Honolulu, Hawai‘i – Senator Lorraine R. Inouye (D-Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, and Kona, Hawai‘i Island) announced that $250,000 in general obligation bond funds were released by Governor David Ige for a Capital Improvement Project in the name of the Kahilu Theatre Foundation. The funds are for improvements and renovations to the theatre located in Waimea. #KahiluTheatre #CapitalImprovementProject #LorraineInouye #HawaiiSenate #DavidIge

Senate committees will hold hearings over the next two days on bills that crossed over from the House of Representatives that are part of the 2020 Cost of Living Initiative to provide real economic benefits for Hawai‘i’s families and individuals as part of our collective kuleana. The bills, as part of this joint legislative package, aim to provide all children who are 3- to 4-years-old, or will be eligible for kindergarten within two years, with access to learning through an early learning program; and increasing the minimum wage rate, along with making the state earned income tax credit refundable and permanent, and an increase and amending the refundable food/excise tax credit by basing the amount of the credit on a taxpayer’s Hawai‘i earned income, rather than federal adjusted gross income. The Senate Committee on Education will hold a hearing on House Bill 2543, House Draft 1 relating to access to learning at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in conference room 229. The Senate Committee on Labor, Culture and the Arts will hold a hearing on House Bill 2541, House Draft 1 relating to helping working families at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, March 12, 2020, in conference room 224. #HawaiiSenate #CostOfLivingInitiative #Education

The 12th annual Art at the Capitol event at the State Capitol has been cancelled as a precaution to help reduce the spread of #COVID19. The event was to be held on Friday, April 3. ##Coronavirus #HawaiiStateLegislature #HILeg2020 #ArtAtTheCapitol

FESTPAC Hawaiʻi Commissioners announced today that the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FESTPAC) is rescheduled for June 18-27, 2021. Hawaiʻi was set to host FESTPAC 2020 this June—but growing global concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak prompted event organizers to postpone the 11-day event citing the health and safety of Hawaiʻi residents and festival participants. “History will be witnessed in Hawaiʻi in 2021. When our Pacific Island cousins come here, they will experience the welcoming, unifying, life-changing experiences they have graciously shared with our delegations over the decades,” said Senator J. Kalani English, FESTPAC Hawaiʻi Commission Chairman. “We continue to work with our sponsors and supporters to ensure that FESTPAC Hawaiʻi will be a truly transformative and dynamic festival.” FESTPAC is a traveling festival hosted every four years by a different Pacific Island nation. The South Pacific Arts Festival was started by the Pacific Community (SPC) in 1972 as a means to stem erosion of traditional cultural practices by sharing and exchanging culture at each festival. The name and participating nations have evolved into the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture we know today. The festival has only been postponed once before—in 1984—when political unrest forced the festival to be moved from New Caledonia to French Polynesia. In 2016, Guam hosted the 12th FESTPAC, which drew a reported 90,000 visitors. Hawaiʻi organizers expect the festival—made up of 28 nations and as many as three-thousand delegates—will draw tens of thousands of visitors to the islands. Updates for FESTPAC Hawaiʻi will be posted at www.festpachawaii.org. #FESTPAC #FESTPAC2021 #PacificCommunity #SPC #Hawaii

Senate President Ron Kouchi announced today that the Senate will take measures to implement “social distancing’ in accordance with the best practices recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the spread of COVID-19. All essential functions of the Hawai‘i State Senate will continue. No one who works at the Hawai‘i State Capitol has reported showing any symptoms of COVID-19 at this time. “As we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation, the health and welfare of all of our Senate staff, their families, and those who do business at the Capitol continue to be our primary concern,” said Senate President Kouchi. “We are following guidance and information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and state and city health officials with priorities to protect our employees and help mitigate the spread of the virus in our community.” Effective immediately: All scheduled floor presentations honoring members of the community have been postponed. Upcoming Senate- and Legislature-sponsored events scheduled in conference rooms and the Capitol grounds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they should continue or be postponed. Legislators and staff have been asked to avoid physical greetings such as handshakes and hugs. Many offices have posted signs on office doors asking for the public’s cooperation with these practices. Cleaning and sanitation of all rooms open to the public has increased. Hand sanitizer dispensers are now be available in common areas on each floor of the Capitol. While committee hearings remain open, the public will be urged to submit written testimony electronically and watch select hearings online to achieve “social distancing” and avoid spreading the virus. The amount of seating in the conference rooms will be reduced to allow those who attend hearings in person to maintain a reasonable distance from each other and keep the total number of occupants to a minimum. Televisions will be placed outside of hearing rooms and testifiers will be encouraged to remain outside until the bill they are interested in is up for consideration. The Senate will be implementing crowd control measures to ensure the orderly flow of testifiers in and out of the conference rooms during hearings. Signage will be posted on all conference room doors requesting the public's cooperation with these new procedures. Live streaming of all Senate floor sessions and select committee hearings will be available on YouTube and Facebook Live to allow the public to monitor proceedings from their homes or offices. In addition, the Senate President is working on guidance related to personnel issues that may arise from this rapidly evolving and unpredictable situation, including how to handle sick employees, leave policies, travel guidelines, telework, and other employment-related issues. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #HawaiiSenate #RonKouchi

