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HAWAI‘I COVID-19 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DAILY NEWS DIGEST Nov. 20, 2020

Posted on Nov 20, 2020 in COVID-19, COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News, Newsroom

Department of Health:

One (1) Death and 95 New Cases Reported Today

DOH has added one new death to its count, involving a male between the ages of 60-69 years old with underlying medical conditions. He had been incarcerated out of state and died at a hospital. The death had been announced yesterday by PSD. Additionally, DOH reported 95 new cases today.

This report includes cases reported up until Wednesday night at 11:59. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control website at noon each day. Hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Nov. 18, 2020

Island of Diagnosis New Cases Reported since

2/28/2020

(including new cases)

O‘ahu 70 14,576
Hawai‘i 13 1,512
Maui 5 468
Kaua‘i 1 87
Moloka‘i 0 17
Lānaʻi 0 106
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI 6 170
Total Cases 95 16,936++
Deaths    1 224

++ As a result of updated information, one case from out of state was recategorized to O‘ahu.

Hospitalizations as of 12:00 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2020 – Hawai‘i-8, Maui-2, O‘ahu-66, Kauai-1

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

Department of Public Safety:

Mass Inmate Testing Continues

The Waiawa Correctional Facility (WCF) reports 157 pending inmate test results have come in. Of that number, 87 were positive and 70 were negative. Including the eight (8) positive cases previously reported, there are now a total of 95 positive cases in medical isolation. The rest of the facility has been placed in quarantine. DOH is conducting contact tracing. All WCF staff are in full PPE and the warden previously halted all inmate movement Wednesday to prevent further transmission within the facility and to the other facilities.

The surge testing of Hawai‘i inmates at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ continues. The inmates with first-round negative test results are awaiting re-test results. The current test results of the entire Hawai‘i inmate population at Saguaro are broken down as follows:

Please note there are only seven (7) active positive cases. Of those, four (4) are hospitalized. A total of 99-percent of the inmate population is clear, but the negative inmates will remain in a precautionary quarantine while they undergo repeat surge testing. There are currently 1,079 inmates housed at Saguaro. PSD has established an information hotline with recorded updates on the Saguaro testing at: 808-587-1421. 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/.

University of Hawaiʻi:

Spring 2021 to Remain Primarily Online for Students

Instruction at UH’s 10-campus system will continue to be primarily online for the spring 2021 semester due to COVID-19. UH moved the 2020 fall semester almost entirely online in early August after a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Students have already begun registering for the spring semester which begins on January 11, 2020. UH President David Lassner said, “I know we all yearn to return to pre-pandemic life, but at this point, we must prioritize the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and the communities in which we live and work.” He also added, “We are committed to help every UH student stay on track, safely, for on-time graduation.”

In fall 2020, approximately 85% of courses taught in the UH system were online, 10% were hybrid, and 5% in-person, although percentages varied widely from campus to campus. Lassner said he is optimistic about the fall 2021 semester, and is hoping for a healthy mix of in-person, hybrid, and online instruction. To view more:

https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/11/20/spring-fall-2021-planning/

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

9,783 Passengers Arrive on Thursday

Yesterday, a total of 9,783 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total of 5,501 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,047 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/ 

Hawaiʻi House of Representatives:

Committee to Receive Update on COVID-19 Response

The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness is set to meet on Monday at 10 a.m., to get an update on the COVID-19 response. The briefing will include a federal update from Congressman Ed Case and an update from Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency Director and COVID-19 Incident Commander Kenneth Hara. They’ll also hear reports about Hawai‘i’s economy, the state’s communication and strategy plans, and CARES Funds. To livestream the briefing:

https://olelo.org/

Helpful Resources

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 Expanded Dashboard (Tables, Charts, and Visualizations):

Hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard

Safe Travels Digital Platform:

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

Trans-Pacific Passenger Arrivals Statistics:

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

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

Rest, Test, Enjoy! Voluntary visitor post-travel test: https://www.kauai.gov/visitorposttest 

Resident post-travel test: https://www.kauai.gov/residentposttest

Maui County:
Maui County travel and COVID-19 information:
https://www.mauicounty.gov

To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or [email protected]

Hawai‘i County:
Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage:
https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/travel

Critical infrastructure and medical travel request: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c 
To report violators: 808-935-3311

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]

Media Contact:

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center

(808) 636-8194 

[email protected]