Senator Donovan Dela Cruz’s budget committee will meet tomorrow Wednesday at 10:25 a.m. (An earlier press release erroneously gave the wrong time.) Two bills in particular will be discussed: HB 117 relating to state funds, deferring further implementation of the executive and judicial branch salary increases scheduled for July 1, 2020, as well as planned raises for members of the Legislature on January 1, 2021. HB 2200 HD 1 relating to the state budget, adjusting and making additional appropriations for fiscal biennium 2019-2021 to fund the operations of executive branch agencies and programs. The meeting will be shown live on ‘Olelo channel 55, as well as streaming live online at olelo.org/55.

Department of Water Supply reminds public of best practices for maintaining or restoring water quality in buildings following extended COVID-19 closures The Department of Water Supply is reminding the public of best practices to maintain or restore water quality in buildings after extended closures because of COVID-19. When buildings are closed for an extended period of time, water will stagnate and can lead to conditions for the growth of pathogens or change water chemistry that may increase corrosion and leaching of metals, including lead. “We want to remind building owners and managers of the problems associated with stagnant water and take prudent steps to flush out water systems properly,” Department of Water Supply Director Jeffrey Pearson said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has distributed information on maintaining or restoring water quality in buildings with low or no use to help building owners and managers in addressing water stagnation after extended closures due to COVID-19 response. It can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/information-maintaining-or-restoring-water-quality-buildings-low-or-no-use The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also updated its guidance for reopening buildings after prolonged shutdown or reduced operation. It can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/building-water-system.html The guidance notes that: “Turning on the water for immediate use after it has been stagnant can pose a risk to public health if not properly managed. Additionally, turning on water after a prolonged period of non-use could disrupt pipe and plumbing scales to such an extent that microbial and chemical contaminants could be released into the water.” Among the EPA’s recommended steps to maintain water quality while buildings/businesses are closed: Review and understand the plumbing configuration and water usage in a building. Inspect the building. Contact the water utility. Flush the building’s plumbing system regularly. Before buildings and businesses reopen, the EPA recommends taking the following steps to prepare a building’s water system: Replace the water in the building’s plumbing with fresh water and maintain all building water systems. Consider contacting the Department of Health for help with any specific concerns or to check on requirements. Review the potential impact that degraded water quality might have on building occupants considering their use of the building and water systems. Drain and clean water storage facilities and hot water heaters. Follow appropriate regulations and policies for worker safety and health while performing all activities. For more information, contact the Department of Water Supply at 270-7834.

Yesterday, 893 people arrived in Hawaii including 286 visitors and 339 residents. During this same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. The state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.

One New Case of COVID-19 There is one (1) new case reported today by the DOH. This is an out-of-state resident who was screened at the airport and subsequently tested positive. Complacency is a serious concern as reports of fewer cases inadvertently signals less urgency. Informal gatherings are being observed and people are doing less social distancing and everyone is not wearing a mask. Any success we are seeing now will backslide if everyone in our communities does not comply with stay at home, social distancing, mask-wearing, and other measures to keep the spread of coronavirus controlled. State legislators are urged to remind their constituents that maintaining community efforts and sacrifices will allow us to reopen the state. Not complying will likely create a second wave of COVID-19 and delay reopening businesses and resumption of travel. For more tables visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/

