HAWAI‘I COVID-19 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DAILY NEWS DIGEST Oct. 16, 2020
Posted on Oct 16, 2020 in COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News, NewsroomDepartment of Health:
One (1) COVID-19 Death Reported
One additional COVID-19 death was reported today by DOH. It involved a woman from O‘ahu over the age of 80, who had an underlying condition and was hospitalized at the time of her death. DOH also reported 89 new COVID-19 cases today.
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Oct. 16, 2020
| Island of Diagnosis | New Cases | Reported since
2/28/2020 (including new cases) |
| O‘ahu | 68 | 12,317 |
| Hawai‘i | 21 | 1,026 |
| Maui | 0 | 392 |
| Kaua‘i | 0 | 59 |
| Moloka‘i | 0 | 19 |
| Lānaʻi | 0 | 0 |
| HI residents diagnosed outside of HI | 0 | 40 |
| Total Cases | 89 | 13,853++ |
| Deaths | 1 | 185 |
Hospitalization count as of 10/16/20 at 12:51 pm: 10-Hawai‘i, 2-Maui, 84-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i
++As a result of updated information, one case was recategorized from O‘ahu to Hawai‘i.
7-Day Averages
| Daily New Cases
(change from previous day) |
% Lab Positive
(change from previous day |
|
| Statewide | 88 (-2) | 2.7% (+0.0) |
| O‘ahu | 67 (-1) | 3.3% (-0.1) |
| Hawai‘i | 20 (+0) | 3.1% (+0.1) |
| Kaua’i | 0 (+0) | 0.0% (+0.0) |
| Maui | 2 (+0) | 0.1% (+0.0) |
*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.
hawaiicovid19.com
DOH Posts New Metrics Showing Average New Case Trends and Test Positivity Rates
DOH is now posting state and county test positivity rates and seven-day average daily new cases with graphs showing trends over the past 14 days at: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/.
This newly available data is consistent with national best practices and provides a summary of the level of disease activity and trends in our state and counties.
The new data will be updated daily by noon for positive test results received from the previous day. At this stage of the pandemic, the rolling 7-day average and the test positivity rate are critical for informing our actions and are referred to in plans for reopening and reviving the economy.
The test positivity rate for the state and each county is calculated by dividing the total of new positive tests over the past seven days with the total number of tests conducted over the past seven days. A positivity rate under 5% is favorable.
Department of Public Safety:
Three More Saguaro Inmates Test Positive, OCCC Sees Fifth Day in a Row with No New Positive Cases
PSD has been notified that three (3) more Hawai‘i inmates at the Saguaro Correctional Center (Saguaro) in Eloy, Arizona tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of inmates in medical isolation at Saguaro with confirmed positive COVID cases is 10. Sixteen (16) inmates with pending test results are also in medical isolation and 737 inmates are in a precautionary 14-day quarantine. Saguaro nursing staff are doing daily temperature checks and monitoring the inmates for symptoms.
PSD’s Health Care Division is working with DOH, the Hawai‘i National Guard (HING), and community partners, to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. DOH testing of Oahu Community Correctional Center inmates is continuous. The three (3) inmate test results received, and two (2) staff results received were negative. 97% of inmates and 84% of staff who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered. 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/.
Department of Human Services:
Med-QUEST Provides Options and Updates for Unemployed Residents Needing Health Insurance Coverage
With the state’s high unemployment rate, the Med-QUEST Division of DHS anticipates the number of those who need health insurance coverage will increase. DHS is encouraging those people to apply for Medicaid immediately. To see if you qualify, go to:
DHS’ Med-QUEST Division’s Administrator Judy Mohr said, “Over the years, we’ve invested in technology and made extensive process improvements to create a smoother, streamlined enrollment experience for applicants and to process a higher volume of applications. Those changes have proven to be valuable during these challenging times. We are encouraging those who have lost their job and do not currently have health insurance to apply and enroll as soon as possible.”
There are nearly 380,000 Hawai‘i residents, about one in four statewide, who are Medicaid beneficiaries. About 50,000 of those are new Medicaid beneficiaries who have enrolled since the early stages of the pandemic in March. There’s been a 15% increase in enrollment largely due to COVID-19 – during this same time in 2019, there were 329,260 Medicaid beneficiaries statewide.
University of Hawaiʻi:
JABSOM Lab Begins Processing, Administering COVID-19 Tests
The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is beginning COVID-19 testing at its new Tropical Medicine Lab. The program prioritizes COVID-19 test access for underserved, uninsured, and front-line workers who may require multiple tests for safety at their workplace. The tests will begin conducting COVID-19 tests by appointment only from its Kaka‘ako clinic beginning Monday, Oct. 19, 2020.
City and County of Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said, “This partnership with JABSOM will provide testing to those who might otherwise not have access to it. This virus doesn’t discriminate, and as we continue to open up our economy, we need to keep testing to know where in our community the virus is hiding.” UH President David Lassner added, “We are deeply grateful to Mayor Caldwell and his time for supporting the startup of our new testing lab. This not only enables us to help ensure adequate testing across Oʻahu, but we will be able to explore innovations in testing for COVID-19 that can remove barriers to pervasive testing for all.” The new lab is being supported with up to $3.9 million in CARES funds from the City and County of Honolulu. To view more:
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/10/16/uh-opens-covid19-test-lab/
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:
8,219 Passengers Arrive on Thursday After Safe Travels Hawai‘i Launches
Yesterday, a total of 8,219 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state after the Safe Travels Hawai‘i program launched. The program gives travelers an option of taking a COVID-19 test, and if given a negative result, allows them to bypass the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine. The bulk of the passengers, or 3,189 people, indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,287 people who indicated they were returning residents. The trans-pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by Safe Travels.
To view more:
https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/
Helpful Resources
Safe Travels Hawai‘i Program
Program overview: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/
FAQs: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/
Call Center Number: 1-800-GO-HAWAII
COVID-19 Tables, Charts, and Visualizations
https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii
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 post-arrival test: https://www.kauai.gov/visitorposttest
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
Krystal Kawabata
Information Specialist III
Hawai‘i Department of Defense
(808) 441-7000