SENATE PRESIDENT RONALD D. KOUCHI AND REPRESENTATIVE JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL COVID POP-UP TESTING SITES
Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (Senate District 8 – Kauaʻi and Niʻihau) and Representative James Kunane Tokioka (House District 15 - Wailua Homesteads, Hanamaulu, Līhuʻe, Puhi, Old Koloa Town, Omao) announced today that additional pop-up testing sites will be available on Kauaʻi to help combat the COVID-19 surge occurring statewide.
Senate President Kouchi and Representative Tokioka have reached out to the Department of Health (DOH), the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaiʻi (NKFH), and Kevin Glick of Līhu‘e Pharmacy to ensure additional testing sites are available across the island.
“In order to advert a strain on our healthcare system, additional testing & vaccine sites are imperative to identifying and stopping the spread of this new delta variant,” said Senate President Kouchi. “We want to make testing accessible and convenient for those who want to get tested to be able to receive a free test.”
School-based testing will also be available through the NKFH to the Department of Education (DOE) for students, employees, contractors, coaches, security personnel, volunteers, and other persons who are physically present in K-12 schools.
“I have had emails, phone calls, and numerous people stopping me to share their valid concerns regarding students back to in-person learning while our State is in the middle of a surge," said Representative Tokioka. “I would like to thank the Director of Health – Dr. Libby Char, Dr. Janet Berreman, and the National Kidney Foundation of Hawai‘i for stepping up to assist the community and the Department of Education during this unsettling time."
School testing schedule will be available soon. In addition, K-12 schools are eligible for participation in the Operation Expanded Testing, supported through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For community-based testing, the DOH, in coordination with County and private sector partners, also continues to expand free testing opportunities.
The County of Kauaʻi and Kauaʻi District Health Office (KDHO) offer testing at the War Memorial Convention Hall on weekdays from 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM.
A testing van providing services one day a week to the Kekaha, Kīlauea, Kalāheo, Hanalei, and Kapaʻa Neighborhood Centers to provide free same-day rapid testing.
Community-based free testing is also available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services CVS/Longs in Kapaʻa.
Senate President Kouchi and Representative Tokioka are urging residents to get tested and vaccinated. To avoid additional wait times, please complete your preregistration form at preventcovidhi.com.
For more information, visit www.kauai.gov/covid-19 to find the most up-to-date information on testing and vaccination.