The Hawai‘i Air National Guard and 15th Wing Active Duty Airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will perform a flyover throughout the Hawaiian Islands on Thursday, May 14, 2020, beginning at approximately 11:20 a.m. The flyovers will aim to fly above most of Hawaii’s large hospitals and major metropolitan areas in a salute to all frontline workers battling COVID-19, as well as those staying at home to “flatten the curve of transmission” of the virus. The flyover will feature all locally based U.S. Air Force planes, including a C-17 Globemaster III, a KC-135 Stratotanker and a flight of F-22 Raptors, which will complete routine training sorties as they visit each neighboring island. These aircraft were already scheduled for these training flights, so the flyover is at no additional cost to the taxpayer. The flight path was coordinated with Hawai‘i State officials as well as members of the Federal Aviation Administration. The altitude of the flyover will vary between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above ground level. “This event will recognize the hard work that everyone in Hawai‘i has already accomplished to keep Hawai‘i’s COVID cases among the lowest in the United States, while also acknowledging the need for continued vigilance, and our obligation to those in our community who will require continued assistance,” said Brig. Gen. Dann S. Carlson, 154th Wing Commander. “These flyovers are meant to provide hope and reaffirm confidence in our state and nation while emphasizing the Air Force’s enduring commitment and support to the people of the State of Hawai’i.” Onlooking residents should watch from the safety of their homes while adhering to social distancing guidelines and should refrain from traveling to see the flyover. The frontline workers, at the hospitals listed below, are also encouraged to witness the flyover outside their facilities, but citizens should also follow Governor David Ige’s order to maintain social distancing and avoid large gatherings. Inspired by the Air Force’s Operation American Resolve Salutes campaign, the flyover is intended to provide a salute to all the healthcare professionals, frontline responders, and essential personnel working to keep everyone safe and healthy during these unique times. The F-22s are operated by the Hawai‘i Air National Guard and Active Duty partners in the 199th and 19th Fighter Squadrons. The fifth-generation fighter incorporates stealth technology, radical maneuvering capabilities, the ability to fly at supersonic speed without afterburners and unprecedented pilot situational awareness, making it the most dominant and advanced air superiority fighter in the world. The C-17 is known to be the Air Force’s most flexible cargo aircraft and is locally operated by a total-force team from the 535th and 204th Airlift Squadrons. It has the ability to perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions in support of global humanitarian/disaster relief, while delivering medical supplies and personnel, and can transport stretchers and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations. Hickam’s C-17s have been utilized frequently over the past several weeks to deliver medical supplies to and from the continental U.S. and to transport Hawai‘i National Guard Joint Task Force personnel and equipment to our islands. The KC-135 provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft, and is operated by the Hawai‘i Air National Guard’s 203rd Air Refueling Squadron. Once the planes fly over Kahuku on the island of O‘ahu, the routes will diverge with a C-17 proceeding to Kaua‘i and a KC-135 diverging east towards Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Hawai‘i island and Maui. The F-22s will peel off to the north to continue with regularly scheduled training. We welcome and encourage viewers to tag us on social media in photos and videos of the formation with the hashtags: #TeamHickamSalutes, #AirForceSalutesHI, #FlyoverHawaii, #InThisTogether, #respondHINGwithAloh

Schatz Leads Bipartisan Group Of Senators To Call For $2 Billion In New Federal Funding To Help Health Care Providers Expand Telehealth Services During Pandemic “The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased the need to expand telehealth,” the senators wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif). “It is imperative that Congress act to ensure our front-line responders have the tools they need to combat this deadly virus.” Telehealth allows health care providers to treat patients safely without putting themselves or their patients at risk of contracting COVID-19 and has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, many providers – especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities – lack the resources to handle this increase in demand for telehealth services. The senators are calling for $2 billion in additional funding to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, the only federal program that supports broadband deployment at urban and rural health care provider locations. These new funds would expand the RHC Program to support non-rural and mobile health care providers, eliminate administrative red tape slowing down the process of obtaining broadband connectivity, and provide more resources to help providers increase their broadband capacity. Expanding telehealth is critical to keeping people safe during the current public health emergency. The coronavirus response legislation has included multiple provisions from Schatz's bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act (S. 2741). These measures have helped increase access to Medicare telehealth services during the current public health emergency, allowing more patients to receive care at home, while freeing up health resources and limiting the spread of infections in emergency rooms and hospitals. In addition to Senator Schatz, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Angus King (I-Maine), and John Boozman (R-Ark.). The full letter is available here and below: Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, and Leader McCarthy: We write to express our support for dedicated funding for broadband for health care providers in any future coronavirus relief package Congress considers.  The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased the need to expand telehealth so that health care providers can treat patients safely, without putting themselves or their patients at risk.  As a result, many health care providers are facing connectivity challenges in meeting this new demand for telehealth.  It is imperative that Congress act to ensure our front-line responders have the tools they need to combat this deadly virus. The Rural Health Care (RHC) Program is the only federal program that supports broadband deployment at urban and rural health care provider locations to improve patient care and reduce health care costs.  The program is comprised of two parts, the Telecommunications Program, which subsidizes the difference between urban and rural rates for telecommunications services, and the Health Care Connect Fund, which provides health care providers a 65% discount on their telecommunications and broadband costs. Unfortunately, demand for the RHC Program has outpaced available funding over the last several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic impact will likely exacerbate this issue.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that health care providers use telehealth to direct patients to the right level of care for their health care needs, to conduct initial screenings of patients who may be infected with COVID-19, and to ensure that patients have access to necessary care without potentially exposing themselves by entering a hospital or physician’s office.  Congress’s actions to waive restrictions on the use of telehealth in Medicare during the coronavirus outbreak in the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will also likely increase demands for telehealth and requests for support through the RHC Program. Congress must do more for our health care providers so that they can meet telehealth needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.  That is why we are writing you to request that Congress provide $2 billion in additional support for the RHC Program in any future coronavirus response. This additional support would expand the reach of the RHC Program to enable health care providers at non-rural and mobile health care facilities to engage in telehealth, eliminate administrative red tape that slows down the ability of front-line providers to obtain broadband connectivity, and provide more resources to current health care providers in the RHC Program so they can increase their broadband capacity to effectively treat their patients. The RHC Program has been a key aspect of increasing telehealth in the United States.  In this time of crisis, it is imperative we do our part to ensure the safety and security of our health care providers and patients.  We urge you to include support in coronavirus legislation to ensure that Americans can access vital care when they need it in a way that protects their health and the health of those around them.  Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

