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Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center Daily News Digest, Oct. 1, 2020

Posted on Oct 1, 2020 in COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News

Department of Health:
Three Additional Deaths and 108 New COVID-19 Cases Today 
Three (3) more O‘ahu residents have passed away due to coronavirus. Two men, both with underlying conditions passed away in the hospital. One was 70 to 79-years old and the other was 60 to 69-years old. A woman, in the 80 to 89-year-old age group, also had underlying conditions and had been in the hospital when she passed away. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 139.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Oct. 1, 2020

Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since

2/28/2020

(including new cases)  
O‘ahu 102 11,296++
Hawai‘i 6 736
Maui 0 372
Kaua‘i 0 59
Moloka‘i 0 19
Lānaʻi 0 0
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI 0 33
Total Cases 108 12,515 
Deaths    3 139

Hospitalization count as of 9/30/20 at 4:27 pm: 13-Hawai‘i, 0-Maui, 129-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i 

++As the result of updated information, three (3) cases from O‘ahu were removed from the counts. 

Hawai‘i Case Counts and Percent Positive Tests* 

  Daily Case Count, 7-day average  % Positive, 7-day average 
Statewide 103 2.9%
O‘ahu 93 4.0%
Hawai‘i 8 1.5%
Kaua’i 0 0.4%
Maui 1 0.2%

*Metrics reflect information updated as of noon the previous day. Case counts are calculated based on date of report. 

Percent positivity is calculated based on date of lab result.  

Laboratory* Testing Data
There were 1,817 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory. 

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories      Positive  Negative 
300,280**  12,515  287,738 

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting **27 test results were inconclusive. 

Hawaiicovid19.com 

For more tables, charts and visualizations visit the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division:https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii 

​Department of the Attorney General:
​Two Mainland Visitors Arrested for Quarantine Violations
An anonymous tip led to this morning’s arrest of a man and woman visiting Honolulu from the mainland. Special Agents from the AG’s Special Investigations Division arrested 27-year-old Evan Dorsey and 30-year-old Angel Henri at a Waikiki area hotel. Their places of permanent residence are unknown.

Agents report the pair arrived on Oʻahu and declared to an airport screener their destination hotel, but they never checked in. Instead they checked into an Airbnb where there is no quarantine monitoring. Yesterday they were observed going to a hotel to swim with dolphins, followed by dinner at a local steakhouse.

Both face charges of violating the state’s 14-day mandatory quarantine and unsworn falsification to authorities. They were booked, charged, and released on $2,000 bail each.

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:
Time Running Out to Receive Economic Impact Payments 
Federal officials are reaching out to inform those that don’t normally file taxes on how they can receive their Economic Impact Payment, but time is running out. While many automatically received their Economic Impact Payment, others still need to provide more information to the government. Eligible individuals may receive $1,200 and an additional $500 for each qualifying child. Eligible married couples may receive $2,400 and an additional $500 for each qualifying child. A person is eligible if he or she is a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or qualifying resident alien, cannot be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s tax return, and has a Social Security number that is valid for employment. The deadline to file information with the IRS to determine eligibility is Oct. 15, 2020. An online tool to submit the information is available here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.

Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency:
HI-EMA Begins Shipping Free PPE To Small Businesses, Other Recipients Statewide 
HI-EMA has begun shipping the initial round of free personal protective equipment (PPE) under its new distribution program, funded by $61 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds. Many of these initial shipments are to small businesses and independent medical providers such as doctors and dentists. 

HI-EMA Administrator Luke Meyers said, “We received over 1,800 online orders since we launched at the beginning of the month and we are now ready to start shipping this free PPE on a rolling basis. We thank our industry partners and trade groups for helping us to get the initial word out. We want individuals and groups to know we have available inventory and we urge qualified recipients to put in their orders as soon as possible.”

If you’re interested in receiving free PPE, there is still time to apply. Qualified applicants can make a request at: https://hawaii-medical-alliance.myshopify.com/. Orders will be accepted until Nov. 15, 2020. HI-EMA anticipates shipping through the end of the year, supplies permitting. This year, HI-EMA has spent over $50 million of its CARES Allocation for PPE distribution. Close to 50% of all purchases were from local suppliers and manufacturers. To read more: ready.hawaii.gov 

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:
Virtual Call Center for Unemployment Insurance Claims Launched 
The state has launched a virtual call center to help process unemployment claims. The new center will be staffed by 200 people and operate during normal state business hours between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Gov. Ige said, “We are excited to be able to provide this much-needed resource in support of the State’s UI program. While 96-percent of initial claims have been successfully filed online, our State is working overtime and leveraging every resource possible to help those filers who must utilize a phone to file or resolve an issue with their claim. I am optimistic that this new call center will further expedite much-needed relief to our residents who have struggled to connect via phone.”

The current numbers used by the local unemployment insurance (UI) offices and existing toll-free numbers will route to the new virtual call center. Operators will be able to answer all types of claimant inquiries, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The toll-free numbers are (833)-901-2272 and (833)-901-2275 and respectively correspond to the local numbers (808)-762-5751 and (808)-762-5752. For more information:  https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/news/virtual-call-center-for-unemployment-insurance-claims-launched/

Department of Public Safety:
Statewide mass-testing at all facilities underway 
Staff testing at the Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) continues this week with the help of the Hawaii National Guard. There were no new positive cases among the 16 additional HCF staff test results received today. 

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety (PSD) Health Care Division is working with the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. The order of the facilities next in line for inmate testing is still being worked out. PSD and the DOH are continuing mass testing of OCCC inmates to mitigate virus spread in the incarcerated population.  

Of the 120 inmate results received, 19 were positive and 101 were negative. There are currently no inmates hospitalized. The number of recovered inmates has increased to 309.  Of the 28 OCCC staff results received, 2 were positive and 26 were negative.  The number of staff recoveries jumped to 88.

Information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19 can be found at: https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.

Helpful Resources 

  • City & County of Honolulu
    Honolulu COVID-19 webpage: oneoahu.org
    Interisland passengers arriving on O‘ahu are not subject to the mandatory quarantine.
    To report violators: 808-723-3900 or [email protected]

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center
(808) 636-8194
[email protected] 

Dan Dennison
Lead Public Information Officer
Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center
[email protected]

Senior Communications Manager
Hawaii Dept. of Land & Natural Resources
Communications Office
[email protected]
(808) 587-0396