Senate budget chair proposes spending $15M in federal CARES Act funding for Hawai‘i child care relief Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, has proposed child care relief as an important part of the CARES Act federal funding initiative for Hawai‘i. “It is critically urgent that we increase the availability of child care for the healthy growth and safety of our keiki so their parents can go back to work, and we can reopen the economy,” said Chair Dela Cruz. Without immediate action, 30% of child care providers may not re-open resulting in the loss of permanent child care seats. This squeezes an already strained child care sector that pre-COVID-19 had far fewer seats than needed by families across the state. The proposed $15 million would go to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for child care, working coordination with federal funds (Child Care Development Block Grant, subsidies to families for child care), county funds (CARES Act grants programs to non-profits, private businesses, families), and private philanthropy. “Child care is a foundational requirement to reopening our economy,” said Department of Human Services Director Pankaj Bhanot. “Without access to safe, healthy and affordable child care, working parents will not be able to return to full employment.” The state faces a critical shortage of child care seats. • According to the University of Hawaiʻi Center on the Family, under the current COVID-19 restrictions, there are potentially four times more children under the age of six who need child care than there are available regulated child care seats. • Licensed infant-toddler center seats are available to serve only one out of every 37 children under the age of three. • The shortage of child care is more acute in rural areas, with Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi having no infant-toddler centers. Of the approximately 900 DHS-regulated child care providers statewide, only 30% of child care providers were open in May, and those that were open were serving far fewer children than pre-pandemic. Of the remaining 70%, many were unsure when they will reopen or how they will financially manage. During focus groups conducted in early June, child care providers that planned to reopen said in order to keep their business afloat, they are cutting program hours, raising tuition, limiting student capacity (i.e., smaller class sizes or a multi-site provider may only open some sites) and/or eliminating meal service. “We are at a critical point of losing child care seats and experienced, qualified child care workers,” said Bhanot.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Board of Directors adopted the Aina Aloha Economic Futures declaration during its board meeting yesterday. HTA now joins thousands of Hawaii community members, businesses and organizations as Aina Aloha takes action to bring to life a resilient economy through its core value of aina aloha – a deep and abiding love for Hawaii’s communities and natural environments. Aina Aloha’s declaration was drafted by a group of Native Hawaiian community members who came together at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kalani Kaanaana, HTA Director of Hawaiian Cultural Affairs and Natural Resources, is one of the 14 collaborative authors of the Aina Aloha declaration. According to the group, “This declaration serves as a starting point to facilitate broader engagement and collective action in support of our shared principles, and was sent to Governor David Ige on May 19, 2020.” Naalehu Anthony and Mahina Paishon-Duarte presented Aina Aloha’s guiding principles and four-step community engagement process to the HTA board members and staff, and explained about the importance of having the four principles guide Hawaii’s economic recovery. Anthony shared, “The entire initiative is grounded in our kuanaike Hawaii, or Hawaiian perspective, and values that have sustained us for generations and will continue for many more. The values resonate with all of us who are privileged to call Hawaii home.” Paishon-Duarte affirmed, “We are in unprecedented times, which require unprecedented leadership, and having the HTA Board come stand alongside us is a prime example of that.” Aina Aloha’s core values are in alignment with HTA’s new strategic plan and its guiding pillars, which include supporting programs that perpetuate the Hawaiian culture, preserving Hawaii’s natural resources, strengthening the community and brand marketing. “The board’s unanimous adoption of the Aina Aloha Economic Futures Declaration is a milestone in the work we do at HTA to move our tourism economy toward a regenerative model guided by our shared values, as we strive to improve the quality of life for Hawaii’s residents,” said Kaanaana. Link to Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/AinaAlohaImages Photo credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority

Governor David Ige expressed his condolences today to the family and friends of an elderly Honolulu man, who became the 18th death in Hawai‘i due to the coronavirus. The last reported death was on May 3. “This is the worst way to emphasize the need for all of us to continue safe practices such as physical distancing, wearing of masks, and hand washing,” said Governor Ige. “We must protect our kupuna and others who are at high risk, by practicing personal responsibility, especially around others outside our own immediate family or household.” While Hawai‘i has one of the best statistical records for COVID-19 management in the country, a survey released by the Dept. of Health (DOH) today suggests that many residents are becoming lax in their practices and attitudes about the infection. The number of people who considered the virus as a very serious health concern, fell from 73% to 54% in less than two months.* More alarming, according to the DOH, is changing attitudes on preventive behaviors. 42% of survey respondents said they are social distancing all of the time and that’s steady compared to a previous survey. However, fewer residents are following recommendations “most of the time” or “part of the time.” Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said in an earlier news release, “We cannot interpret the reopening of businesses, restaurants, parks and other places, as a license to let our guards down. It is more important than ever to adhere to prevention measures we know work.” To learn more about DOH’s COVID-19 prevention efforts: HawaiiCOVID19.com