The Hawai‘i State Senate is reconvening the 2020 Regular Session of the State Legislature today for an abbreviated emergency session, after recessing on March 16 due to COVID-19. This reconvene will be limited in scope to a few fiscal bills to be handled by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, and to the advise and consent measures currently pending in Senate committees. A number of safety measures are now in place to slow the spread of the disease. The State Capitol will remain closed to the general public for safety. Governor David Ige’s stay-at-home order remains in effect through May 31. The National Guard and Sheriffs are securing the building. Only elected legislators and select staff, and hearing witnesses and appointments requested by legislators, are allowed into the building. All entryways into the building have been secured. Authorized personnel are required to enter the Capitol via the chamber level, main glass doors, and submit to a temperature screening. Face marks are mandatory. Employees are required to wear their ID badges. Anyone exhibiting signs of illness will be denied entry. CDC guidelines must be adhered to along with six feet social distancing. Hearing rooms will be sanitized and sterilized. Due to the unprecedented necessity of closing the Capitol building, a number of steps have been taken to provide public access to the Senate’s proceedings. All hearings will be carried live on ‘Olelo and aired on neighbor island public access networks, and they will be streamed live online. Legislators will hold daily press conferences via Zoom, and these will be available to the public live on the Hawai‘i State Senate Facebook page. Committees will accept written testimony at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/ A schedule of upcoming hearing telecasts is available here: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/broadcasts.aspx. Live streams are available at olelo.org/55 and olelo.org/49. The Senate will be using technology to allow remote participation by members who are not able to physically attend our floor sessions and committee hearings. To achieve that goal, the Senate will vote on a resolution during today’s session to allow for virtual participation for Senators in committee hearings and during floor sessions. Each committee with pending nominations will hold a hearing on the nominations and a separate decision-making meeting on a subsequent day, so members have time to review the testimony and follow up with nominees if necessary. The Senate session will convene in the Senate Chamber today at 11:30 a.m.

Senator Kahele to participate in reconvening of Legislative Session while on Full-Time National Guard Duty When the Hawaiʻi State Legislature reconvenes today, Senator Kaiali‘i “Kai” Kahele (D-Hilo) will be joining his colleagues in the Senate while on full time National Guard duty as a member of the Hawai‘i National Guard’s COVID-19 Joint Task Force response. Senator Kahele is a Lieutenant Colonel with the Hawai‘i Air National Guard. His active duty start date was April 14th and was originally scheduled to end on May 14th but has been extended to May 31st. Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 1344.10 allows a reserve component member on active duty for less than 270 days to exercise the functions of elected office provided there is no interference with the performance of military duties. Senator Kahele is on Title 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) status in support of the March 1, 2020 Presidential Declaration of National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and is assigned to the Hawaiʻi National Guard COVID-19 Joint Task Force under the command of Brigadier General Moses Kaoiwi Jr. All 50 States, Territories and the District of Columbia are providing more than 46,500 guardsmen currently serving in high-risk jobs, distributing food and medical supplies, supporting testing and undertaking other tasks amid the pandemic. Most guardsmen are serving under federal Title 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) orders, which provides federal funds for pay and allowances but keeps guardsmen under the command of their respective State Governors. Senator Kahele is the Majority Floor Leader and Chair of the Water and Land Committee. He is one of the first guardsman in the country to serve as an elected official in an official capacity while on full-time National Guard duty dedicated to the country’s COVID-19 national emergency response efforts.

Yesterday, 857 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 255 visitors and 334 residents. During this same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in Hawai‘i daily, including residents and visitors. The state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawai‘i from out of state. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel. Crew = flight crew members Intended Resident = people who are moving to Hawai‘i such as military members and their families, and former residents who intend to live in Hawai‘i Resident = people who have a Hawai‘i ID Transit = people in transit to another location through Hawai‘i and aren’t leaving the airport Visitor = people who do not have a Hawai‘i ID including essential health care workers, essential federal workers, former residents such as mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment, and leisure travelers. Majority of the people who flew to Hawai‘i yesterday arrived on O‘ahu. The following tables show what the O‘ahu visitors indicated as the purpose of their trip and their type of accommodation, and they can choose more than one. This data was collected from the HTA survey on the back of the Hawai‘i Agriculture Declaration Form. People are not mandated by law to fill out the survey so some are left blank. For Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and state updates regarding COVID-19 visit: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/