No Direct Incoming Flights to Hawaii from Europe The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation confirmed there are no direct, incoming flights from Europe to the U.S. The 30-day federal ban on flights from Europe except the United Kingdom begins Friday, March 13, at midnight. Extended Hours for Public Calls to AUW 2-1-1 on COVID-19 Aloha United Way has extended its public call center hours to 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., 7 days a week. For more information or questions about COVID-19: Call 2-1-1 from any location in the state Text 877-275-6569 Email info211@auw.org Visit health.hawaii.gov/covid19 or coronavirus.gov Media Reports on Canadian Visitor to Hawaii The Department of Health (DOH) has reached out to its federal partners regarding media reports of a Canadian visitor who, upon return to Canada, was confirmed positive for COVID-19. DOH has not received any information on this individual to this point. Tours Temporarily Suspended at Kalaupapa National Historical Park DOH has temporarily suspended tours to Kalaupapa National Historical Park until April 11, 2020 as a public health measure to protect the vulnerable population of patients. Community Surveillance Initiative The Hawaii Department of Health is launching a statewide surveillance testing program to identify cases of community spread of the coronavirus. This additional layer of testing helps detect COVID-19 cases earlier so that appropriate steps can be taken to contain the virus. About 200 COVID-19 tests will be conducted each week under the program. Samples collected for influenza testing from patients with respiratory symptoms will be randomly selected and also tested for COVID-19. These samples are collected by healthcare providers in doctor’s offices and other outpatient settings. The information will help responders understand the scope if such a spread when it occurs. Continued Contact Follow-Up The Department of Health is conducting contact tracing and follow-up on the cases associated with the Grand Princess cruise ship in addition to the traveler who had recent travel to Washington State via Hawaiian Airlines. Healthcare workers exposed to the individual without proper precautions are being monitored for symptoms for 14 days. Precautions for seniors Seniors are at a greater risk for COVID-19, especially those who have underlying health conditions. Older adults and individuals with underlying health issues should avoid non-essential travel, including cruises. Neighbor island residents with scheduled medical treatment or follow-up care on Oahu should consult with their doctors. Seniors should avoid large crowds, wash their hands often, and keep medications and groceries on-hand. For the latest situation reports from the World Health Organization, visit who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports. World Health Organization (WHO) Reports For the latest situation reports from the World Health Organization, visit who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports. DOH advises people who think they may have symptoms of COVID-19 to contact their healthcare provider in advance of going to a medical facility. Tell your provider about your symptoms and any recent travel. Healthcare providers will discuss any possible cases of COVID-19 with DOH to determine if testing is needed. Consider utilizing tele-health services, if available. Avoid traveling or leaving home if you are sick, except for visiting your doctor after contacting them in advance. Second positive case on Oahu On March 8, DOH tested a second presumptive positive test result for an elderly adult who is hospitalized in serious condition on Oahu. The individual felt ill on March 2 in Washington State and traveled home to Honolulu on March 4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been notified and trace back investigations are being conducted. The Oahu hospital has taken protective and preventive measures and is working with healthcare workers to ensure health and safety. Information is still being gathered and as more information becomes available, the public will be advised. The first presumptive positive case was announced March 6. That individual was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise in Mexico from Feb. 11-21. After arriving in Mexico, the individual traveled home to Honolulu with no symptoms. While home in Honolulu, the individual became ill on March 1, sought medical care and was tested on March 6. The individual is currently isolated at home and is being monitored daily by DOH. The department is conducting a detailed trace investigation to identify, notify, and provide guidance to all close contacts as quickly as possible. Grand Princess cruise ship To date, there have been 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (19 crew members and 2 passengers) on the Grand Princess cruise ship that made port calls to Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai on Feb. 26, Honolulu Harbor on Feb. 27, Lahaina, Maui on Feb. 28, and Hilo on Feb. 29. The ship is currently held off the coast of California and additional testing of all passengers and crew is pending. The Department of Health is working closely with the CDC to notify any passengers in Hawaii and trace all close contacts. The public is advised that exposure risk to tour operators and other hospitality services who interact with visitors on cruises is low. Companies should work on finding out which specific employees actually had close contact (close personal face-to-face contact for more than 10 minutes) with Grand Princess cruise passengers. DOH is contacting companies to gather this information. Companies are advised to notify their workers that there have been individuals from the Grand Princess cruise who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and the overall risk to hospitality workers is low. State Laboratories Division testing The Hawaii Department of Health is capable of conducting in-state testing for up to 250 individuals per week for COVID-19. Results can be ready within 24-48 hours of a sample being collected. This enhances the state’s prevention and mitigation response capabilities to further safeguard the health of people in Hawaii. It is anticipated that private and clinical labs in California and Hawaii may have testing capability in a few weeks. COVID-19 Summary of Numbers as of March 11, 2020 (updated as new information becomes available) Number of Presumptive Positive or Confirmed Case(s) 2 Number of Persons Under Investigation (current, testing pending) 6 Number of Persons Under Investigation (closed, testing negative) 28 Number of Persons Under Quarantine 0 Number of Persons Self-Monitoring with DOH supervision 39 Of the 39 individuals who are self-monitoring with public health supervision, 34 are on Oahu, 4 are on Maui, and 1 is on Kauai. These numbers fluctuate often as travelers arrive, depart, or begin and end their self-monitoring with supervision by DOH. Presumptive Positive: A presumptive positive result is when a patient has tested positive by a public health laboratory, but results are pending confirmation at CDC. For public health purposes, a presumptive positive result using the CDC test is treated as a positive. Confirmed: Meets CDC criteria and positive test result received from a certified laboratory. Person Under Investigation (PUI): Meets CDC criteria for investigation and testing pending. Quarantine: Individuals are required to remain in a designated location and separated from others. They are actively monitored by Department of Health staff. Quarantine is enforceable by law. Monitoring: Individuals voluntarily remain at home and refrain from work, school, gathering places, and public transit. They communicate daily with Department of Health staff. Guidance for schools and childcare programs The CDC recently posted interim guidance for administrators of childcare programs and K-12 schools to plan, prepare, and respond to COVID-19. School closures have taken place in Japan and South Korea. Business continuity planning State and county agencies are actively preparing for continuity of business operations to deal with the potential impact of COVID-19. The goal is to enable ongoing operations during a public health emergency. To address concerns about workers who have traveled to China, DOH developed a list of frequently asked questions and answers to guide local businesses. National travel advisories Before traveling, review Travel Advisories and Alerts for destination(s) at www.travel.state.gov/destination. The State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide specific advice to travelers on their websites. Preventing the spread of misinformation and disease The Department of Health is committed to sharing information as it becomes available. People are urged not to spread misinformation or inaccurate statements that are not confirmed, and keep updated and informed on the situation. Everyone can help prevent the spread of respiratory illness with these everyday actions. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from illnesses, including COVID-19. Keep in mind that supplies are limited and we need to make sure there are enough masks for our front-line health care workers. If you are sick then wear a mask to protect the people around you. Prepare for the possibility that people may want to stay home or may be asked to stay home to prevent the spread of illness. If you have daily medication needs, have more than a week’s supply on hand and have as much on hand as your insurance will allow you to have. Not everyone can afford to stock up on supplies or has the space to store them, but anything you can arrange in advance means one less inconvenience or one less trip to the store while you are sick. Make family plans for the possibility of school or day care closures. Do some contingency planning in advance at the family level. Sign up for public notifications at health.hawaii.gov/news/covid-19-updates. Screening of arriving passengers at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu Foreign nationals who have traveled to mainland China and Iran within the last 14 days are being denied entry into the U.S. This includes not only people with a China or Iran passport, but all foreign nationals per Department of Homeland Security guidance. The exception is U.S. citizens, legal permanent U.S. residents or their immediate family. Enhanced screening procedures are in place at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for passengers who have traveled to China and Iran within the last 14 days. Airport passenger screening continues to be conducted by federal authorities from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). #COVID19 #Coronavirus #DOH #Health #WorldHealthOrganization #DailyUpdate #HawaiiSenate

