County Solid Waste Division Suspends 3 Programs At County Recycling & Transfer Stations: • Electronic Device Recycling Collection Program • HI-5 Certified Redemption Centers • Reuse Centers Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Solid Waste Division has suspended the following programs until April 30, 2020, or further notice: Electronic Device Recycling Collection Program at the Recycling and Transfer Stations. Mr. K’s Recycle & Redemption has also announced immediate suspension of electronics recycling at Mr. K’s location in Hilo.  HI-5 Certified Redemption Centers operated at the County Transfer Stations. Reuse Centers at the Recycling and Transfer Stations. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding.  Please visit our www.hawaiizerowaste.org website for future closure information and locations, or call our Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division Office, at 961-8270. Source: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1972/720

Hawai‘i County residents are encouraged to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census questionnaire even if they haven’t received a written invitation. The U.S. Census Bureau does not send invitations to a P.O. Box in Hawai‘i. For those residents, invitations were to be hand-delivered to physical addresses in a process called Update Leave; however, that process is on hold until April 30 to protect the health and safety of the community and Census employees during the COVID-19 virus pandemic. You can respond to the Census even if you haven’t received your invitation or if you’ve lost your invitation. Go to https://my2020census.gov/ and once you’ve started the questionnaire, follow the link that says, “If you do not have a Census ID, click here.” You can also fill out your questionnaire over the phone by calling 1-844-330-2020 toll-free or wait for a pre-stamped paper form. From the beginning of May through July, Census takers will go door-to-door to gather responses from households that have not yet responded. Mayor Harry Kim issued a Proclamation to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to raise awareness and educate the community about the importance of the U.S. Census and to achieve a complete and accurate count in Hawai‘i County. That proclamation declared April 1, 2020, as Census Day. Every 10 years, the Federal government conducts a Census, which is the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to communities across the country. These funds support the planning of various needs and initiatives, including public schools, student loans, school meals, special education, Medicaid & Medicare, health care centers, food assistance programs, public housing, first responders, roads, social services, and much more! Every 1% of the population that’s undercounted in Hawai‘i represents a potential loss of $37 million a year in federal funding, which equates to a loss of $370 million over 10 years. The Census Bureau is not a law enforcement agency; it’s a statistical agency. Strict federal law protects your census responses. By the same law, the Census Bureau can only use your responses to produce statistics. The decennial census will collect basic information about the people living in your household.  When completing the census, you should count everyone who is living in your household no matter what age they are or if they are related to you. Responding to the 2020 Census is an easy, safe and important way we can help provide for our families and communities for the next 10 years. Everyone counts, so let’s make sure we all get counted! Visit www.2020Census.gov/ to respond to the Census and for more information. Source: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1948/720

American Farmland Trust launched a relief fund to directly support farmers impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis.  The Trust will award farmers with cash grants of up to $1,000 each to help them weather the crisis. Application Deadline is April 23, 2020. See the Farmer Relief Fund website for more information and to apply online. Source: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1958/720

Hawaii Attorney General Joins Multistate Amicus Brief Defending ACA Birth Control Coverage Mandate in Supreme Court Hawaii Attorney General Clare E. Connors today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court supporting Pennsylvania in its case defending contraceptive coverage and counseling mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the brief filed in Donald Trump et al. v. Pennsylvania, the attorneys general explain that states have an interest in safeguarding the ACA’s birth control coverage requirement, which has benefited more than 62 million women across the country. The coalition argues that access to affordable birth control is critical to the health, well-being, and economic security of the states’ residents. “The mandate ensuring contraceptive healthcare needs to be protected,” said Attorney General Connors. “It guarantees necessary services for Hawaii families and prevents the increase of additional burdens on our state.” In 2017 and 2018, the Trump Administration issued rules which ignored the ACA’s birth control requirements and allowed employers to deny birth control coverage to their employees based on religious or moral objections. A coalition of 14 states and the District of Columbia successfully defended the ACA’s birth control coverage requirement. California obtained injunctions against the Trump Administration’s harmful and illegal rules in the Ninth Circuit, while Pennsylvania obtained an injunction in the Third Circuit After California and Pennsylvania won injunctions that protect the birth control coverage mandate, the federal government, Little Sisters of the Poor, and March for Life filed petitions for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court granted the petitions in the Pennsylvania litigation. The petitions from the California litigation remain pending. In the amicus brief, the attorneys general argue that the states have an important interest in providing women seamless contraceptive coverage. Tens of thousands of women will lose their cost-free contraceptive coverage if employers are allowed to exempt themselves from the ACA requirement. This loss of coverage will result in a reliance on state-funded programs that will increase the states’ costs associated with the provision of reproductive healthcare and will likely lead to an increase in unintended pregnancies. Joining California Attorney General Becerra, Massachusetts Attorney General Healey and Attorney General Connors in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Source: https://ag.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/News-Release-2020-47.pdf

