not need to take any action to participate in the tax relief program. The department is making necessary system changes to include the new dates. However, taxpayers expecting a refund for tax year 2019 should file as soon as possible.

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    Media Contacts:

    Jodi Leong

    Deputy Communications Director/Press Secretary

    Office of the Governor

    Office: 808-586-0043

    jodi.c.leong@hawaii.gov

     

    Cindy McMillan

    Communications Director

    Office of the Governor

    Office: 808-586-0012

    cindy.mcmillan@hawaii.gov

     
  • COVID-19: Airports/Harbors, School Meals

    COVID-19: Airports/Harbors, School Meals

    Aloha,

    A Senate special committee was appointed to advise the Senate on the State’s COVID-19 plans and procedures and the status of their implementation to safeguard the public health and safety.  Its first meeting was held yesterday (3/19) with Adjutant General Kenneth Hara, Hawaii’s Incident Commander, leading the COVID-19 effort; department of transportation harbors and airports; and department of health and private health care providers.  The following below provides some of the recommendations and information.

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Thursday, March 19, 2020

    Contact: Senate Communications 808-586-6261

    Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 holds first meeting

    Honolulu – The Senate Special Committee on COVID-19* held its first meeting today and provided the following information about its findings.

    The Airport Division of the Department of Transportation agreed with the committee’s recommendation to include a new 14-day quarantine of any airline passengers.

    • This is a difficult action, but necessary to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and keep the people of Hawaii safe.
    • The committee strongly urged the Governor to endorse this plan and put it into action immediately.
    • The plan will require hiring or reassigning approximately 500 people and cost approximately $1 million per month.

    The Harbors Division of the Department of Transportation, as of March 18, 2020, will no longer allow cruise ship passengers to disembark in Hawaii.

    • Cruise ships are being allowed to come into Hawai‘i ports to refuel and resupply, but only Hawai‘i resident passengers will be allowed to disembark.
    • This ban on cruise ship passengers will be in place for the next 30 to 60 days at a minimum.
    • This ban on cruise ship passengers will not impact cargo shipping to the islands. There are safety protocols in place regarding cargo shipping, but none of those protocols or the cruise ship passenger ban will impact the delivery of needed consumer goods to Hawai‘i.

    The Department of Health has launched a new website with guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic and updates on the virus within Hawai‘i: https://hawaiicovid19.com/

    As of today, Hawaii now has 26 positive cases.

    • The ten most recent positive cases come from private lab testing.
    • So far, private labs have carried out approximately 1,000 tests, whereas the State has only carried out 40 tests.
    • The State has been focusing only on seriously ill cases.
    • However, the private sector labs are reporting that they are running low on supplies.
    • Dr. Anderson told the committee that the State is “urging people to limit the number of tests being done and to not test those who are not ill.”  

    Regarding the positive case from Kualoa Ranch, the individual’s extended family has tested negative.

    The committee met with Adjutant General Kenneth S. Hara, who has been assigned as the incident commander of the COVID-19 response. 

    • General Hara strongly recommend to Governor Ige that he adopt the proposed 14- day quarantine for arriving passengers.
    • He proposed a Threshold Implementation Plan to deal with the transmission of COVID-19. This plan identifies three levels of risk:  limited community transmission, sustained community transmission, and widespread community transmission.  The plan also detailed actions that each government department should take at each of those levels of risk. 
    • He recommended to Governor Ige in February that there be an analysis of critical functions, including identifying the resources required to accomplish these critical functions (people, equipment, power, sewer, etc.) and from that analysis a continuity of operations plan could be adopted and implemented.
    *The Committee members are: Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Senator Michelle N. Kidani, Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Senator Sharon Y. Moriwaki, and Senator Kurt Fevella.

    -END-


    SCHOOL MEALS TO BE PROVIDED AT MCKINLEY HIGH & KAIMUKI HIGH STARTING MONDAY, MARCH 23

    DOE will be implementing the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program a few months earlier than scheduled.

    During the extended Spring Break period, a total of 38 Hawaii public schools will be providing free breakfast and lunch to children who are 18 years or younger. They will be able to stop by one of the designated schools (see list below) to pick up a grab-and-go meal.

    Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Meal must be consumed by 10 a.m. due to food safety.

    Lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Meal must be consumed by 2 p.m. due to food safety.

    Note: Lunch will not be served on Thursday, March 26, due to the Kuhio Day state holiday.

    There will be no personal interaction between the DOE employees and the community. All meals will be placed in containers. Meals will be located outside of the cafeteria, preferably closest to a driveway or other natural access point on the campus. There will be no access to the cafeteria.

    Designated schools starting Monday, March 23:

    Honolulu

    Kaimuki High and McKinley High

    Central Oahu

    Leilehua High

    Makalapa Elementary

    Waialua High & Intermediate

    Windward Oahu

    Kahaluu Elementary

    Kahuku High & Intermediate

    King Intermediate

    Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate

    Hawaii Island

    Kau High & Pahala Elementary

    Kohala High

    Konawaena High

    Pahoa High & Intermediate

    Waiakea High

    Maui

    Hana High & Elementary

    Kahului Elementary

    Kalama  Intermediate

    Lahaina Intermediate

    Lanai

    Lanai High

    Molokai

    Molokai High

    Kauai

    Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

    Kapaa High

    Waimea High

     

    Additional schools starting Tuesday, March 24:

    Honolulu

    Dole Middle and Farrington High

    Windward Oahu

    Kailua Elementary

    Hawaii Island

    Honokaa High

    Kahakai Elementary

    Waimea Elementary

     

    Additional schools starting Wednesday, March 25:

    Leeward Oahu

    August Ahrens Elementary

    Campbell High

    Kapolei High

    Maili Elementary

    Nanaikapono Elementary

    Nanakuli High & Intermediate

    Waianae Intermediate

    Waianae High

    Waipahu Elementary

    -END-