HAWAI‘I COVID-19 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DAILY NEWS DIGEST Feb. 11, 2021

Department of Health:

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/

Daily Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates

The chart below will be included in the Daily News Digest, Monday-Friday. A weekly summary is included each Wednesday.

Weekly Cluster Report Attached

95 New COVID-19 Cases and One Death Reported

DOH reports 95 new cases of coronavirus today. There was one (1) additional death.

This report includes cases up until Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website daily: hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard.

Deaths:

O‘ahu

1 man, 60-69 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Feb. 9, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	63	21,484
Hawai‘i	3	2,206
Maui	19	1,901
Kaua‘i	0	179
Moloka‘i	1	26
Lānaʻi	0	109
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	9	770
Total Cases	95	26,675++
Deaths	1	424

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 2/10/21 – Hawai‘i-1, Maui-5, O‘ahu-46, Kauaʻi-0

++As a result of updated information, two cases on O‘ahu and two cases out-of-state were removed from the counts. One case on Maui was recategorized to out-of-state.

Survey Shows Mental Health Impacts of Pandemic
The virus that causes COVID-19 is affecting the mental health of all Hawai‘i residents, but especially young adults and those whose household income is less than $50,000.

A recent survey commissioned by DOH showed a solid majority, or 82% of respondents have experienced a mental health condition at some point over the last six months. Slightly more than half, or 52%, of those say their symptoms began during the pandemic.

Of those who experienced a mental health condition before the pandemic, 35% felt that their symptoms became worse during the pandemic. In this same group, 65% found help in talking to a friend or family member.

The survey, which was conducted by Anthology Research from Dec. 30, 2020 to Jan. 11, 2021, included 445 adult Hawai‘i full-time residents statewide. Anthology has been tracking resident attitudes and behaviors relating to the pandemic on a regular basis since April 2020.

“We’re all being affected by the pandemic,” said Amy Curtis, chief administrator of the DOH Adult Mental Health Division. “This is a real issue that calls attention to the need to be vigilant about meeting the needs of our neighbors, friends, co-workers and others in the community. We encourage everyone to continue to confide in family or friends, seek support from a therapist or to call the Hawai‘i CARES hotline.”

If you or a loved one needs support, call Hawai‘i CARES at (800) 753-6879 or text ‘ALOHA’ to 741741. Caring, qualified professionals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To learn more about Hawai‘i CARES, visit https://hicares.hawaii.gov.

For more about the survey, view the survey report.

To read the full news release: https://hawaiicovid19.com/hawaii-department-of-health-survey-shows-pandemic-is-affecting-mental-health-of-hawaii-residents/

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism:

Remote Work Pilot Project Offering Job Opportunities

DBEDT, and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) through the Workforce Development Council (WDC) along with the Hawai‘i’s four county Workforce Development Boards (WDB), announced ‘Remote Ready Hawai‘i’’, a Hawaii Remote Work project powered by MadSkills, dba, Instant Teams. A Hawai‘i based start-up, Instant Teams is a growing leader in the remote workforce space that focuses on improving Hawai‘i’s unemployed workforce’s employment prospects, especially those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

This program provides Hawai‘i’s unemployed residents with the opportunity to obtain

intensive training for a role as either a remote business development representative or a remote customer service professional.

“As Governor Ige stated in his State of the State address, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of the digital economy. In the digital economy, it doesn’t matter where your workstation is located. Hawai‘i’s workers can compete globally from our island home allowing them a higher quality of life” said Mike McCartney, DBEDT director.

“Remote work for local residents is one important way we can keep families together here in Hawaii and stop the export of our talent. Creating remote worker opportunities by connecting our residents to global employment possibilities is one of the keys to opening doors to economic resiliency,” said Leslie Wilkins, chair of the State of Hawaii Workforce Development Council.

Potential candidates for these remote work positions will be contacted, beginning next Tuesday.

More detail in the full news release: https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/blog/21-08/

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extended

Today, DLIR announced that it has completed system updates for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program that was extended by the Continued Assistance Act (CAA). The PEUC 11-week extension will begin to roll out on Feb. 16 with a phased implementation.

“We’re pleased to have fully restored the PEUC program that so many workers in our state are depending on. These are vital programs that have helped Hawaii residents to provide for their families as we continue to navigate COVID-19,” said DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio. “While this is a huge step forward, we know there’s still more work to do to ensure everyone receives the benefits they are entitled to.”

The CAA allows PEUC claimants an additional 11 weeks of benefits payable for the week ending Jan. 2 through March 13 and a phaseout to April 10, 2021. Payments will also include the additional $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) weekly benefit.

The DLIR will begin processing approximately 68,000 potential eligible claims beginning on Feb. 15 until all potential eligible claims are available and processed. The department will run batches of approximately 5,000-10,000 claims on a nightly basis.

Once a claimant’s monetary determination has been established, they will be able to file weekly claim certifications going back to the week ending Jan. 2, 2021. Claimants will receive a monetary determination by mail notifying them that an additional 11 weeks of benefits have been added.

For more detailed information and FAQs please visit:https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/main/cares-act-extension-update-2-11-21/.

Department of Public Safety:

Statewide Inmate Testing Continues

The Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) reports 49 inmate test results as part of mass testing efforts underway at the facility. Of that number, eight (8) were positive, 40 were negative and one (1) was inconclusive. The total positive inmate cases are at 20. There were 17 negative MCCC staff results also received. No MCCC staff have reported having COVID-19.

COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted statewide at all facilities. Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) reports one (1) negative inmate test result, and three (3) negative staff results. HCF is clear of all active inmate cases. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center reports 83 test results, 82 of which were negative and one (1) was inconclusive. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

11,892 Passengers Arrive on Wednesday

Yesterday, a total of 11,892 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 7,641 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,222 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system.

To view more: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/

Helpful Resources

Trusted Testing and Travel Partners:

The state of Hawai‘i only accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners. For the full list of domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county, international and airline partners or information on how to become a Trusted Testing Partner, go to:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/

Safe Travels Hawai‘i Program:
Program overview: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/

FAQs: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/

Email: [email protected]

Call Center Number: 1-800-GO-HAWAII

COVID-19 Vaccine Status in Hawai‘i and FAQs:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/

Vaccine Call Center: 808-586-8332

COVID-19 Expanded Dashboard (Tables, Charts, and Visualizations):

https://hawaiicovid19.com/data-dashboard/

Safe Travels Digital Platform:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/data/

Kaua‘i County:
Kaua‘i COVID-19 webpage: https://www.kauai.gov/COVID-19
To report violators: https://www.kauai.gov/KPD-Online-Reporting