Scientists at the University of Hawaii (UH) Mānoa have discovered a novel method of diagnosing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of cancers that starts in cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. Currently, there are no widely recommended screening tests at this time for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is usually diagnosed through invasive surgical or needle biopsies or removal of living tissue for examination. However, this study has the potential to change that paradigm by suggesting the use of Raman spectroscopy technology as an initial step to determine if and when a biopsy would be necessary. Dr. Bruce Shiramizu, pediatrician, researcher at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and senior author of the paper describes their findings as a repurposing of technology that has been used for the Department of Defense in remotely identifying chemicals such as explosives using a laser technique. “We partnered with an investigator with a physics background to design a way to use a hand-held probe to identify different types of pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphoma tissues,” said Dr. Shiramizu. He adds, “the importance of this work is to be able to use the hand-held probe as a screening or diagnostic tool for real-time assessment of a mass that might be a tumor.” According to Dr. Melissa Agsalda-Garcia, researcher at JABSOM’s Hawaiʻi Center for Aids, “this work in characterizing malignant cells has future diagnostic implications as a non-invasive initial tissue assessment in children with potential malignancies.” Agsalda-Garcia is  the first-author of the paper. This project is being supported by the St. Baldrickʻs Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, through multiple grants totaling $113,000. The manuscript, “Raman-Enhanced Spectroscopy (RESpect) Probe for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma” was published in the March 2020 edition of SciMedicine. About St. Baldrick’s Foundation Every 2 minutes a child somewhere in the world is diagnosed with cancer. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of pediatric cancer research grants, is on a mission to defy childhood cancers by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick’s, you don’t just give to one institution–you give to virtually every institution treating kids with cancer across the U.S. and beyond. As a leader in the pediatric cancer community, St. Baldrick’s works tirelessly to ensure that current and future children diagnosed with cancer will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment from the best leaders in the pediatric oncology field. Join us at StBaldricks.org and help #DFYchildhoodCancers.

Today, the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHHSURG) launched a website to ensure the continuity of coverage of essential health and homelessness services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The website features resources for providers who work with mental health and homeless populations, including provider Q&A webinars, weekly newsletters, updates from partners, and guidance on using telehealth and personal protective equipment. The site also contains information for clients and consumers, such as guidance on everyday prevention and how to access services. The goal is to enable providers and the people they serve to find answers to common questions and to provide them with updates to behavioral health homelessness and other social services during this challenging crisis. “This website will help us stay connected to our providers and the community, allowing us to share important COVID-19 news and guidance statewide,” said Eddie Mersereau, Deputy Director of Behavioral Health at the Hawai‘i State Department of Health. “Behavioral health and homelessness services remain essential during this worldwide pandemic and will be vital far beyond its resolution as a result of economic, social and psychological impacts.” The BHHSURG was formed to oversee the majority of the state’s public behavioral health and homelessness services systems. Partners include the Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Administration, the Governor’s Office, Department of Human Services’ Homeless Program Office, and all four counties. To view the website or to subscribe to the BHHSURG newsletter, visit bhhsurg.hawaii.gov.

The special committee will convene again on Tuesday, April 14, to assess and advise the Senate regarding the State of Hawaii's COVID-19 plans and procedures to include, but not limited to: Confirm the development of the state departmental plans and procedures; Review and assess current state departmental plans and procedures; Review and assess whether state departmental plans and procedures are properly and timely implemented to safeguard public health and safety; and To communicate and disseminate information obtained therefrom. The special committee will be meeting with the following: 11:00 a.m.             Office of the Attorney General Ms. Clare Connors, Attorney General 11:45 a.m.             Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Mr. Scott Murakami, Director 12:30 p.m.             Department of Transportation – Airports Division Mr. Ross Higashi, Deputy Director 1:15 p.m.               Department of Health Dr. Bruce Anderson, 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. No public testimony will be accepted. If you require special assistance, please call 586-6800 or email your request to waysandmeans@capitol.hawaii.gov.

The special committee will convene on Monday, April 13, to assess and advise the Senate regarding the State of Hawaii's COVID-19 plans and procedures to include, but not limited to: Confirm the development of the state departmental plans and procedures; Review and assess current state departmental plans and procedures; Review and assess whether state departmental plans and procedures are properly and timely implemented to safeguard public health and safety; and To communicate and disseminate information obtained therefrom. The special committee will be meeting with the following: 11:30 a.m.             Office of the Governor Ms. Linda Chu Takayama, Chief of Staff 12:00 p.m.             Office of Enterprise Technology Mr. Douglas Murdock, Chief Information Officer 12:45 p.m.             Department of Taxation Ms. Rona Suzuki, Director 1:30 p.m.               Department of Human Resources Development Mr. Ryker Wada, 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 53 on O‘ahu and will go out live for pick up by neighbor island public access channels. No public testimony will be accepted. If you require special assistance, please call 586-6800 or email your request to waysandmeans@capitol.hawaii.gov.

