HAWAI‘I COVID-19 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DAILY NEWS DIGEST March 15, 2021

Department of Health:

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

Daily and Weekly Preliminary Vaccine Administration Updates

46 New COVID-19 Cases Reported

DOH reports 46 new cases of coronavirus today.

This report includes cases up until Saturday 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.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. March 13, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	22	22,313
Hawai‘i	7	2,335
Maui	15	2,458
Kaua‘i	0	186
Moloka‘i	0	28
Lānaʻi	0	108
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	2	877
Total Cases	46	28,305
Deaths	0	451

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 3/10/21 – Hawai‘i-2, Maui 14, O‘ahu-11, Kauaʻi-0

Department of Education:
HIDOE to Implement Revised Health and Safety Protocols Aligned to DOH Guidance
With the increasing number of students projected to return to in-person learning during the fourth quarter, HIDOE has worked with DOH on health guidance and safety protocols for schools. Highlights for the ramp-up of in-person instruction include:

Advance notice: Schools shall provide a minimum seven calendar days before an increase to in-person schooling.
Remote work during quarantine: In the event of a classroom, workspace and/or building being closed due to COVID-19 and students being sent home and/or being directed to quarantine, employees identified as close contact needing to quarantine in accordance with CDC/DOH school guidance shall continue to work from a remote location when available.
Mitigation strategies: Regardless of the level of community transmission, all schools shall use and layer mitigation strategies to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes wearing masks, staying home if you’re feeling sick, washing hands, physical distancing, and more.

HIDOE Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto said, “Face-to-face learning is so vital for our students, especially our young learners. We’ve been diligently working to maximize in-person learning for the remainder of the school year… This will ensure our dedicated teams working in our schools are supported and continue to feel safe as we make this transition.” To view more:
https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/MediaRoom/PressReleases/Pages/Revised-health-and-safety-protocols.aspx

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:
DLIR Announces No Gap in Benefits After American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Extension
Due to the American Rescue Plan Act 2021 being signed by President Biden last week, unemployment insurance and assistance benefits are being extended. DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio said, “We are relieved that Congress has acted to continue to provide unemployment insurance benefits and assistance to claimants as Hawai‘i residents continue to struggle from the effects of COVID-19 disruption in our community. We will automatically enroll claimants in the appropriate extension, so claimants will not need to take any extra steps to receive benefits. Claimants will see a new benefit amount in the online portal and receive a written monetary determination in the mail.”

At this time, DLIR does not expect a gap in benefits for most claimants as long as they remain eligible. Like the recent extension of the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), the department will batch process extensions so some claimants may have short delays in the ability to file claim certifications. Once a claimant’s monetary determination has been established, claimants will be able to file weekly claim certifications and will receive a monetary determination by mail. To view more:

https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/category/news/

Hawai‘i’s Unemployment Rate at 10.2 Percent in January
DLIR announced today that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.2 percent, compared to the revised rate of 10.3 percent in December. Statewide, 67,000 people were unemployed in January. Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 6.3 percent for the same time period. Like many other states, Hawai‘i has dealt with higher unemployment rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To view more:
https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/category/news/

Department of Public Safety:
Statewide Inmate Testing Continues
COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted statewide at all facilities. The Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC) reports 10 inmate test results. Of that number, nine (9) were negative and one (1) was inconclusive. There were six (6) inmate recoveries recorded, which drops the total active positive inmate cases at MCCC to 29. Of the 32 MCCC employee results received, one (1) was positive and 31 were negative. Although all other facility inmate populations are clear of the virus, mass testing continues with DOH assistance. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center reported 20 negative inmate results. 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:

15,607 Passengers Arrive on Sunday

Yesterday, a total of 15,607 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 10,261 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,661 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/