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The Latest: 2 Deaths, 277 New Cases; Stay-At-Home Order Set For Oahu; Free, Open-To-All Testing

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Updated: 8/26/2020, 3:16 p.m.

Where we stand

The Hawaii Department of Health reported 2 deaths and 277 new COVID-19 cases today. Testing shows the state's positivity rate is over 10% --  placing the state in the red zone under federal guidelines.

The state, meanwhile, is raising concerns about an uptick in cases on Hawaii Island and Maui. The latest cases bring the state's total to 7,260 cases. Total deaths rose to 51.

The two deaths are Oahu men who were in the hospital and had underlying health conditions. One was 50 to 59 years old and the other was 60 to 69 years old.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the numbers are disappointing and they are still way to high. Speaking at a press conference at Leeward Community College, location of one of the surge testing sites, Caldwell also said if he had his way, both private and public schools would be running distance learning exclusively.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said he viewed the first day of surge testing as a success, but acknowledged kinks in the system -- including long lines at LCC and reports of some people being turned away at Kaneohe District Park -- that he said would be worked out. Caldwell said the Kaneohe testing was shut down for about an hour because of traffic issues, but it has been reopened.

He said a federal team deployed to the state will be looking at the stay-at-home order to see if it works.

Caldwell said he would like to see cases drop to the 25 to 50 daily count after the two-week stay-at-home order.

Testing was to run until 2 p.m. but Caldwell said the sites will operate until 4 p.m. 

Asked what Hawaii did wrong as it is now in the red zone under federal standard, Adams said states need to go cautiously in reopening. He also cited Hawaii's culture where being together is valued.

"We can get there again if everyone does their part," he said.

Caldwell said other locations like South Korea, once held up as a shining example of COVID suppression, is having to shut down again. He said it shows how infectious the virus is. 

The state said two recent large gatherings on Hawaii Island are particularly conncerning: a beach gathering and a large funeral. Social media videos from the funeral showed people were not physically distancing or wearing masks. More than 500 tests were said to have been run on those who attended the funeral with more testing planned.  

On Maui, clusters have occurred at an assisted living facility and at Maui Memorial Medical Center. 

 

Of the new cases, 245 are on Oahu, 23 on Hawaii Island and 8 on Maui. Total cases stand at 6,626 on Oahu, 311 in Maui County, 243 on Hawaii Island and 56 on Kauai.

Among the latest cases:

• Four more Oahu Community Correctional Center staff tested positive for COVID-19 and 1 Women's Community Correctional Center staff member tested positive. There were no new positive cases among OCCC inmates, the state Department of Public Safety said. That brings the total number of OCCC staff testing positive to 51 and positive inmates remain at 242.

 

Stay-at-home order approved for Oahu

Oahu plans to reimpose a lockdown starting Thursday after less restrictive measures failed to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced yesterday that for two weeks Oahu residents will need to mainly stay at home and non-essential businesses will have to close again.

Earlier today, Caldwell said the state Department of Health changed its recommendations and that is holding up Gov. David Ige's approval of the city's order. The mayor said after the city and state agreed on a two-week order, the health department is now recommending it run for 28 days. 

Despite the Department of Health's recommendation, Governor David Ige approved the city's initial two week time frame.

The "stay-at-home, work from home" order was to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and to run through Sept. 9. The order would not cover the Neighbor Islands.

The shutdown would come a week after Gov. David Ige approved restrictions for the city that prohibited large social gatherings and extended the closing of parks, beaches and bars until Sept.17.

Despite those moves, new daily COVID cases continue to reach triple digits. Another two deaths and 277 new cases were reported today.

Caldwell says the stay-at-home order is very similar to the one imposed in March, but with one exception.

"Religious services, we decided, will go on with a lot of mandates and requirements – no singing, face coverings at all times," the mayor said. "But that will continue. Essential businesses remain open – healthcare systems, different types of businesses in downtown Honolulu, construction will continue because of how it’s done. Just like back in March."

 

Caldwell says child care facilities and schools will not be affected by the order since they are deemed essential.

Restaurants can remain open, but only for take-out or curbside service. Gyms, barbers and hair salons, however, will be closing.

The latest surge in cases caused the Healthcare Association of Hawaii to ask for federal help to staff local hospitals. The hospitals have beds but staffing them has been difficult as COVID infections, staff departures and other conditions have thinned the healthcare workforce. Nurses in particular are in short supply.

Caldwell says the new lockdown will help the city and state hit a “reset” on Hawaii’s COVID response -- this time with increased testing and more contact tracing that critics say should have been in place when the COVID curve was flat.

The mayor said he was grateful that General Ken Hara, head of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, has "taken on a more aggressive posture on contact tracing."

 

After mounting criticism of the state Department of Health's contact tracing effort, members of the Hawaii National Guard were assigned to help with contact tracing in a space at the Hawaii Convention Center.

