Hawai‘i COVID-19 News Update – August 13, 2021
Aloha,
Here’s the latest COVID-19 news and issues facing Hawai‘i that you need to know this week.
Health officials report 1,167 new COVID-19 cases today, the highest case count since the pandemic began.
- The state is averaging around 729 new cases a day, and nearly 550 Hawai‘i residents have died from the virus, according to the DOH website.
- Governor Ige pleads with the public to change their behavior, saying, “Our heroes in healthcare on the frontlines battling COVID again are being asked to save us. It is unfair. Unfair because we all can save ourselves. Our behavior can save us. The actions we take each and every day can make a difference in the battle against COVID.”
- Amongst the surge, there’s an increased demand for COVID-19 testing, with some residents waiting up to two and half hours to get tested. On its busiest days, Honolulu’s Mobile lab clinic conducts 1,300 tests daily.
- Brooks Baehr, the spokesperson for the Department of Health, said people are “aware of the threat posed by the delta variant, and they are doing the responsible thing, which is if you think you’ve been exposed or you’re experiencing symptoms, you should get tested.”
- Honolulu’s Mobile Lab is offering free COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Diamond Head Tour Group area of Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Those interested in getting tested should pre-register under the city prepaid section online and will then receive a QR code.
On Tuesday, Governor Ige reinstated gathering restrictions as Hawai‘i hospitals fill up with COVID patients, and nursing reinforcements are called in from the mainland.
- According to Civil Beat, the following restrictions are now in place:
- Social gatherings will be capped at 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors.
- For all high-risk activities – including bars, restaurants, gyms and social establishments – indoor capacity is set at 50%
- The new executive order will not affect the operations of public schools, churches or most businesses – only restaurants, bars and other public settings.
- Hawaiʻi News Now reports professionally organized events are allowed as long as there are proper safeguards in place. Organizers must take extra steps to communicate with the county and show that mitigation efforts are in place.
- Gov. David Ige said that there are no plans to impose further restrictions but that the possibility is discussed daily. “We don’t have any specific plans at this point in time, but we do look at what is happening in the community and being focused on restrictions as we move forward.”
- Meanwhile, Hawai‘i’s hospitals are being stretched thin, and they are working with “the state and federal government to bring in ICU nurses, med-surg nurses, respiratory therapists and other staff to help manage demand, with the first group arriving in Hawai‘i this weekend.”
Nearly 1,200 first responders file a class-action lawsuit against the state’s vaccination mandate, which goes into effect on Monday.
- A group of attorneys representing the first responders argues the mandate violates the constitutional rights of workers, according to KITV.
- State officials say unvaccinated workers have the option of getting tested weekly, but representatives for the union members in the lawsuit say this is a violation of their collective bargaining agreement.
- A spokesman for the state attorney general told KHON2, “The State is confident that its vaccine and testing policy is lawful and constitutional.”
- Additionally, Hawaiʻi News Now reports about 800 city bus workers are unvaccinated and may continue to refuse the shot. Mandatory vaccinations for bus workers start on Oct. 1, and if they refuse tests, they can be disciplined or fired.
- Wayne Kaululaau, president of the Teamster, Local 996, said, “Members have voiced their concern about the vaccine still being under the emergency use application. And some of them are just hesitant to get the vaccine – so yeah there’s a lot of concern.”
State officials evaluate potential changes to Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels program but have no immediate plans to make changes.
- Hawaiʻi is the only state with major travel restrictions still in place, and currently, 10-12% of cases are travel-related, and only 1-2% are from visitors.
- Health officials acknowledge that they “are likely underestimating the number of visitor-related cases, but the focus is on returning residents because those are the people who are going into the community and potentially spreading the virus to others.”
- Department of Health Director Dr. Libby Char told Hawaiʻi News Now, “This is a horrible time to travel. Stay home, unless you have to travel, stay home. You don’t know that the person sitting next to you doesn’t have COVID.”
- This week, two mainland visitors were arrested for allegedly falsifying vaccination cards and trying to bypass Hawaiʻi’s Safe Travels program. If convicted, the penalty is a fine of up to $5,000 or one year in prison.
Mahalo nui loa,
Your BG Team