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Hawaii Updates: State Pay Cuts Possible; Nursing Home Case; Maui Screenings; Cases At 541

MAUI MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER
MAUI MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER

Updated: 4/16/2020, 6:51 p.m.

The state's confirmed and presumed positive coronavirus cases number 541 today, up 11 from the previous day, according to the state's latest daily update. The death count stands at nine. 

Oahu's case count is now 373, Maui's 95, Hawaii County's 41, and Kauai County's 21. Five cases are pending determination of county and six were diagnosed out of state.

Travel-related cases have dropped and community-associated cases have been slowly rising.

Ige weighing state worker pay cuts of 20%

Hawaii Gov. David Ige is looking at possibly cutting state worker salaries by 20 percent. It’s an effort to make up for an estimated $1.5 billion loss in state revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. But labor groups representing the workers are pushing back.

Representatives from the state’s worker unions say they were informed Tuesday that the governor is contemplating pay cuts that could last over a year.

The cuts could include salaries for teachers and first responders as well as for the governor himself and his cabinet.

Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teacher Association, says the state should consider other options.

"The state also has over a billion dollars in its cash surplus and its rainy day fund. Governor, it's raining. Hawaii already has a teacher shortage of over 1,000 teachers. If we cut teacher salaries, it will force teachers to retire and our new teachers to leave," he said.

 

The Hawaii Government Employees Association represents public workers who include nurses and law enforcement. The union says its workers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 outbreak and are still recovering from pay cuts made during the 2008 recession.

State Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki both oppose any cuts in worker pay.

But Ige says it’s within his emergency powers to cut salaries, although he adds he hasn’t made a final decision.

"We are looking at an emergency situation and looking at different options. We are looking at the various expenditures in the state government to decide where we need to make budget cuts in order to be balanced. We anticipate having to cut $1.5 billion dollars over the next 15 months, which is a significant portion of the state's budget," the governor said.

 

HSTA’s Rosenlee says the union is looking into what it can do legally to stop any pay cuts-- including calling a strike if it’s warranted.

--HPR's Ashley Mizuo

Nursing home case tied to Maui Memorial stay

A nursing home resident who was treated at Maui Memorial Medical Center has tested positive for the coronavirus. The resident at Hale Makua Kahului first tested negative on April 9 but was re-tested four days later. The individual is asymptomatic and in isolation, the state Department of Health said yesterday.

Five other Hale Makua Kahului residents who were also treated at the hospital have tested negative, but were moved to a separate wing to undergo a 14-day quarantine, the department said in a news release. All residents and staff who may have been exposed are being tested. 

Hale Makua Health Services learned today that a second home health patient tested positive for COVID-19, said CEO Wesley Lo. The first patient showed symptoms after discharged from the hospital. He has been since been released from isolation. All employees who had contact with the patient have been tested and are self-isolating. The second patient was discharged from the hospital in early April, tested Tuesday during a drive-through screening and found to be positive. The patient was asymptomatic and is at a quarantine center. Staff has been tested and in quarantine awaiting results.

At least 41 people -- 26 staff members, 14 patients and one undetermined -- at Maui Memorial have tested positive and are under investigation following an outbreak that began in March. The hospital, which the state health director earlier criticized for lax infection controls, has instituted such changes as requiring masks for those entering the facility.

Still, some hospital workers have called for the hospital leadership to resign and say more needs to be done to protect employees and patients.

Maui, Molokai drive-through screenings today

Drive-through screenings for the coronavirus have been scheduled today in Central Maui and on Molokai.

On Maui, testing is set at the Keopuolani Regional Park. The first hour, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., is reserved for first responders and health care workers. The testing then opens to the general public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Access to the regional park is allowed through a right turn off Wahinepio Avenue. Left turns from Kaahumanu Avenue will not be permitted.

Yesterday's Hawaii Updates: LG: Curve Is Flattening, Web Tools To Speed Stimulus Checks

On Molokai, drive-through screening is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center. Enter Ailoa Street from Kamehameha V Highway between the Kaunakakai Baptist Church and Kaunakakai School.