In accordance with the City shutting down the Satellite City Halls to all traffic including appointments, the Board of Water Supply will be doing the same starting today until further notice. Effective Wednesday, March 25, 2020, customers who wish to pay a water bill, have building permits checked or other water-related issues, will need to do the following: Bill payment: please use online services, drop box or mail your payment. More information can be found at https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/paymentoptions. Building plans / permits: plans can be dropped off from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 630 S. Beretania St. There are bins outside. If you have any questions, please call Service Engineering at 748-5460. More information can be found at https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/plans. Other water-related issues: call 748-5000 and choose the appropriate selection from the menu or visit us at https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/customeroptions. BWS also wants to reiterate that they will not be shutting off any water service. If you have an outstanding account with BWS, please contact our customer service team at (808) 748-5000, option 4 to set up a payment plan. BWS will continue to provide water service to the community and wants to emphasize that the water is safe to drink. The water system is a closed pressurized system and it is nearly impossible to introduce foreign objects, bacteria or viruses into the system. The water is disinfected with chlorine at levels that are effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Testing is conducted daily to ensure disinfection levels are maintained and the water is safe to drink. The BWS is committed to the community and to public health and encourages anyone seeking more information about the coronavirus to sign up for email updates at the Hawaii Department of Health website, https://hawaiicovid19.com. As per our existing practice, any BWS-related news and information will be shared on our website, through social media and HNL.info. About the Board of Water Supply The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.” For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com, follow @BWSHonolulu or like the BWS’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BWSHonolulu. #BoardOfWaterSupply #BWS #WaterBill

