HAWAI‘I COVID-19 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER DAILY NEWS DIGEST Oct. 27, 2020
Posted on Oct 27, 2020 in COVID-19, COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News, NewsroomGovernor’s Office:
Hawai‘i Expands Pre-Travel Testing Program to Japan
Gov. David Ige made the announcement at a news briefing this afternoon that Japan is being added to Hawai‘i’s pre-travel testing program. Starting Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, travelers from Japan may bypass the State of Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 14-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing partner in Japan. The test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure and the test must be negative. It’s all part of the Safe Travels Hawaiʻi program that adds a layer of protection for travelers and Hawaiʻi residents.
Gov. Ige said, “Many of Hawaiʻi’s residents trace their ancestry back to Japan and welcoming our Japanese guests back to Hawaiʻi is an important step in maintaining the close relationship between our two regions. We believe we have created the safest travel testing program in the country, and we are grateful to the Japanese government for assisting us in making our pre-travel testing program available to its residents.” Lt. Gov. Josh Green added, “Mahalo to our health partners in Japan for working with Hawaiʻi to implement this next phase of the Safe Travels Hawaiʻi program. The program is an extra layer of safety for the people of Hawaiʻi and our visitors, and it has restored hope for many people. We are anxious to welcome back our Japanese travelers and look forward to Japan and Hawaiʻi’s continued relationship.”
DOH already approved the use of the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) conducted by a laboratory authorized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for the pre-travel test. As of today, there are a total of 21 trusted testing partners in Japan, which you can find here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/.
Japanese nationals traveling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country. Travel restrictions on U.S. travel to Japan remain in place. For more information visit: https://www.allhawaii.jp/covid19/
Department of Health:
Three COVID-19 Deaths Reported
Three additional COVID-19 deaths were reported today by DOH. The first involved a male on O‘ahu, between 70-79 years old. The others were on Hawai‘i Island, both males, between 60-69 years old, and over the age of 80. All had underlying conditions and were hospitalized at the time of their death.
Nine New COVID-19 Cases Reported on Lāna‘i
Nine (9) new COVID-19 cases were also reported on Lāna‘i today by DOH. The total now stands at 87 confirmed cases on the island. Weekend drive-thru testing results are still being reported out.
Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, Oct. 27, 2020
| Island of Diagnosis | New Cases | Reported since
2/28/2020 (including new cases) |
| O‘ahu | 50 | 12,913 |
| Hawai‘i | 3 | 1,233 |
| Maui | 2 | 403 |
| Kaua‘i | 0 | 62 |
| Moloka‘i | 0 | 17 |
| Lānaʻi | 9 | 87 |
| HI residents diagnosed outside of HI | 2 | 58 |
| Total Cases | 66 | 14,773++ |
| Deaths | 3 | 215 |
Hospitalization count as of 10/26/20 at 5:54 pm: 10-Hawai‘i, 2-Maui, 49-O‘ahu, 0-Kaua‘i
++As a result of updated information, one case from O‘ahu and one case from Lāna‘i was removed from the counts.
Department of Public Safety:
Broad-Based Testing Continues at Correctional Facilities
PSD has directed CoreCivic to conduct mass testing of all Hawai‘i inmates at its Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ. The broad-based testing being administered by CoreCivic Health Services staff will begin Thursday. The total number of Hawai‘i inmates in medical isolation at Saguaro with active positive COVID cases is 57. There are seven (7) inmates in the hospital, four (4) inmates with pending test results in medical isolation at the facility, and 741 inmates in a precautionary 14-day quarantine.
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 O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) inmates is continuous. No new OCCC staff or inmate test results were received today. Additionally, 97% of inmates and 86% 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/.
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:
4,748 Passengers Arrive on Monday
Yesterday, a total of 4,748 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. The majority of the passengers, or 1,322 people, indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 1,211 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
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 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 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
Krystal Kawabata
Information Specialist III
Hawai‘i Department of Defense
(808) 441-7000