Through the passage of a resolution today, the Hawai‘i State Senate has created a new Senate Special Investigating Committee on COVID-19 with subpoena power. This new investigative committee will supplement, if necessary, the existing informal Senate Committee on COVID-19. The addition of this new investigative committee will give the Senate the greatest flexibility to obtain the information it needs. The Investigating Committee will give the Senate legal authority to mandate a response from witnesses and compel records. The committee may also administer oaths and report instances of contempt. The subjects of the inquiries will be entitled to legal representation and will have the ability to legally challenge requests. Hearings will continue to be televised live on ‘Ōlelo on O‘ahu, Akakū on Maui, Nā Leo o Hawaiʻi Island, and Ho‘ike on Kaua‘i, and streamed live on the internet. The committee will issue written reports and recommendations to the Senate. The Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 was established on March l8 to review the state’s response to the pandemic, and the Senate Investigating Special Committee on COVID-19 was created today by Senate Resolution 198. The members of both committees are Senators Donovan Dela Cruz, Jarrett Keohokalole, Michelle N. Kidani, Donna Mercado Kim, Sharon Moriwaki, and Kurt Fevella.

Wednesday afternoon, Special Agents from the Investigation Division of the Dept. of the Attorney General arrested an 18-year-old woman on charges of violating the State’s mandatory 14-day-quarantine rule and for unsworn falsification to authority. Alyza Alder, of Gilbert, AZ, was taken into custody at a fast food restaurant in Laie, after a citizen notified authorities that she was allegedly in violation of emergency rules. The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority assisted law enforcement on this case. Alder arrived on O‘ahu on May 6 and allegedly began posting photos of herself swimming off beaches in Lāʻie and Hau‘ula between May 8 and yesterday. Investigators say while she still should have been under quarantine, she took employment at the restaurant. She has been booked and charged and her bail is set at $2,000. State Attorney General Clare Connors reiterated, “We are asking everyone – returning residents and visitors – to abide by our state’s 14-day self-quarantine order. The 14-day self-quarantine rules protect everyone’s health and safety. As we’ve said before, if you come to Hawai‘i with the expectation that you can ignore the self-quarantine order, you very likely will be reported, arrested and end up in jail facing hefty fines. All of us must do our part to protect ourselves, our families, friends and guests.” Source: Hawai'i COVID-19 Joint Information Center

Senate and House approves financing for Hilo Medical Center’s Cardiac Center and Hawai‘i Pacific Oncology Center Today, the Hawai’i State Legislature agreed and passed HB 2725, the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Senator Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hilo) extends his thanks to the Senate Ways and Means and House Finance committees for approving the CIP funding for the Hilo Medical Center’s (HMC) Cardiac Center and Hawai‘i Pacific Oncology Center in the 1st Senatorial District. A total of $3.5 million will go to the construction and equipment for a second catheterization laboratory for the medical center’s cardiac unit, and $6.5 million for plans, design, equipment and construction for the expansion and improvement of the clinic at the oncology center. “When I took office in February 2016 after my father’s passing from a heart attack,” said Senator Kahele, “I made it one of my top priorities to bring a cardiac catheterization unit to Hilo. Our community knows how vital specialty health care is on Hawai‘i Island. “With the initial legislative funding in 2018 and permanent cardiologists now on staff at HMC, funding for a second catheterization lab will allow HMC to meet the demand for these services and ensure the availability of critical lifesaving equipment,” he said. “In addition, the expansion of the oncology center will improve the general oncology clinic, treating cancers and hematology, as well as blood cancers and disorders. “This critical funding will undoubtedly save lives and keep families together. Mahalo to my colleagues for their support,” said the senator. HMC’s interventional cardiac program began service on January 1, 2019, with initial funding from the State Legislature in 2018. Since July 1, 2019, interventional cardiac catheterization for the treatment of heart attacks has been made available 24/7 for the residents of East Hawai‘i. Just in the last year, over 40 heart attacks have been treated in the catheterization lab with an additional 181 patients who were electively treated with stents for heart blockages, preventing future heart attacks.