During the Thursday, April 9, meeting of the Special Committee, Scott Murakami, director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), was asked by committee members how unemployment claimants will receive the supplemental federal funds that will be paid out in response the economic hardships caused by the pandemic. Murakami responded that claimants will not need to take any action to receive the additional monies. The Special Committee stressed the need to identify the additional staffing needs within the DLIR to address the large influx of claims in order to reduce the time of payouts. Murakami said he has requested 58 additional staff from the Department of Human Resources Development, who must all be trained before being deployed. (Director Ryker Wada reported to the committee the day before that those positions would begin to be filled through a new deployment process beginning Monday, April 13.) Murakami also thanked the Senate Clerk’s office in helping produce a training manual made expressly for this purpose. The Special Committee asked whether DLIR could adjust to work shifts around the clock if enough staff was redeployed to the department. Murakami replied that as long as they have enough permanent staff to manage and provide security, this would be possible in theory. In discussions with those filing for unemployment, committee members noted that many had repeatedly attempted to log into the system but weren’t successful due to unclear instructions. They recommended that, during extended wait times, the DLIR provide a recorded message providing answers to frequently asked questions. Murakami replied that they are looking into that and how that could be worked within their system. The Honorable Daniel Foley (Ret.) then spoke of details in his preliminary report to the Hawaii Supreme Court in regards of the possible release of those incarcerated because of the pandemic. The Special Master Report is a public document and describes the facilities, population, and configurations on each island, made up of information received from the Attorney General, prosecutors, public defenders, and health professionals. Both prosecutors and the Attorney General expressed their concern about the process for releasing inmates, in order to ensure that they have a place to go upon release and that they can be monitored. The system is working to reduce the number of potential inmates who enter correctional facilities, but also to make sure that these people are not a danger to the public. Prosecutors will have the opportunity to give notice to the public, including victims of any given inmate, regarding the possibility of release. Nolan Espinda, Director of the Department of Public Safety, reported that the prison population has been reduced by 548 from March 2 to April 9 of this year. The reduction was due to the actions of the police department, prosecuting attorneys and judges. Eleven inmates were impacted by the court’s mandate that those serving intermittent sentences (weekend incarceration) be released. A total of 94 inmates are currently being held at the Federal Detention Center, with an additional 100 to be transferred out of Oahu Community Correctional Facility on Monday, April 13. The Special Committee indicated that a recent judge report cited hygiene and social distancing as reason for the transfer. Espinda responded that he was unaware of the report, but noted that the system is taking precautions possible for social distancing and treatment in line with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, adding that correctional facilities, however, are not built to encourage effective social distancing. He said that, to date, two inmates have been tested for COVID-19, and both were negative. No positive cases have been found within the prison population. Espinda also reported that prison industries have begun making masks for distribution to the general public, and that they will produce 700-1,200 masks per week. The Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness Scott Morishige also reported to the committee on Thursday.When questioned about the quarantining and isolating of those who test positive for the novel coronavirus after being released from hospitals, Morishige indicated that his team is currently working with the shelter system to verify space is available, and to utilize contract outreach providers to followup with homeless individuals. On Wednesday, April 8, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green reported to the Special Committee. One of the things he mentioned concerning testing, that while the State has 15 Abbot Rapid testers (those that can do 5-minute tests with a 13-minute confirmation) on hand, it was only receiving 120 test kits per week. Committee members asked Lt. Gov. Green if the State was taking steps to follow federal/CDC guidance to test only those symptomatic, as well as the need to re-test those with negative results, and the Lieutenant Governor replied that they have not. The Special Committee urged the need for contact tracing testing. Committee members then asked Ryker Wada, Director of the Department of Human Resources Development about whether the department was looking into possible early retirement plans for some non-essential workers. He replied that the State is reviewing the option of offering such plans for those eligible or nearly eligible for retirement. One possible issue is that the high cost of payouts due to unused paid leave and mass vacancies will mean that those positions will not be filled immediately when the State reopens for normal business. With people still flying to the islands from abroad despite the dangers of the pandemic, the Special Committee expressed frustration to Adjutant General Kenneth Hara, Incident Commander from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), that this allowance comes as residents are implored to stay at home. When MG Hara expressed some reservations around the unintended consequences of stopping non-essential travel, the committee requested that those consequences be identified and communicated to the public. He said that if a visitor has a reservation for less than the 14-day quarantine period, we cannot stop them from leaving before the quarantine period is over under the current supplemental order. The Governor would have to change the second supplemental order to ensure that HIEMA could require those visitors to return home. The Special Committee believes that the supplemental order must be changed to require a minimum 14-day quarantine location, and that it is aware of the current quarantine period and that visitors should comply. Rapid testing could then be used at the end of the quarantine period to ensure visitors’ health and safety. The Special Committee advised MG Hara that there may be extra State employees that could help with the tracking of visitors on a regular basis after the high priority needs of the DLIR have been met. In a similar vein, the Special Committee inquired about travelers coming in to stay with family. MG Hara acknowledged that it may be a gap in their process. He also said that HIEMA is watching and tracking why people are still traveling inter-island. Concerning the upcoming RIMPAC exercises, MG Hara reported that HIEMA is working with INDOPACOM authorities on how to engage in the biennial exercises without risking the health of the people of Hawai‘i. Continuing in the idea of using State workers currently at home and drawing a paycheck, the Special Committee said those workers could be used in case there’s a surge in the current number of COVID-19 cases if and when the Department of Health needs additional resources and personnel to keep up with tracing and testing needs.

Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi (D-Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau) wishes to thank Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for their donation of $1 million towards relief efforts on Kaua‘i caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “This generous donation includes $250,000 to support the courageous team at Wilcox Memorial Center in its efforts to provide health care during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senate President Kouchi. “The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative donation will also support food supplies, rent assistance, and educational needs on Kaua‘i. Mahalo to Priscilla, Mark, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for their willingness to open their hearts and provide critical support for the people of Kaua‘i.” According to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, grants have been awarded to Wilcox Medical Center and the Hawai`i Community Foundation (HCF) to be distributed via the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua`i Community Fund to organizations supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. A donation was also given to `Aina Ho`okupu O Kīlauea.

The Supply Chain Task Force continues executing a strategy maximizing the availability of critical protective and lifesaving resources through FEMA for a whole-of-America response. Efforts to date have focused on reducing the medical supply chain capacity gap to both satisfy and relieve demand pressure on medical supply capacity. The task force is applying a four-prong approach of Preservation, Acceleration, Expansion and Allocation to rapidly increase supply today and expand domestic production of critical resources to increase supply long-term. The preservation line of effort focuses on providing federal guidance to responders and the non-medical sector, such as public service (police, fire, EMT), energy distribution and the food industry on how to preserve supplies when possible, to reduce impact on the medical supply chain. The acceleration line of effort provides direct results to help meet the demand for personal protective equipment PPE through the industry to allow responders to get supplies they need as fast as possible. The expansion line of effort is charged with generating capacity with both traditional and non-traditional manufacturers, such as adding machinery or by re-tooling assembly lines to produce new products. The allocation of supplies facilitates the distribution of critically needed PPE to "hot spots" for immediate resupply. States report on supplies and can request assistance when they experience a shortage. The Supply Chain Task Force is working with the major commercial distributors to facilitate the rapid distribution of critical resources in short supply to locations where they are needed most. This partnership enables FEMA and its federal partners to take a whole-of-America approach to combatting COVID-19. The task force is providing distributors with up-to-date information on the locations across the country hardest hit by COVID-19 or in most need of resources now and in the future. The distributors have agreed to focus portions of their distributions on these areas in order to alleviate the suffering of the American people. A key example of this partnership in action is Project Airbridge. The airbridge was created to reduce the time it takes for U.S. medical supply distributors to receive PPE and other critical supplies into the country for their respective customers. FEMA covers the cost to fly supplies into the U.S. from overseas factories, reducing shipment time from weeks to days. Overseas flights arrive at operational hub airports for distribution to hotspots and nationwide locations through regular supply chains. Flight arrivals do not mean supplies will be distributed in the operational hub locations. Per agreements with distributors, 50 percent of supplies on each plane are for customers within the hotspot areas with most critical needs. The remaining 50 percent is fed into distributors’ normal supply chain to their customers in other areas nationwide. HHS and FEMA determine hotspot areas based on CDC data. Working together, we can efficiently distribute these vital resources to hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, pre-hospital medical services, state and local governments, and other facilities critical to caring for the American people during this pandemic. Contact Us If you have any questions, please contact Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division: Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444, at nbeoc@max.gov.

Today, April 10, the Honolulu Fire Department will be utilizing three separate drone operation teams to enforce Mayor Caldwell’s Stay at home/ Work at home order at beaches around O‘ahu. Teams will be stationed in three separate locations around the island: · Lanikai Beach, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. · Waikīkī, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. · Sandy Beach, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The drones will be playing the following audio message: “Aloha, the stay at home order is in effect. Please do not gather or sit on the beach. Water activities are permitted but please leave immediately after.” News crews are welcome to film b roll of the drone team in Waikīkī, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the beach fronting the Ilikai. The drones will not be equipped with any video recording equipment, and will be used solely for public address purposes.