Kahalu‘u Bay on Hawai‘i Island is one of the most popular and heavily visited snorkeling locations in all of Hawai‘i. Hundreds of thousands of people come to view colorful fish and dazzling coral colonies every year, and like in many other over-used locations, the aquatic life in the bay is struggling to survive. The COVID-19 crisis has provided the opportunity for the bay and its inhabitants to rest. Hawai‘i County’s Kahalu‘u Beach Park has been closed, and now the Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center (KBEC), a program of The Kohala Center, along with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), are asking everyone to voluntarily refrain from swimming and snorkeling in the bay, particularly during the week of May 10-16 to enhance upcoming spawning of cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina). According to DAR and Eyes of the Reef Network, cauliflower coral was once abundant on shallow coral reefs along West Hawaiʻi, including Kahaluʻu Bay. However, environment stressors and very high ocean temperatures impacted West Hawaiʻi in 2015 and again at the end of 2019, causing catastrophic bleaching and mortality for more than 90% of the Kahaluʻu Bay population. KBEC director Cindi Punihaole Kennedy says next week is prime spawning time for the corals, as they only get one chance a year to spawn. “We’re asking everyone to voluntarily avoid snorkeling or swimming in the bay from May 10-16. During broadcast spawning events, corals emit reproductive materials (“gametes”) into the water column and these materials are carried by the tides to mix and generate planktonic coral larvae. Given the chance to settle undisturbed by human activity and/or pollutants, coral gametes will be able to find proper rubble colony areas to settle within the bay.” KBEC has been one of the state’s leaders in encouraging the use of reef-friendly sunscreens by conducting frequent sunscreen swaps and encouraging folks to cover up.  In addition, Reef Teachers educate visitors to avoid stepping on rocks as they are home to many living animals and to please extend social distancing practices to help protect the bay’s natural resources. DAR administrator Brian Neilson commented, “We totally support this voluntary measure as natural reproduction events are critically important.” Researchers can accurately predict when cauliflower and other coral species will spawn. Studies have shown that with the absence of daily visitors and a subsequent reduction in physical damage and impact of chemical sunscreens, growth and recovery along the shoreline has already been documented. Research has shown that it can take less than 24 hours for corals to successfully reproduce and settle properly.” Punihaole Kennedy concluded, “Minimizing pollutants and physical disturbances in our precious bay starting on Sunday is fitting for Mother’s Day. It will help ensure that corals are able to spawn in their natural environment without interference.” source: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/07/nr20-059/

Reopening of Select State Parks Prompts Respectful Viewing Reminders Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles and other marine animals that frequent our shores have largely had near-shore waters and beaches to themselves for the past six weeks. With today’s announcement of the reopening of select DLNR Division of State Parks units across the state, park managers and aquatic biologists are reminding people to be respectful of the places we share with Hawai‘i’s treasured marine creatures. DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said, “We’re excited people will once again get out, visit, and experience these open spaces and the wildlife that utilize these areas. It is important to remember that these lands are preserved for cultural, aesthetic, and ecological purposes, and as such have specific rules in place in hopes of maintaining these spaces for times like these as well as for future generations.” As people begin to increase use of parks, Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles, may be less wary of approaching people and more easily spooked from their haul-out locations and back into the water. With limited volunteer presence during this time, there are fewer visual barriers on beaches than usual, therefore people may be more likely to stumble upon seals. This includes mom and pup pairs as this is the middle of monk seal pupping season. It is important to give moms and nursing pups extra-wide berth during this critical life history stage, both for the protection of the pup and for human safety around protective mother seals. There have been multiple reports of off-leash dog – monk seal interactions over the past few days. Remember to keep your dogs on leash when you’re on any Hawai‘i shorelines. Interactions between dogs and monk seals can lead to both animals being injured. Violations can carry fines over $2,000. If you do spot a monk seal or sea turtle and observe any unusual behavior, either with the animals or people interacting with them, please call the NOAA Statewide Marine Animal Hotline (888-256-9840) so a trained wildlife officer can assess the situation. Source: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/05/06/nr20-057/

Yesterday, 812 people arrived in Hawaii including 260 visitors and 267 residents. During this same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. The state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel. Crew = flight crew members Intended Resident = people who are moving to Hawaii such as military members and their families, and former residents who intend to live in Hawaii Resident = people who have a Hawaii ID Transit = people who are in transit to another location through Hawaii and aren’t leaving the airport Visitor = people who do not have a Hawaii ID including essential health care workers, essential federal workers, former residents such as mainland college students coming to stay with family, military on temporary assignment, and leisure travelers Majority of the people who flew to Hawaii yesterday arrived on Oahu. The following tables show what the Oahu visitors indicated as the purpose of their trip and their type of accommodation, and they can choose more than one. This data was collected from the HTA survey on the back of the Hawaii Agriculture Declaration Form. People are not mandated by law to fill out the survey so some are left blank. For Hawaii Tourism Authority and state updates regarding COVID-19 visit: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/