Department of Health: Seventeen Additional COVID-19 Cases Reported 14 O‘ahu residents, one (1) Kaua‘i resident, and two (2) residents diagnosed out of state are the 17 new cases of COVID-19 reported today by DOH. 15 of the cases are adults and two (2) are pediatric cases. At least eight (8) of the O‘ahu cases are related to known cases. For more information, please visit www.hawaiicovid19.com

Legislature outlines concerns about distance learning, plans for reopening schools, and lack of spending plan at Department of Education The Hawai‘i State Legislature sent a letter to the Board of Education today stating that they are “extremely concerned” about distance learning and plans for reopening schools. The letter outlines low participation rates for distance learning, internet connectivity and device access inequities among students, and the lack of a concise plan for how they will spend the federal CARES Act funding they have received. The letter is signed by Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki, Senate Education Committee Chair Michelle Kidani and her House counterpart Representative Justin Woodson, and budget committee chairs Senator Donovan Dela Cruz and Representative Sylvia Luke. The legislators ask that the Board of Education’s Finance and Infrastructure Committee convene an emergency meeting on July 2nd to vet the Department’s plan for financial implications and resource requirements and provide a report to the Legislature, before they will consider allocating any additional funding. The letter in PDF is attached and seen below.

Yesterday, 1,722 people arrived in Hawaii. During this same time last year approximately 35,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. Yesterday marked 13 weeks since the state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel. This data was collected from the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Mandatory Travel Declaration Form. For Hawaii Tourism Authority and state updates regarding COVID-19 visit https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/

Legislature appropriates $90 million for airport COVID-19 screening, including thermal screening, traveler verification, and ramping up testing Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Donovan Dela Cruz and House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke announced today that $90 million will be appropriated for systems at airports statewide to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The funding will be used for thermal screening systems, security protocols, web-based verification applications, traveler verification rooms, swab and testing facilities, and a service contract for ramping up testing. This investment in airport screening protocols will help us reopen tourism in the safest possible manner, screening all travelers and verifying their pre-testing information,” said Chair Sylvia Luke. “Because the U.S. Senate has not passed the HEROES Act, we are substituting federal funding from the existing CARES Act in order to move forward with this critical priority.” “At a recent Senate Special COVID-19 Committee meeting, Department of Health and the private labs indicated that we need to ramp up our testing capacity from 3,000 tests a day to 12,000, and possibly 15,000, tests a day,” said Chair Donovan Dela Cruz. “As the number of visitors increase, it’s important that we have enough tests for our local community and have the tests available for symptomatic passengers to help prevent the spread of the virus.” The systems will be installed in the five major airports: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Kahului Airport, Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole, Hilo International Airport, and Lihue Airport. Thermal screening cameras will be installed at all the gates to screen passengers for elevated temperatures (above 100.4 degrees) as they disembark from the aircraft. A facial imaging tracking system and monitoring control rooms will be installed throughout the terminal to track a suspected passenger until they are intercepted for further screening. Total cost is $18.5 million. Verification rooms will be constructed to verify arriving passenger information during their stay in the State ($5 million), and a web-based application will be developed for the departing passenger health form and arriving passenger verification information ($4 million). An additional $23 will be appropriated for labor. Facilities will be built to perform the swabbing and testing of suspected COVID-19 passengers for $5 million. A total of $17 million will be available for service contracts for the maintenance of the thermal screening cameras and facial imaging tracking system, labor to operate the monitoring control and verification rooms, and health professionals to perform the swabbing and testing of passengers. The measure being proposed will allow the state to reopen for all travel (interisland, domestic, and international), benefiting all residents, businesses, and the tourism industry, while minimizing the spread of COVID-19 at the five major airports.

Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting. --- HANA HIGHWAY (ROUTE 360) --- 1) HAIKU TO HANA (LOCAL ACCESS RESTRICTION) Hana Highway (Route 360) between Kapakalua Road and Hana Town is restricted to local traffic until further notice beginning March 18, 2020. The local access restriction is being put in place to address access and congestion concerns due to roadwork and vehicles along the two-lane highway.

Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting. --- MAMALAHOA HIGHWAY (ROUTE 11) --- 1) KAU Closure of single lane at a time on Mamalahoa Highway (Route 11) in both directions between mile markers 66 and 69, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). 2) KONA Closure of single lane at a time on Mamalahoa Highway (Route 11) in both directions between mile markers 89 and 91, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). — HAWAII BELT ROAD (ROUTE 19) — 1) HILO Closure of single lane at a time on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) in both directions between mile markers 3 and 4, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for guardrail repairs. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). 2) HILO Closure of single lane at a time on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) in both directions between mile markers 3.5 and 8, Mokuhonua Lane and Hanawi Street, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). 3) HAMAKUA Closure of single lane at a time on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) in both directions between mile markers 32 and 39, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). 4) KOHALA Closure of single lane at a time on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) in both directions between mile markers 64 and 67, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow). --- KEAAU-PAHOA ROAD (ROUTE 130) --- 1) PUNA (24-HOUR WORK) Lane shift on Keaau-Pahoa Road (Route 130) in both directions between Ilima Street and Ainaloa Boulevard, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, over a 24-hour period, for construction of the Ainaloa Roundabout. — HAWAII BELT ROAD (ROUTE 190) — 1) KONA Closure of single lane at a time on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 190) in both directions between mile markers 35 and 39, Onaona Drive and Kopiko Street, on Saturday, June 27, through Friday, July 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for landscape maintenance. Traffic flow in both directions will be maintained through alternating traffic control (contraflow).

Lane closure schedules may change at any time without further notice. All projects are weather permitting. — KUHIO HIGHWAY (ROUTE 56) — 1) KAPAA (24-HOUR WORK) Traffic on Kuhio Highway (Route 56) near mile marker 10 is shifted to the temporary Kapaa Stream Bridge 24-hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. For safety during the shift to the temporary bridge, right turns off Kuhio Highway onto Mailihuna Road are not permitted. Access to Kapahi is recommended via the Kawaihau Road or Hauala Road detours. 2) KILAUEA (NIGHT WORK) Single lane closure on Kuhio Highway (Route 56) in both directions between mile markers 15.5 and 16.7, on Sunday evening, June 28, through Friday morning, July 3, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., for paving work. Alternating traffic is routed through the open lane.

As traffic begins to increase and people head back to work, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services will be restarting contraflow operations July 1st on Kapiolani Boulevard and Ward Avenue during peak rush hour times. Morning contraflow coning will resume from 6:30am to 8:30am Monday to Friday (not including holidays). Afternoon contraflow coning will resume from 4pm to 6:30pm Monday to Friday (not including holidays). DTS would also like to inform residents that parking along South King, Beretania, Date Streets and Wilder Avenue, will no longer be allowed to park in “No Parking Tow Away Zones” during peak A.M. and P.M. hours (6:30-8:30am and 3:30-5:30pm). Vehicles parked in these Tow Away Zones must be relocated and will be properly enforced. With traffic slowly starting to ramp up, DTS would like to remind drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to travel safely. We would also like to encourage the continuation of telecommuting for employees if possible, to reduce the amount of traffic congestion, cars and collisions on the roadways. We feel that those who choose to telecommute to work help play a large role in the reduction of collisions, congestion and carbon emissions.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors Division will defer the scheduled three-percent tariff increase on the orders of Governor David Ige. The tariff increase was scheduled to take effect on July 1 and would have been applied to port entry fees, vessel dockage, wharfage, pipeline tolls, and other fees associated with cargo and passenger operations at the State’s commercial harbors. “Our economy relies heavily on the movement of goods through our commercial harbors,” said Governor Ige. “As part of our economic recovery efforts, I’ve directed HDOT to defer scheduled tariff increases. This will allow local shippers and businesses, especially those on the neighbor islands, to conduct business without worrying about a rate increase at this time.” “State Harbors are financially self-sustaining through the collection of tariffs from those using our infrastructure,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay. “Thanks to the foresight of our Harbors Division staff we are able to support the governor’s deferral without negative impact to our Harbors modernization and other infrastructure improvement projects.” The Harbors Division has restricted its program costs and is currently 20-percent under budget. In March, Fitch Ratings affirmed the ‘AA-’ rating for Harbors Revenue Bonds and rated the outlook for these bonds as Stable. The original news release on the Fitch Ratings review of port operations in light of the coronavirus pandemic can be read here. Hawaii Department of Transportation Deputy Director for Harbors Derek Chow added: “Financial discipline and management controls will continue to govern our projects. Together with our federal, state, county, and private sector partners, we can weather any storm.” Hawaii’s commercial harbor system is comprised of Nawiliwili and Port Allen Harbors on Kauai; Honolulu and Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbors on Oahu; Kahului Harbor on Maui; Kaunakakai Harbor on Molokai; Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai; and Kawaihae and Hilo Harbors on Hawaii Island. More information on harbor tariffs and fees can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/harbors/doing-business/