Kamehameha Schools on ensuring a safe return for its students and staff; Reality Check with Honolulu Civil Beat: Could ‘Vaccine Passports’ work for Hawai‘i?; University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center saving lives with colon cancer screenings; Kanaka Climbers talks educating rock climbers about respecting cultural sites
Kamehameha Schools on ensuring a safe return for its students and staff
Throughout the pandemic, The Conversation has been checking in with various private and public schools about their approach to learning. We learned Kamehameha Schools may have been the first private school to offer on-campus COVID-19 testing to its community. In addition, the school system is operating a contact tracing program and has vaccinations underway. Communications director Darren Pai and safety program manager Crystal Busey said all three K through 12 campuses have voluntary testing programs while home test kits are available for the 29 preschools.
Reality Check with Civil Beat: Could ‘Vaccine Passports’ work for Hawai‘i?
Some governments have begun creating "vaccination passport" systems, allowing people to sidestep restrictions and travel freely. Here in Hawai‘i, Civil Beat reporter Stewart Yerton told us about a possible vaccination card system that could help further open tourism and events. The state has not officially addressed the possibility, but unofficially there are signs that a system could be coming in time for summer, Yerton said. Read Yerton's article here.
University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center saving lives with colon cancer screenings
During the pandemic, many people say they have been putting off regular checkups and preventative screenings. A researcher at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, said colon cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in Hawai‘i. Public health specialist Kevin Cassel told us about how early screening can greatly reduce the risk of cancer and death, particularly when paired with education outreach in underserved communities.
Kanaka Climbers teaching rock climbers about respecting native Hawaiian burial sites
A new nonprofit wants to educate rock climbing enthusiasts about respecting native Hawaiian burial sites and other important archeological areas. Skye Razon-Olds of Kanaka Climbers told us about the group's mission and recent appearance before the O‘ahu Island Burial Council.
Talkback
If you have any comments or feedback, let us know by calling the Talkback Line at (808) 792-8217, or recording a voice memo on your smart phone and sending it to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
