Lt. Gov. Josh Green on tourism and vaccines during the pandemic; Hawai‘i County Mayor Mitch Roth reflects on first 100 days in office and managing tourism; Reality Check with Civil Beat: Pending departure of superintendent Christina Kishimoto; Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard weighs in on CARES Act funds and overtime pay
Lieutenant Governor Josh Green on tourism and vaccines during the pandemic
About 28,000 people arrived in Hawai‘i last Saturday, the highest number since the pandemic began. Not only is tourism increasing, but the amount of people with COVID-19 vaccinations as well. Lieutenant Governor Josh Green oversaw the launch of the Safe Travels program about five months ago. By May 1, Green told us that he anticipates 900,000 shots given by the state plus 100,000 by the military. As for a vaccination passport system, he said he does see that happening soon.
Hawai‘i County Mayor Mitch Roth reflects on first 100 days in office and managing tourism
We spoke with Hawai‘i County Mayor Mitch Roth about managing the coronavirus and his first 100 days in office. Overall, he said the Safe Travels system combined with airport testing has worked well for the island and the tourism industry. At the time of the interview, Roth said there was only one person in the hospital for COVID-19 and no one was in an intensive care unit.
Reality Check with Civil Beat: Pending departure of superintendent Christina Kishimoto
Christina Kishimoto started as Superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education in August 2017. She has announced she will be stepping down on July 30, when her contract would have been up for renewal. Civil Beat education reporter Suevon Lee took a look back at Kishimoto's performance, particularly pre-pandemic when reviews may have been more favorable. Read Lee's article here.
Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard weighs in on CARES Act funds and overtime pay
On Tuesday morning, the Honolulu City Council was to take up a resolution asking for a performance audit of the Honolulu Police Department. Police Chief Susan Ballard spoke to us Monday about overtime pay and equipment purchases made under the CARES Act.
Talkback
This month we’ve been asking you to share your last memories of feeling normal before the pandemic. 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.
