David Y. Ige

Department of Health: 

Highest Single-Day COVID-19 Case Count Since the Beginning of the Pandemic 

Death Toll Rises to 26 

50 cases in Honolulu, three (3) on Hawai‘i Island, and two (2) on Maui comprise today’s COVID-19 case count of 55 new positive cases. This is the highest number of cases reported on a single day since the Dept. of Health (DOH) began tracking cases in late February. The previous highest one-day count was on July 11, with 42 cases. 

 

Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said, “These cases represent people from all walks of life and varied professions, indicating the apparent challenges of maintaining safe practices is widespread across the state.” Anderson also extended condolences to the family and friends of the 26^th person to succumb to coronavirus, an elderly O‘ahu woman. Her death was reported to DOH late Wednesday. 

 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, July 23, 2020 

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)	Total in hospitals
O‘ahu	50	1167	32
Hawai‘i	3	117	3
Maui	2	139	0
Kaua‘i	0	43	4
Moloka‘i	0	2	0
Lana‘i	0	0	0
Residents Diagnosed outside HI	0	22
Unknown	0	0
Total Cases	55	1490
Total hospitalized			39
Deaths	1	26

 

Laboratory* Testing Data 

There were 2,478 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting. 

Total Number of Individuals Tested by Clinical and State Laboratories	Positive	Negative
111,291**	1,488	109,789

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting  **14 test results were inconclusive 

Hawaiicovid19.com 

For more tables, charts and visualizations visit the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii 

 

Practice, Practice, Practice Safety for Everyone’s Health 

DOH continues to track and investigate numerous clusters. State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park echoed Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson’s comments, “Most cases are occurring as a result of people socializing and getting together either with work colleagues, extended family, or friends in multiple type of settings—without wearing face coverings or distancing. I continue to hope all in our community will maintain safe practices, but unfortunately the persistence of new cases would argue against that.” 

 

The safe practices that everyone should know about and be practicing consistently are: 

 

• Physical distancing of six-feet or more when around anyone outside your own household 
• Wear masks when in public and/or unable to physical distance 
• Frequent hand washing 
• Stay home when sick 
   

“Regrettably,” Dr. Park added, “many of the cases we’ve seen in recent weeks suggest that one or more of the safe practices were not being followed by individuals or groups of people. Hawaii has done better and can do better; we all need to remember to maintain the safe practices in this COVID world.” Full news release here: https://governorige.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/hawaii-covid-19-joint-information-center-news-release-highest-single-day-covid-19-count-july-23-2020/

 

Department of the Attorney General: 

Second Challenge to Mandatory Traveler Quarantine Denied 

U.S. District Court Judge Jill A. Otake denied a motion on Wednesday, for a preliminary injunction, from a South Carolina traveler who challenged the State of Hawai‘i’s current mandatory traveler quarantine. 

 

In a 25-page long ruling, Judge Otake pointed out that, “Like many states across the nation and countries around the world, Hawai‘i has issued a series of Emergency Proclamations to limit the spread of COVID–19, a novel severe acute respiratory illness with no known cure, no effective treatment, and no vaccine…Further complicating efforts to contain COVID-19 is the fact that individuals who are infected but asymptomatic . . . may unwittingly infect others.” 

  

The plaintiff, his wife, and two children arrived in Honolulu on July 9 and their mandatory 14-day quarantine is scheduled to end tomorrow. Plaintiff argued that, though he was aware of the quarantine rule before coming to Hawai‘i, it will cause the family to lose 40% of their 36-day long vacation. He was seeking $25,000 in punitive damages and $300.25 for each day they are subject to quarantine. Read entire news release: https://governorige.hawaii.gov/newsroom/latest-news/hawaii-covid-19-joint-information-center-news-release-second-challenge-to-mandatory-traveler-quarantine-denied-july-22-2020/ 

 

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority: 

2,360 Passengers Arrive on Wednesday 

Today marks 17 weeks since the State’s mandatory 14-day quarantine went into effect for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i from out of state. Yesterday, a total of 2,360 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 537 visitors and 784 returning residents. There was a total of 26 arriving flights. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday but does not show interisland travel.  

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2020 

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/4903/072320-passenger-count-press-release.pdf 

  

Hawai‘i State Judiciary: 

Provisional Law License as Alternative to Sitting for Hawai‘i Bar Exam 

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it has established an option for applicants for the Sept. 9-10, 2020 written bar exam to receive a temporary, provisional license to practice law as an alternative to sitting for the written exam. The court, recognizing the logistical challenges and health concerns surrounding the upcoming exam during the COVID-19 pandemic, will give applicants who, by order of the court, are approved to sit for the exam, the option of foregoing the exam in favor of the provisional license. The exam will still be administered as scheduled, for those who wish to take it, with appropriate public health protections in place. 

            

The provisional license will require the licensee to work under the direct supervision of an attorney who is currently actively licensed in and practicing in Hawaiʻi. The supervising attorney will also be required to be named on all pleadings and other court submissions. Other requirements for obtaining the provisional license are set forth in the court’s order which can be found here:  

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SCMF-12-0000538-.pdf 

 

The provisional license will expire July 1, 2022, unless the applicant successfully passes the Hawaiʻi bar exam before then and will require the provisionally licensed attorney to remain in good standing in all jurisdictions where the individual is licensed, and to honor all obligations imposed on regularly licensed Hawaiʻi attorneys. 

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/2020/07/provisional-law-license-as-alternative-to-sitting-for-hawaii-bar-exam 

 

University of Hawai‘i: 

Newly Diagnosed COVID-19 Patients Eligible for Clinical Trial at JABSOM  

UH is searching for newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients to participate in a clinical trial at JABSOM. The trial is aimed at finding an effective treatment for patients with COVID-19 using telmisartan, a medication commonly used for blood pressure control. Researchers are looking for 40 patients to participate in a 21-day clinical trial. By decreasing the severity of the disease, researchers believe that telmisartan will lower the chances that COVID-19 patients will need to be hospitalized. Dr. Cecilia Shikuma, Professor of Medicine at JABSOM and lead investigator of this study said, “We will test the hypothesis that much of the dangerous lung and heart effects of COVID-19 is caused by the virus’ ability to dysregulate the delicate balance in a hormone system in our body called the renin angiotensin system. Telmisartan lowers blood pressure by blocking the harmful effects of this hormone system, and we hope to find preliminary evidence that taking the drug will also prevent much of the harmful effects of the virus.” Telmisartan is already FDA approved and much of the safety concerns of the drug is already known. Participants would be asked to take the medication for a total of 21 days. The study will also draw blood and obtain throat swabs at the study visits. Participants will then be asked to monitor their temperature and blood pressures at home. For more on the study:  

https://jabsom.hawaii.edu/newly-diagnosed-covid-19-patients-eligible-for-clinical-trial-at-jabsom/ 

 

Department of Defense: 

PSAs Remind Everyone to Continue Wearing Masks to Curb Spread of COVID-19   

State officials are reminding everyone to continue wearing their masks and practice physical distancing as Hawai‘i continues to deal with COVID-19. The DOD recently created several PSAs to remind people we’re not done yet – and every little bit of effort makes a difference in curbing the spread of COVID-19. To see the PSAs and share them with your friends and family:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3LkIZE18Oc&feature=youtu.be 

https://youtu.be/qebWHDNh52Q 

https://youtu.be/leuZBGHzEes 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center 

(808) 636-8914 (Please note new phone number) 

[email protected]