Those participating should remain in their vehicles, bring a valid ID (first resonders and health care workers should present their work IDs), be prepared to fill out informational sheets and bring an insurance card. There is no charge, no co-pays and no deductibles.

The screenings are sponsored by Maui County and Dr. Scott Miscovich of the Premier Medical Group.

Maui food distribution set for today

Maui County is distributing food in West Maui today to those impacted by the coronavirus.

The distribution of 300 bags of produce and food will begin at 10 a.m. along Honoapiilani Highway near Launiupoko Beach Park. Access to the distribution point is on the highway fronting the park The highway between Kai Hele Ku Street and the bypass connection will be closed to traffic.

No new cases in Kona McDonald's restaurants cluster 

There are no new cases tied to the McDonald's restaurants in Kona, the health departmemt said. The department clarified the numbers of cases in the cluster, saying six employees and six family memers are in isolation or in quarantine after testing positive. Yesterday, the department said two employees had exposed family members.

The department said it is working with the restaurants to ensure that infection control measures are in place when they reopen. It said the risk to the public is low and that the restaurants are taking steps for physical distancing to protect customers.

State unemployment benefits rolling out

Individual federal aid payments have begun to be deposited in bank accounts around the country, including here in Hawaii.

The state is also making progress on sending out unemployment benefits.

Scott Murakami, director of the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, says that last week alone, the state sent out more than $11 million in jobless benefits.

“I believe it was about a 230% increase over what we normally pay each week," Murakami said "I did want to share with you that between yesterday and today, our total payout in benefits for just Monday and Tuesday is $10.5 million. So just for April 1st to April 13th, that takes us to $21.6 million in benefits that we’ve paid.”

The pace of payments is continuing to increase.

Murakami says the amount of benefits sent out in the first two weeks of April is about $5 million dollars more than the total for the entire month of March.

--HPR's Bill Dorman

State COVID-19 response plan released

Gen. Kenneth Hara, incident commander of Hawai?i?s coronavirus response, introduced the first draft of the state?s COVID-19 response plan yesterday. The document is intended to guide decisions at different levels of the pandemic and help set public expectations on social distancing measures and other restrictions.

Hara shared the four-tier plan with members of the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19. The plan is divided into four alert levels: (1) No Disruption; (2) Minor Disruption; (3) Moderate Disruption; and (4) Major Disruption. Movement from one level to the next is based largely on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state.

Hara told lawmakers that the state is currently in Alert Level 3. If Hawai?i remains at this alert level at the end of the month, the statewide stay-at-home measure could be extended.

“We haven?t made a determination on the April 30 (deadline),” says Hara. “I?m hoping this next 15 days if everyone listens we can say, 'Yeah, we can start relaxing some of the (restrictions).'”

Hara also told legislators that Gov. David Ige plans to reach out to West Coast governors to join in a shared approach to reopening economies. He says this could be beneficial for Hawai?i when it comes time to reopen flights.

“If there was some way that we could do COVID-19 testing at the departure airport, if they can do this testing, then we can be more comfortable with allowing tourists to come in,” said Hara.

But he warned there needs to be a plan in place. The COVID-19 State Response Plan he is wrapping up took him and his team nearly three months to put together, he said.

“I gotta have a plan. It doesn?t mean I?m going to (reopen) tomorrow. Maybe it's a month or two months,” said Hara. “But I gotta have that plan in place and I gotta start now.”

Hara also said the Hawaii National Guard has about 1,200 soldiers deployed throughout the state, assisting at airports with COVID-19 screening and at checkpoints with local law enforcement. Plans are in place for Guard members to also aid in contact tracing, ambulance services and disinfecting efforts.

--HPR's Ku'uwehi Hiraishi

 

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 developments in dealing with the spread of the coronavirus. You can call our talkback line at 808-792-8217. Or e-mail us at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.

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