State Dept. of Health Update for Thursday, May 21, 2020 Four New Cases of COVID-19 Reported Hawai‘i island has three (3) new cases of COVID-19 and Maui has one (1) new coronavirus case. Three of the most recently reported cases are adults and one is a minor. Three are Hawai‘i residents and one is a non-resident. For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

City and County of Honolulu offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25. The holiday schedule for the City and County of Honolulu operations is as follows. Emergency medical services, lifeguard, fire, medical examiner, and police services will be available. TheBus will operate on a Sunday schedule. For route and schedule information, please visit www.thebus.org. Refuse will be collected and transfer stations, convenience centers, H-POWER, and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will be open. As part of an ongoing citywide response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Honolulu Zoo, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, People Open Markets, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Koko Head Shooting Complex, satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will all remain closed. The following traffic and parking regulations will be in effect: No parking will be allowed on all streets and shoulders in Lanikai, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through June 30. On-street parking will be free, except for the meters on Kalākaua Avenue along Queen Kapi‘olani Park, metered parking lots, and meters on specific Waikīkī streets. View the list of Waikīkī streets here. Traffic lanes will not be coned for contraflow. Source: City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services

The County of Kaua‘i’s The Kaua‘i Bus will be participating in the nationwide “Sound the Horn”campaign to show support for essential public transportation workers across the United States. This commemorative moment will take place on Thursday, May 21, at 9 a.m., and all Kaua‘i Bus drivers are encouraged to honk their horns with our nation’s transit partners in support and solidarity. The campaign is organized through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to recognize the importance of public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kaua‘i Bus and other national transportation operators will launch a coordinated day of action to simultaneously sound their fleets of bus, train, and boat horns on May 21 to honor heroic transportation workers across the region. As a tribute to #HeroesMovingHeroes on the front lines of this public health crisis, all buses running in service will give two one-second horn blasts in solidarity with partner agencies. Riders are encouraged to use the #SoundTheHorn and #HeroesMovingHeroes on social media to hashtag the event. Our top-notch front line transit workers truly are heroes moving heroes during this pandemic. Please join Mayor Derek Kawakami and our valued transit employees in this moment as they sound their horns on Kaua‘i to honor transit workers nationwide. We are all in this together. Even today, our frontline transit workers provide about 700 daily trips so residents can fulfill their essential roles. We salute all of our transit employees and take pride in the job they are doing during this crisis. Up-to-date bus schedules and additional information can be found online at, the County of Kaua‘i and the Kaua‘i Bus Facebook pages, or at 246-8110.

