Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami today sent proposed Mayor’s Emergency Rule 19 to Gov. David Ige, which would create a tier system similar to the one already approved for O‘ahu. Proposed Rule 19 includes safeguards to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the event of an increase in cases on Kaua‘i. If approved, this rule allows Kaua‘i to move forward with the state’s pre-travel testing program on October 15. Further, it identifies the point at which Kaua‘i would opt out of the state’s pre-travel test plan and continue the 14-day mandatory quarantine for incoming arrivals. “Many have requested my response to the Governor’s offer for counties to ‘opt out’ of the state’s pre-travel testing program,” said Mayor Kawakami. “It has never been our intention to opt out of the state’s program, but rather to supplement the program in a way that meets our county’s unique needs. We maintain that a pre- and post-arrival testing program is the safest option for our residents and visitors, and we will continue to work with the state to achieve that goal. “In light of Kaua‘i’s post-arrival testing program (Rule 18) being denied by the Governor earlier this week, we have continued to work with our health officials and other partners to take a phased, responsible approach to reopening our economy while keeping our island safe.” Mayor Kawakami’s proposed Emergency Rule 19 provides a four-tiered system to define allowable businesses and activities, based on the current disease outlook on Kaua‘i at that time. · Tier 1 is the most restrictive tier. It goes into effect if there is a one-week average of eight or more daily COVID-19 cases. No pre-testing quarantine exemptions will be allowed. · Tier 2 assumes that the seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases is between five to eight cases. Moving into this tier would automatically trigger Kaua‘i to opt out of the state’s pre-travel testing program and continue a 14-day mandatory quarantine for incoming travelers. · Tier 3 assumes a weekly average of two to four daily COVID-19 cases. At this level, transpacific travelers will be able to pre-test out of quarantine, per the state’s travel plan. Restrictions such as further limiting the size of gatherings and receptions would be put in place. · Tier 4 is the least restrictive, and is the current level on Kaua‘i: an average of less than two daily active cases. It allows nearly all businesses and activities to operate with minimal restrictions. It utilizes the state’s 72-hour pre-arrival test program to allow transpacific travelers a quarantine exemption. “By opting in to the state’s pre-travel test plan, the county is also opting in to Lt. Gov. Green’s recently-announced surveillance program, which will offer an additional layer of testing here on island,” said Mayor Kawakami. “We look forward to learning more about this program. “Kaua‘i continues to work with our private industry partners to help promote a voluntary post-arrival testing program here on Kaua‘i. We will announce more on that campaign in the coming days. “In all tiers, we must continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing, and avoid large gatherings. We know these to be the most effective way for us to protect ourselves and those around us from spreading COVID-19. “We understand that October 15 is quickly approaching, and we will announce more details on the status of proposed Mayor’s Emergency Rule 19 as updates become available.” Upon approval by the Governor, Mayor’s Emergency Rule 19 will be posted to the County of Kaua‘i’s COVID-19 website at www.kauai.gov/COVID-19. For more information on the state’s pre-travel test program, please visit hawaiicovid19.com.

Canopy permits not required with camping permit, but canopy guidelines must be followed. With permitted camping resuming in City campgrounds tomorrow afternoon, Friday, Oct. 9, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is taking this opportunity to remind the public of some of the changes to camping operations amidst the current Mayoral Emergency Order. 1. Currently, only 5 people are allowed per campsite. This is in accordance with the current Tier 1 reopening guideline limiting social gatherings to 5 people regardless of household. While regular campground rules allow for 10 people per campsite, the Emergency Order supersedes this rule. DPR is working to adjust the permit printouts to reflect this change, however previously issued camping permits may erroneously indicate that 10 people are allowed per campsite. We apologize for this confusion. 2. A separate canopy permit is not needed for those with valid camping permits. However, campers must follow the Canopy Permit Guidelines. 3. The capacity of City campgrounds was previously reduced to accommodate physical distancing guidelines between campsites. Generally, this resulted in about half of the campgrounds remaining available for public use. Currently there are 16 campgrounds available to the public with 108 campsites. 4. Campground A at Kualoa Regional Park is scheduled to remain closed through November 16, 2020 while a Kākou for Parks comfort station renovation is completed. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability or an interpreter for a language other than English, please call DPR at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov

Mayor Michael Victorino announced that food distribution events will be held on each Friday in the month of October for Molokai residents in need. The next food distribution is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Oct. 9 at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center in Kaunakakai. Volunteers will pass out 150 boxes of fruits and vegetables on a first-come, first-served basis. Recipients are required to wear face masks. To maximize social distancing, food distribution will be done in a grab-and-go drive-through (no walk up). Motorists will have the option of getting boxes placed in their vehicle’s trunk or rear cargo area. “We want to give a special mahalo to Molokai Community Liaison Stacy Crivello for helping to coordinate this series of food distributions, which will assist our Molokai families this entire month,” Mayor Victorino said. “We also want to thank our Department of Parks and Recreation Molokai District Supervisor Darin Kimoto and the rest of his team for their hard work and service to our community.”