The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is waiving routine TB clearance requirements for selected groups to support COVID-19 mitigation efforts. The suspension will remain in effect through May 31, 2020. The suspension will support social distancing in the community to protect the public, especially vulnerable seniors and individuals with medical conditions that could increase their risk for COVID-19. Although TB tests for routine screening are mandated under Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 11, Chapter 164, the DOH determined that temporarily suspending the TB clearance for these selected categories do not pose immediate risks for tuberculosis transmission in the community. This also reduces the greater risks of contracting COVID-19 and helps to further manage the spread of the virus in communities across the state. DOH conducts an average of 50,000 tuberculosis skin tests annually, and provides treatment to approximately 120 individuals identified with TB. TB clearances for the following are suspended through May 31, 2020: Annual clearance for healthcare workers Annual clearance for patients in long-term care facilities Food handlers Children entering childcare, preschool or school (K-12th grade) Post-secondary school students and employees The Department of Health continues to require TB clearances for new healthcare workers, new childcare and school employees, and new residents of long-term care facilities.  DOH will continue to provide full evaluation and treatment of patients with active TB as well as those who have been exposed to individuals with active TB. Residents who need a TB clearance may call their local public health nursing office, or Lanakila Health Center at (808) 832-5731, to make an appointment for this service.

In accordance with Governor Ige’s Stay at Home and Work from Home orders and considering the decreased volumes on Hawaii roads, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Highways Division will be suspending operation of the State’s special use lanes beginning Wednesday, March 25. Special use lanes are contraflow or High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes designed to reduce congestion by adding capacity or encouraging carpooling. A statewide list of the special use lanes on state highways can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/special-use-lanes/ HDOT initially announced that these lanes would remain in operation in a news release on the closure of its public offices on March 19. We initially planned to keep these services ongoing during the COVID-19 emergency to support those that use the lanes as well as the contractors operating these lanes. During the suspension of special use lane operations, the Zipper lane contractor on Oahu will be performing maintenance on the Zip mobile and barrier that may require intermittent closures of the H-1 westbound lanes used for the Zipper lane. HDOT Highways remains committed to maintaining and improving the highways system during the COVID-19 emergency.

Internal communication of a COVID-19 test at the Dept. of Health resulted in a report being misread and initiated a retest of samples today from an O‘ahu adult, who died on March 20th. This evening the second test came back negative for COVID-19. DOH Director Dr. Bruce Anderson says our focus was to get information out in a timely manner. This is an unprecedented situation and we’re still developing best practices. Anderson said, “I accept all responsibility for not verifying reporting procedures. We’re immediately instituting measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again. My condolences to the family and friends of the person who passed away and our apologies for any undue anxiety this caused.” Swabs from the person were submitted to the state laboratories two days after the person died. They’d originally been tested by a private clinical laboratory with inconclusive results.

Honolulu, Hawai‘i – The Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 will convene once again today to assess and advise the Senate regarding how the State of Hawai‘i will continue to deal with the pandemic. The agenda will include, but not be 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 implemented in a timely manner in order to safeguard public health and safety; and Communicate and disseminate the information gathered. The special committee will be meeting with the following: 12:30 p.m.: Dr. Bruce Anderson, Director of Department of Health 1:30 p.m..: General Kenneth Hara, Adjutant General, Department of Defense Due to social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at the State Capitol, the meetings will not be open to the public to attend in person. To watch the livestream of the meeting via YouTube, link to https://youtu.be/ZPUShzPUs6Q The special committee members are: Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Senator Michelle N. Kidani, Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Senator Sharon Y. Moriwaki, and Senator Kurt Fevella.