Senate moves out CIP funds for final for renovations, repairs, construction, land acquisition, and critical computer systems statewide The Hawai‘i State Senate agreed yesterday on the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021, totaling more than $5.1 billion. The bill now moves to the full House for approval on Thursday. Representing the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (District 8) and member of the Senate approved Senate draft House Bill No. 2725, HD1, SD1, totaling over $233.5 million for the district. Along with some of the projects proposed by the Senate, Senator Kouchi supported additional funding for a multitude of projects, including “$28.5 million for education, our school facilities and our youth of Kaua‘i, $19 million for a much needed Kaua‘i High School gym, and $3 million for a parking lot at Kapa‘a High School. “These projects will deliver much needed infrastructure for our future children of Kaua‘i,” the senator said. Additional projects in the Senate draft include: $247 million to improve roads and other transportation facilities on Kaua‘i. $92 million for improvements on Kuhio Highway, from Hanamaulu to Kapa‘a $23 million for improvements to the Lihue Airport terminal and its facilities $15 million and $4 million for CIP at Nawiliwili and Port Allen harbors, respectively These funding measures include renovations, repairs, and major maintenance to existing facilities, landscape improvements, new construction, land acquisition, and utility modifications. Senator Kouchi will continue to work diligently in collaboration with the Kauai delegation, Representatives James K. Tokioka (Dist. 15-Wailua Homestead, Hanamaulu, Lihue, Puhi, Old Koloa Town, Omao), Daynette Morikawa (Dist. 16-Ni‘ihau, Lehua, Koloa, Waimea), and Nadine K. Nakamura (Dist. 14-Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, Anahola, Kapa‘a, Wailua) to support vital projects and issues important to their community. “I am positive that my fellow colleagues from Kaua‘i will help move this bill forward in the House on Thursday,” said Senator Kouchi, “This will help address some of the statewide needs and for our Garden Isle that have become painfully apparent due to the coronavirus pandemic.” The CIP budget also includes funding for many "shovel-ready" construction projects that can begin work quickly, providing much needed jobs to help resuscitate our struggling economy. CIP Highlights Agriculture $2 million for Kauai irrigation systems $900,000 Christian Crossing Bridge, Kalepa, Kaua‘i $600,000 for an interior access road and Kekaha ditch bridge crossing, Kaua‘i Accounting and General Services $17 million for the modernization of the state finance system, statewide $1 million for repair, equipment, modernization and expansion of the Information and Communication Services Division's critical communication systems, statewide Business, Economic Development, and Tourism $50 million to finance additional affordable housing for counties within the state having a population less than 500,000, statewide Defense $2 million for the incremental addition, replacement, and upgrade of the State Civil Defense warning and communication devices, statewide Education $1.5 million for air conditioning at Eleele Elementary School, Kaua‘i $3 million for parking lot, for drainage, grounds and site improvements for Kapa‘a High School, Kauai $19.2 million for girl’s locker room and gym for Kaua‘i High School $150,000 for new playground at King Kaumual’i Elementary School, Kaua‘i $2.05 million repair and maintenance to school’s buildings, basketball courts and renovating existing facilities at Kekaha Elementary School, Kaua‘i $325,000 repair and resurfacing outdoor play court $300,000 architectural barrier removal at the Waimea Canyon Middle School, Kaua‘i $2 million for covered pick-up and drop-off area for Wilcox Elementary School, Kaua‘i Hawaiian Homelands $20 million for lot development, statewide Human Services $5 million for repair and maintenance of Hawaii Public House Authority facilities, statewide Hawaii Health Systems Corporation $650,000 for a 3D mammography machine at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital $1.3 million to purchase and install CT scanner at Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, Kaua‘i $1.4 million to renovate the CT scan room at Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital $500,000 for plans, design, construction and equipment for environmental impact statement at the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital $1.3 million to purchase and install CT scanner at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital $300,000 renovate the IT department at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital $8.7 million for improvement and renovations for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Kaua‘i Health $930,000 for the design and construction of necessary improvements at Department of Health facilities, statewide Infrastructure for Kaua‘i $500,000 for plans and design for a 50-acre sports complex in Anahola, to include gymnasium, baseball fields, regulation rodeo arena and stables $1.5 million for construction of a ticket booth, a food booth and comfort stations, with matching funds for the county $12 million for water system improvements of the Kalaheo-Lawai-Omao water system, with matching 20% of the state funds from the county $2 million for upgrading of wind strength capacity of Kilauea Gym, with partial matching funds by the county $3 million for chlorination facilities at the Kilauea water system $1.4 million for improvements and renovations for Paua Valley Tank at the Waimea-Kekaha water system Labor and Industrial Relations $10 million for the modernization of the Unemployment Insurance Information Technology system, statewide Land and Natural Resources $220,000 for septic system improvements at Pua Loke Baseyard, Kaua‘i $150,000 nursery and facility renovations, Kaua’i $800,000 for comfort stations at the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park, Kaua‘i Transportation $92 million for congestion relief on Kuhio Highway from Hanamaulu to Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i $23 million for improvements to the Lihue Airport facilities and terminal, Kaua‘i 15 million for capital improvement projects at Nawiliwili Harbor, Kaua‘i $4 million for capital improvement projects at Port Allen Harbor, Kaua‘i $2.2 million for maintenance and repairs on guardrails and shoulder improvements on state highways, Kaua‘i $500,000 for Kuhio Highway intersection improvements at Kolo Road / Kalamania Road, Kaua‘i $2 million for widening and drainage improvements on Kuhio Highway, Kaua‘i $2.2 million for slope stabilization at Lumahai Hillside on Kuhio Highway, Kaua‘i $500,000 for reconfiguration of the Akukini Road and Kapule Highway, Kaua‘i $7 million for traffic operational improvements to existing intersections and highways, Kaua‘i $100,000 for improvements Waimea Canyon Drive / Koke‘e Road improvements, Kaua‘i University of Hawaii $23 million for minor repairs at community colleges, statewide

Two New Cases of COVID-19 Reported O‘ahu and Hawai‘i island each have a new positive coronavirus case according to the latest count from DOH. One of the cases is an adult and the other is a minor. The investigation of cases is ongoing and at this time, it’s not known whether either of the cases was travel-associated or community-associated. Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, May 20, 2020