City initiates “Climate Ready O‘ahu” adaptation strategy; welcomes resident participation and engagement via on-line tools launched today Climate change risks include increasing temperatures, changes in precipitation including “rain bombs,” and sea level rise and sunny day flooding during king tides, among others climate shocks and stresses. Image credits clockwise from top right: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawai‘i Sea Grant King Tides Project, City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Urban Forestry. The City and County of Honolulu (City) Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency launched “Climate Ready Oahu” today, inviting community participation to help shape a first ever overall climate adaptation strategy for our island. “As an elected leader and a father, I take climate change seriously and want to do everything I can to help to protect our residents from climate risks coming our way,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “As we work on COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, we still need to keep an eye on the horizon and take the steps now to reduce risk, and help us thrive as a community for years to come.” A community effort to adapt to climate change impacts is different and distinct from an effort to slow or stop climate change from occurring. A “Climate Action Plan” lays out the path to reducing carbon pollution from fossil fuels that are the cause of global heating. A “climate adaptation strategy” is much different: it lays out how communities have to change to protect themselves from larger storms and other impacts that are coming our way as a result of climate change already underway. The development of a specific Climate Ready O‘ahu adaptation strategy was identified by the community as a key priority, and listed as Action #28 in the recent O‘ahu Resilience Strategy. 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐎‘𝐚𝐡𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: • 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐩𝐬; • 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬; • 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧; • 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 • 𝐄𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬. “This Climate Ready O‘ahu strategy is essentially a roadmap to living safely on this island, but it will only be as strong as the community knowledge that helps draw it,” said Josh Stanbro, Chief Resilience Officer and Executive Director of the City’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency. “Just like COVID-19, climate change is an all-hands-on-deck moment—and one agency or one community can’t do it alone. We are hoping to learn what the community wants to protect, and the best way to do it together as we face mounting storms, floods, and heatwaves.” The historic fires on the west coast of the continental United States, unprecedented hurricane activity in the gulf coast, and a resurgence of drought conditions here in Hawai‘i have all put climate change risk back on the radar for residents even as global populations continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Island-wide adaptation strategies are critical for protecting communities that are experiencing climate impacts now. While reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will lessen future consequences, our lack of collective action up to now means that we are locked into the negative impacts from our past emissions for the next few decades,” said Dr. Victoria Keener, Chair of the City Climate Change Commission. “Get involved! The many opportunities for public input and participation in shaping this plan will help ensure that the burdens and benefits of climate adaptation are more equitably shared.” To learn more about the project timeline and to participate in a resident survey, please visit www.climatereadyoahu.org 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧-𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝: • 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏: 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝐩𝐦-𝟑:𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦; 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐, 𝟔𝐩𝐦-𝟕:𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒, 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎𝐚𝐦-𝟏𝟐𝐩𝐦. • 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟐: 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐, 𝟔𝐩𝐦-𝟕:𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦; 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟔, 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎𝐚𝐦-𝟏𝟐𝐩𝐦; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟕, 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟎𝐚𝐦-𝟏𝟐𝐩𝐦. *Engagements will be held online via Zoom. Each round offers three dates and times to accommodate participants’ varying availabilities/preferences. Interested participants need only attend one meeting per each round. The Climate Ready O‘ahu website at www.climatereadyoahu.org features a “Learn” page that presents an interactive representation of climate science from the City Climate Change Commission’s 2018 “Climate Change Brief,” which all are encouraged to explore, particularly students and teachers. Website visitors can also explore the O‘ahu Heat Vulnerability Map Series, which reminds us that climate change impacts include more than just coastal hazards and flooding and drought, but also the current and increasing stresses of rising temperatures. Lastly, the Resilience Office and the Honolulu Land Information System (HoLIS) Division of the Department of Planning and Permitting created the Climate Ready O‘ahu Web Explorer bringing together multiple climate risk data into one map viewer to facilitate community learning and for use by residents, businesses, and City staff. This is also available at the project’s “Learn” page or directly at bit.ly/climatereadyoahumap. After incorporating community input in several phases and utilizing technical experts to identify key areas of risk, the Climate Ready O‘ahu adaptation strategy is anticipated to be completed in September 2021.

