The Hawai’i Health Department reported 20 new cases today. Seventeen cases are on Oahu, most tied to identified cases or clusters, and three cases are on the Big Island. The state is continuing community outreach and testing connected to the new cases.
Oahu's case count stands at 676, Maui County's at 125, Hawaii County's at 90 and Kauai County's at 38. A total of 17 residents were diagnosed outside of Hawaii.
The total case count is now 946. The number of deaths remains at 18. Of the total cases, 116 have required hospitalization. The number includes Hawaii residents who were hospitalized out of state. Some 746 people have been released from isolation.
New school immunizations required
Starting today, new immunizations are needed for students to enter child care or preschool, kindergarten, 7th grade and post-secondary schools such as colleges and all students entering private or public school for the first time.
The requirements differ by grade. The state Department of Health has an immunization list that parents can refer to. All students entering 7th grade, for example, must get a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine), HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine), and MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine).
More information on immunzations is available on the health department website.
More than 750 visitors land in the islands
Yesterday, 2,424 people arrived in Hawaii, according to the Hawai’i Tourism Authority. Among those coming to the islands were 754 visitors and 516 returning residents.
Others that arrived in the state include 432 military members, 270 flight crew members, 250 relocating to the state,106 exempt from quarantine and 96 in transit.
Interisland travel and health form can be submitted online
The state's mandatory travel and health form for interisland travel can be turned in online within 24 hours of a flight departure. Previously, travelers had to download the form and bring it with them or fill one in at the airport.
Now, ticketed passengers can go to the state Department of Health website to find the travel form and fill it in online. Once all of the questions are answered and the form signed and submitted, passengers will get an email with a QR code. They should bring the code with them to the airport on their electronic device such as a smart phone or printed out.
The forms must be submitted within 24 hours of taking a flight. The state recommends using Chrome since other browers may be slow to load.
FestPac postponed until June 2024
The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture has been rescheduled for June 2024 but will still be held in Hawaii, according to festival organizers.
The event was initially scheduled for June of this year and then was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
But state Sen. J. Kalani English, the festival’s Hawaii commissioner, says organizers decided to move it to June 6 to 16, 2024 after considering how long it would take Hawaii and the other 26 participating countries and territories to recover from the pandemic.
”We took the bold decision to skip one cycle. In other words, we meet every four years, so we decided to move it ahead to 2024 to give us time to put the financing together also to allow the countries to adjust to the new world," he said. "And also to protect the safety and the well-being of the people of Hawaii and all the people coming in from the Pacific."
English says many of the participating countries and territories have low numbers of coronavirus cases and took similar precautionary travel measures. Because of that, the festival commission has been discussing a possible Pacific travel bubble among participating islands.
This will be the first time Hawaii will host the FestPac event.
--HPR's Ashley Mizuo
Aviation museum opens exhibit on Pearl Harbor attack
A new exhibit featuring a dramatic piece of the USS Arizona opens today at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
The display will highlight the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor using a damaged piece of the Arizona’s main deck to help tell the story.
On December 7, 1941, a Japanese bomb detonated the ship’s forward magazine, exploding and sinking the Arizona. The strike killed more than 1,100 officers and crewmen on the ship, almost half of the lives lost during the Pearl Harbor attack.
Museum executive director Elissa Lines says the exhibit took three years to develop.
"I was shocked that some of the pieces of the Arizona were still in existence right here in Hawaii," she said. "So I did do some research, and talked with the Navy historian and a few other individuals, and as it turned out that over the course of more than 20 years, the historian of the Arizona Memorial had been sharing some pieces of the ship with museums around the country.
"And so we went out there and we took a look around and we identified a piece that we felt had character and really helped us to tell the story that we were attempting to share."
Lines says the museum expects to add two more pieces from the Arizona to the exhibit.
More information on the display can be found at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum website.
--HPR's Casey Harlow
Hawaii Foodbank targets specific communities for food distributions
Three food distributions are scheduled in July by Hawaii Foodbank working with private sector companies to help residents of certain targeted island communities.
“The demand for food assistance remains extremely high,” said Hawaii Foodbank Ron Mizutani. “We’re grateful for this private sector partnership between the construction, development and other industries that will help feed Hawaii’s families during this unprecedented time.”
Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Foodservice Alliance, H&W Foodservice and Sysco Hawaii are providing food products for 3,250 households. Construction, development and other companies are contributing over $250,000 in funding and volunteers for the food distributions.
These include Commercial Plumbing Inc., Bowers & Kubota, Kobayashi Group, Black Sand Capital, Albert C. Kobayashi, J. Kadowaki Inc., Moss Construction – Hawaii, JL Capital, Ferguson Enterprises – Hawaii, Great Aloha Run, Design Partners Inc., RMY Construction Inc., Nagamine Okawa Engineers, Okahara and Associates, Brookfield Properties, and Hawaii Executive Collaborative.
Food recipients in the targeted zip codes must pre-register at hawaiifoodbank.org. Once they are registered, they will receive a code that they need to provide at the food distribution sites. Because of safety concerns, no walk-up clients will be allowed.
The drive-through distribution site dates and locations are:
- Saturday, July 11, 2020 – Windward (Waimanalo to Kualoa)
Location: Windward Community College
Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Quantity: 1,000 households
Pre-registration Zip Codes: 96795, 96734, 96744
- Saturday, July 18, 2020 – Leeward (Waipahu to Kaena Point)
Location: Waianae Mall
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Quantity: 1,500 households
Pre-registration Zip Codes: 96797, 96706, 96707, 96792
- Saturday, July 25, 2020 – North Shore (Kahana to Kaena Point)
Location: Polynesian Cultural Center
Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Quantity: 750 households
Pre-registration Zip Codes: 96730, 96717, 96762, 96731, 96712, 96791
More information is available on the Hawaii Foodbank website.
Waipi‘o Valley road to close Friday through Monday
Hawaii County plans to close Waipi‘o Valley access road in anticipation of large holiday gatherings. Lacking resources to enforce COVID-19 social distancing, the county is shutting off general access from Friday at 7 a.m. through Monday.
Special duty officers and Waipi‘o Valley Rangers will be stationed at the top of the road leading into the valley to allow only local traffic through, including residents, land owners, and farmers.
The county reminds residents that as the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaches, they should continue to wear face masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently.
Maui County says no permits to be issued for firecrackers
Maui Fire Department says commercial vendors have decided not to sell firecrackers for the July 4 holiday. As a result, the county will not issue permits for firecracker purchases.
Legal consumer fireworks can only be set off from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 4th of July. Anyone setting off fireworks outside of the permitted times faces fines of up to $2,000.
Aerial fireworks are illegal and their import, sale or use without a permit is a Class C felony. It's also unlawful to throw any ignited fireworks from a moving vehicle, set off fireworks within 1,000 feet of health care facilities and facilities for animals and by schools.
Fireworks are also prohibited on public roads, in county parks, county facilities, cane fields, or places of worship and within 500 feet from any hotel.
Minors are not allowed to possess, purchase, or set off any fireworks, except when parents or guardians are immediately supervising older children. Young children should never be given fireworks, including sparklers, which burn at temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Have a clear, flat area for fireworks that is away from structures, dry grass or brush, or other ignitable materials and keep a water hose or bucket of water available in case of a fire.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Editor's note: We’d like to hear how you’re coping with the latest COVID-19 developments and the state's phased reopening. You can call our talkback line at 808-792-8217. Or e-mail us at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