The committees on Ways and Means; and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, will hold an informational briefing at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, in the State Capitol auditorium. The state is facing significant challenges with revenues and unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic. The purpose of this briefing is to discuss a framework to address the impacts on the state's revenues, discuss an economic framework to recovery, and hear from specific entities that can reshape a new economy for the state. The following are invited to present on the specified topics: Report on Monthly Revenues: Department of Taxation Ms. Rona Suzuki, Director Overview of The Financial Impacts of COVID-19: Department of Budget and Finance Mr. Craig Hirai, Director Report on Current Unemployment Statistics: Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Mr. Scott Murakami, Director GDP History, Outlook, and Potential Sector Growth: State Economist Dr. Eugene Tian, Chief State Economist Approach to Job Creation: Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Mr. Mike McCartney, Director Hawaii Technology Development Corporation Mr. Len Higashi, Acting Executive Director Hawaii State Energy Office Mr. Scott Glenn, Chief Energy Officer Business Development & Support Division Mr. Dennis Ling, Administrator Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority Mr. Greg Barbour, Executive Director Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems Mr. Rodrigo Romo, Program Director Foreign Trade Zone Division Mr. David Sikkink, Administrator Agriculture as a Means of Job Creation and GDP Growth: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Development Dr. Nicholas Comerford, Dean Department of Agriculture Ms. Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, Chairperson Agribusiness Development Corporation Mr. James Nakatani, Executive Director Please note that there may be committee members or invited speakers participating remotely via video or teleconference. The meeting will be available for live viewing on ‘Olelo Channel 49 on O‘ahu and will go out live for pick up by neighbor island public access channels. It will also be streamed live online at olelo.org/49. No public testimony will be accepted. If you require special assistance, please call 586-6800 or email your request to waysandmeans@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell and University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner announced an agreement in principle today in front of the John A. Burns School of Medicine to dramatically expand COVID-19 testing capacity over the next several months as Honolulu’s economy re-opens. The partnership will establish the JABSOM Tropical Medicine Clinic Laboratory that will provide COVID-19 surge capacity for traditional diagnostic tests, establish a new “antibody” testing program, and develop new methods to test for COVID-19. “We can’t truly find this virus and work to contain it if we aren’t looking for it,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “From the beginning of this pandemic, testing has been one of the City’s three main focuses. The other two are contact tracing and quarantining. We believe much more testing needs to be done as we continue to get more of Oʻahu safely back to work. We thank the University of Hawaiʻi and the John A. Burns School of Medicine, along with Clinical Labs and Diagnostic Labs in partnership with our seven Community Health Centers, for working with us to increase testing capacity and make this transition to a more open way of life that is safe for the entire City and County of Honolulu.” The new lab is being supported with $3.9 million in CARES funds from the City and County of Honolulu, and is being fast-tracked by the University of Hawaiʻi to be up and running in an estimated six weeks. The Rockefeller Foundation is also providing support to the project as part of a longer-term investment to ensure that Honolulu has surge capacity to handle subsequent waves of COVID-19. The Rockefeller Foundation has issued a national testing plan that calls for COVID-19 national testing capacity to raise from the current one million tests a week, to three million this summer, to thirty million by the fall in order for the nation to safely keep the economy open. “We’re really excited about this opportunity to collaborate with the City and County, the Mayor and his team to leverage our facilities and our faculty expertise,” University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner said. “This lab will also be a crucial component for our ability to open the University of Hawaiʻi for the fall.” The partnership will provide 50,000 diagnostic COVID-19 tests available to Oʻahu residents through the end of the year, administered in partnership with Community Health Centers around the island. In addition, 49,000 COVID-19 antibody tests will be made available as part of a broader population study to identify patterns and levels of COVID-19 exposure locally. The lab has already obtained a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) certificate of compliance from the State Department of Health and CLIA registration and will start securing equipment immediately. “The UH John A. Burns School of Medicine is pleased to contribute facilities and scientific expertise to this joint effort with the City and County of Honolulu, and we believe that expanded testing capacity for on-island testing of COVID-19 will be important during the opening of the economy on Oʻahu,” said JABSOM Dean Dr. Jerris Hedges. “Contributing to new understandings related to this coronavirus infection will benefit the citizens and visitors to our island. We are pleased to help the Mayor and others in the City and County of Honolulu build a safer community as citizens return to work.” The new UH lab capacity and test kits helps complement the City’s testing partnership with local private labs also announced today, and takes advantage of the strong research and data background at the University of Hawaiʻi. The City-UH partnership will: ● Enable expanded, long-term COVID-19 test access for underserved, uninsured, and front-line workers who may require multiple tests for safety at their workplaces. ● Boost in-state private testing capacity to handle any future COVID-19 waves and surge periods. ● Strengthen the ability to secure 24 hour test results on island, and support rapid contact tracing and isolation of individuals who test positive for COVID-19. ● Identify patterns and levels of COVID-19 exposure through broad population antibody testing. ● Hire and train a medical laboratory technician and clinical laboratory scientist workforce that can build a pipeline of employment for the medical sector. ● Develop new approaches to test for COVID-19 that can reduce the cost of testing and decrease invasiveness—such as saliva-based testing instead of nasal swabs— allowing for broader testing to safely reopen and keep open the economy. ● Build longer-term capacity to identify, monitor, and diagnose COVID-19 variations and rare infectious diseases positioning Hawaiʻi to be on the leading edge of pandemic preparedness. ● Providing increased local capacity to do large group COVID-19 testing for both underserved populations (public housing projects, etc.), institutions (schools, etc.) and classes of workers (care homes, front-line workers) regularly. To obtain more information on the City’s COVID-19 response, visit www.oneoahu.org