 

"The city wants to join that effort, and wants to hire somewhere between 250 and 500 contact tracers to work in coordination with the Department of Health and General Hara to do a more aggressive approach to contact tracing," Caldwell said, "so we know where the virus is, and we know what we need to do when we find positives."

 

Caldwell also says the city has contracted with a hotel that he wouldn’t name for 130 rooms to help quarantine or isolate those who need to avoid spreading or getting the virus from relatives and close contacts. He said other hotels may also be retained, depending on the results of the intial effort.

Those needing a place to quarantine or isolate can contact the Hawai‘i CARES hotline on O‘ahu at (808) 832-3100 or on the Neighbor Islands at 1-800-753-6879. Hawai'i CARES can also be reached by email at hicares@hawaii.edu.  

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who is in town to meet with healthcare and government officials, applauded the state’s and city’s latest actions, saying it comes at the right time.

"Hawaii has a limited amount of hospital capacity. And we’ve seen cases kind of level over the last several weeks," he said. "They haven’t been coming down. We know that hospitalizations will increase two to three weeks after you see those cases. So what we don’t want to do is turn a blind eye to the fact that we have an increasing number of people who will need hospitalization, just from a mathematical reality point of view, in the next couple of weeks."

 

In partnership with the federal government, Adams says the city will be able to conduct up to 70,000 COVID-19 tests over the next two weeks. That should give officials a better sense of how the virus is spreading.

 

--HPR's Casey Harlow

What to know about the surge testing 

Get tested for COVID-19. That’s the message from the city today and for the next two weeks. 
 

The city is working with the federal government to provide 5,000 tests a day, all free and open to all. No symptoms and no doctor’s orders are needed. 

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams was in town to help make the announcement.

"The whole point of the surge testing is so that anyone, for any reason can get tested. We want to get a handle on who's got it who doesn't. And we want to really deal with this asymptomatic spread," he said.

 

"You do not need a doctor's order. You do not need any money. It's free. All you need is an email address. And to go to doineedaCOVID19test.com."

 

The surgeon general said he has been to about a dozen locations around the United States, and none has used its full capacity of testing made available from the federal government. 

 

Those registering to take the test will be asked to fill out information about any symptoms and their occupation. But the answers won’t affect their ability to book a test.

 

People without internet access can also sign up at the testing sites in person. Those without an email address are advised to ask a friend or family member to use theirs to receive results.

The testing locations will move around the island but starts at 9 a.m. today at Leeward Community College and Kaneohe District Park and 9 a.m. Thursday at Ewa Makiko District Park, Waianae District Park and Kalakaua District Park.

A full list of locations and dates can be found on the doineedacovid19test.com website.

After participants drive up at the test location, they will get a swab and specimen container with instructions to administer the test themselves with a medical professional on hand. The results will come back within two to three days.

--HPR's Ashley Mizuo
 

Councilman: health department had no plans for public housing, prison outbreaks

City Councilman Joey Manahan sharply criticized the state Department of Health for failing to take sufficient steps to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Manahan represents Kalihi, home to many public housing projects and the Oahu Community Correctional Center -- where there have been large COVID outbreaks.

“The state government's decision not to test and trace while the curve is flat is now stressing our health systems and the economy. The DOH tied the city's hands when we offered to test communities on the front line of the pandemic back in April. 

"Testing on Oahu has not been equitable. The state's decision to coordinate testing with hospitals only is proving costly for our working families who access their health care at a federally qualified Community Health Center. Until now, there's been no plan of action from the state or guidance for the residents in public housing with regards to the cases that are proliferating inside. Same can be said for guards and inmates inside our prison system."

Manahan said at Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s press conference yesterday that he was glad to see the federal government working with the city to set up testing on Oahu.

HPR asked the state Department of Heath for comments but have not received a response.

--HPR's Sandee Oshiro

Prison employee union wants Espinda removed

The union representing corrections officers and staff at the Oahu Community Correctional Center is calling for the removal of Department of Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda.

The United Public Workers union says there have been “months of inaction by the State” to prevent the spread of COVOID-19 at O-triple-C.

The Department of Public Safety says four more staff at OCCC and one staff member at the Women’s Community Correctional Center have tested positive for COVID-19.

No new cases were reported among inmates.

Clarence Nishihara, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, questioned a lack of department transparency, although the senator did not call for Espinda’s removal.

“There are conflicting answers to what the director says and what people have told us," Nishihara said. "So I think it needs further oversight and possible investigation to see what exactly is going on. Because, you know, the guards themselves are very concerned --they’re very fearful for their lives and their families’ lives. As well as the inmates, because they don’t feel like they’re getting proper care or getting the masks and the PPE that they require. And it’s really clear from what I was told -- not from the director -- that they’re not receiving the proper face masks.”

The Department of Public Safety says 57 staff members and 243 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, with the overwhelming majority of the cases at OCCC.

--HPR's Bill Dorman

 

This is a developing story. Please check back for upates. 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.

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