Honolulu joins the Rockefeller Foundation’s Testing Solutions Group to expand pandemic testing across U.S. The City and County of Honolulu has joined the Rockefeller Foundation’s Testing Solutions Group, a demand-driven coalition committed to scaling up access to testing for COVID-19. Other new members include the State of Oregon and Cities of, Louisville, Tulsa, and Washington, DC. They are joining Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Greater Miami and the Beaches (a partnership including Miami, Miami Beach, and Miami Dade County), and New Orleans, alongside the Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribe through the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health to collaborate with other leaders and experts to find solutions to common challenges – and get their citizens back to work more safely. “To face the COVID-19 challenge, our nation and cities such as Honolulu need every sector to pitch in and paddle hard together if we are to succeed in building more resilient communities,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “Honolulu is honored to partner with The Rockefeller Foundation on the National Testing Action Plan, and it says a lot about our grit and ingenuity that we lead the nation on testing rates and flattening the curve. We are looking forward to working with The Rockefeller Foundation and other partners to expand testing capacity to help put Oʻahu safely back to work.” As an operational part of its National Covid-19 Testing Action Plan, The Rockefeller Foundation convened the Testing Solutions Group for the first time on Thursday, May 7. Nearly 50 officials participated in the first of a series of meetings designed to facilitate the exchange of best practices for public health authorities and federal, state, city, and tribal officials working to scale up pandemic testing needs from the frontlines in order to reopen their economies while safeguarding public health. “Testing is core to ending this crisis,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “It's going take leadership at the federal, state, and municipal level to protect our workers and families and reopen our workplaces and communities, which is why I am thrilled to have such an incredible depth of leadership in our Testing Solutions Group.” The Testing Solutions Group includes: · City, tribe, and state officials who are leading ambitious efforts to scale up testing in their communities as a pathway to safe and accelerated economic recovery; · Technical assistance experts to help answer real-time questions from members as they expand their testing efforts; · Financial supporters to add to The Rockefeller Foundation’s initial $5 million commitment. Achieving widespread Covid-19 testing requires combining data with local insights to determine where and how to reach all citizens. During the first meeting, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, Director of the New Orleans Health Department, presented the city’s approach to reaching the most vulnerable communities and the importance of having a local face to their plan. Lesson learned from New Orleans: New Orleans reported its first coronavirus case on March 9, and two more the following day. Dr. Avegno, a native of the city who is also an emergency room physician and a professor, quickly identified community spread because the three patients had no connection to each other and had not traveled. “That’s when we knew things were going to get bad really quickly,” she said. Initially offering drive-by diagnostic testing in partnership with the National Guard, New Orleans officials quickly learned from mapping data that critical neighborhoods were going untested. They found numbers were low in some neighborhoods populated by the most vulnerable, including elderly, low-income, and those with medical conditions that make them more susceptible to Covid-19 like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. “It was very apparent we were not getting to the places that needed it most.” Dr Avegno said. “We knew we had to go into the communities.” Recognizing that that they still were not reaching some of the targeted communities, the city began running mobile walk-in centers in rotating locations, setting up in trusted community gathering spots such as church parking lots and cultural centers in order to try and remove more barriers to accessing testing. Because of these adjustments, the city now tests about 250 people per walk-through site per day. While her biggest concern is running out of testing supplies, Dr. Avegno said that without community trust, “any message we need to give about the importance of testing and isolation and how to fight this virus, just won’t work.” The Rockefeller Foundation puts its National Covid-19 Testing Action Plan into action: As the largest public health testing program in the U.S. history, the Foundation’s Action Plan provides pragmatic steps to enact robust testing, tracing, and coordination to more safely reopen workplaces. Released on April 21, the Action Plan calls for: · increasing testing from 1 million per week currently, to 3 million per week within the next eight weeks, to ultimately 30 million tests per week in six months; · deploying a workforce of up to 300,000 Americans in a community health corps that would be accessible and allow for cities and states to scale up their public health workforce; · facilitating larger-scale, longer-term pooled procurement that brings together the supply and demand side of the market. The Foundation estimates that it will cost $100 billion, but will save money in the long run for the American economy, which is losing an estimated $350 - 400 billion dollars per month to the pandemic. In order to help operationalize the Action Plan, the Foundation will convene its Testing Solutions Group regularly around a specific topic or geography, along with curating an online platform of resources to answer real-time questions.

For Hawaii Tourism Authority and state updates regarding COVID-19 visit: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/