Diamond Head State Monument Entry Now Free to Hawaiʻi Residents As of October 9, out-of-state residents and commercial operators will be charged higher fees for entering select Hawaiʻi State Parks.  The higher fees were approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources in August. Following a public hearing, the fee schedule was signed into law by Gov. David Ige last week. Park Visitors will now pay $10 per vehicle and $5 for walk-ins at eight parks on the four major islands. Previously fees were $5 per vehicle and $1 for walk-in visitors. Commercial entry for vans and tour buses are also being raised, with fees now ranging from $15 to $90 depending on location and passenger capacity. Hawaiʻi State Park entry fees have not been increased for the past 20 years. Under the rule change, Hawaiʻi residents will no longer pay to enter Diamond Head State Monument on Oʻahu. Parking and entrance fees to all State Parks for Hawaiʻi residents are free. Camping and lodging fees will see modest increases. Residents will now pay $20/night for tent campsites, while the non-resident rate is set at $30/night. New lodging rates will range from $40/night for an A-Frame shelter at Hāpuna Beach State Recreation area ($70 for non-residents) to $70/night for cabins in various parks ($100 for non-residents). Camping fees along the Kalalau Trail within Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park, Hawaiʻiʻs largest State Park with arguably the greatest set of management challenges,  will go up from $15 and $25 per night, to $25 and $35 per night for residents and non-residents, respectively. Camping and lodging rates were last increased over a decade ago. DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell commented, “Though the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic reductions in the number of visitors coming to Hawaiʻi, we hope these additional fees will help to offset some of our severe revenue losses incurred by State Parks as Hawaiʻi gradually reopens. Some of our most heavily visited parks will remain closed due to coronavirus concerns. This further hampers revenue generation as we all struggle with the economic impacts of the pandemic.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, today released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars. “The PPP has provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to American small businesses, providing critical economic relief and supporting more than 51 million jobs,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.  “Today’s action streamlines the forgiveness process for PPP borrowers with loans of $50,000 or less and thousands of PPP lenders who worked around the clock to process loans quickly,” he continued.  “We are committed to making the PPP forgiveness process as simple as possible while also protecting against fraud and misuse of funds.  We continue to favor additional legislation to further simplify the forgiveness process.” “Nothing will stop the Trump Administration from supporting great American businesses and our great American workers. The Paycheck Protection Program has been an overwhelming success and served as a historic lifeline to America’s hurting small businesses and tens of millions of workers. The new form introduced today demonstrates our relentless commitment to using every tool in our toolbelt to help small businesses and the banks that have participated in this program,” said Administrator Jovita Carranza. “We are continuing to ensure that small businesses are supported as they recover.” SBA and Treasury have also eased the burden on PPP lenders, allowing lenders to process forgiveness applications more swiftly. SBA began approving PPP forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to PPP lenders for PPP borrowers on October 2, 2020.  SBA will continue to process all PPP forgiveness applications in an expeditious manner. View the simpler loan forgiveness application. View the instructions for completing the simpler loan forgiveness application. View the Interim Final Rule on the simpler forgiveness process for loans of $50,000 or less.

Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year – or 1 every 16 seconds – according to the first ever joint stillbirth estimates released by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The vast majority of stillbirths, 84 per cent, occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries, according to the new report, A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths. In 2019, 3 in 4 stillbirths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa or Southern Asia. A stillbirth is defined in the report as a baby born with no signs of life at 28 weeks of pregnancy or more. “Losing a child at birth or during pregnancy is a devastating tragedy for a family, one that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “Every 16 seconds, a mother somewhere will suffer the unspeakable tragedy of stillbirth. Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didn’t have to be this way. A majority of stillbirths could have been prevented with high quality monitoring, proper antenatal care and a skilled birth attendant.” The report warns that the COVID-19 pandemic could worsen the global number of stillbirths. A 50 per cent reduction in health services due to the pandemic could cause nearly 200 000 additional stillbirths over a 12-month period in 117 low- and middle-income countries. This corresponds to an increase in the number of stillbirths by 11.1 per cent. According to modeling done for the report by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 13 countries could see a 20 per cent increase or more in the number of stillbirths over a 12-month period. Most stillbirths are due to poor quality of care during pregnancy and birth. Lack of investments in antenatal and intrapartum services and in strengthening the nursing and midwifery workforce are key challenges, the report says. Over 40 per cent of stillbirths occur during labour—a loss that could be avoided with access to a trained health worker at childbirth and timely emergency obstetric care. Around half of stillbirths in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia occur during labour, compared to 6 per cent in Europe, Northern America, Australia and New Zealand. Even before the pandemic caused critical disruptions in health services, few women in low- and middle-income countries received timely and high-quality care to prevent stillbirths. Half of the 117 countries analyzed in the report have coverage that ranges from a low of less than 2 per cent to a high of only 50 per cent for 8 important maternal health interventions such as C-section, malaria prevention, management of hypertension in pregnancy and syphilis detection and treatment. Coverage for assisted vaginal delivery - a critical intervention for preventing stillbirths during labour – is estimated to reach less than half of pregnant women who need it. As a result, despite advances in health services to prevent or treat causes of child death, progress in lowering the stillbirth rate has been slow. From 2000 to 2019, the annual rate of reduction in the stillbirth rate was just 2.3 per cent, compared to a 2.9 per cent reduction in neonatal mortality, and 4.3 per cent in mortality among children aged 1–59 months. Progress, however, is possible with sound policy, programmes and investment. "Welcoming a baby into the world should be a time of great joy, but every day thousands of parents experience unbearable sadness because their babies are still born,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The tragedy of stillbirth shows how vital it is to reinforce and maintain essential health services, and how critical it is to increase investment in nurses and midwives.” The report also notes that stillbirth is not only a challenge for poor countries. In 2019, 39 high-income countries had a higher number of stillbirths than neonatal deaths and 15 countries had a higher number of stillbirths than infant deaths. A mother’s level of education is one of the greatest drivers of inequity in high-income countries. In both low- and high-income settings, stillbirth rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Socioeconomic status is also linked to greater incidence of stillbirth. For example, in Nepal, women of minority castes had stillbirth rates between 40 to 60 per cent higher than women from upper-class castes. Ethnic minorities in high-income countries, in particular, may lack access to enough quality health care. The report cites that Inuit populations in Canada, for example, have been observed to have stillbirth rates nearly three times higher than the rest of Canada, and African American women in the United States of America have nearly twice the risk of stillbirth compared to white women. “COVID-19 has triggered a devastating secondary health crisis for women, children and adolescents due to disruptions in life-saving health services,” said Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank and Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents. “Pregnant women need continued access to quality care, throughout their pregnancy and during childbirth. We are supporting countries in strengthening their health systems to prevent stillbirths and ensure that every pregnant woman can access quality health care services.” The report link will go live after 00.01 GMT 8 October: http://uni.cf/stillbirthreport Download photos, the report and data files

A global social media challenge to get the world moving on mental health is launched today with a call for a massive scale-up in investment in mental health. Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, the World Health Organization, in collaboration with United for Global Mental Health and the World Federation for Mental Health, are encouraging people from all countries to support a global movement calling for greater investment in mental health. The #MoveforMentalHealth challenge is asking people around the world to post videos showing what they do in support of their mental well-being  ̶  whether it be dancing, walking, doing yoga, cooking, painting or something else entirely, on their favourite social media platforms, using the hashtag #MoveForMentalHealth. Social media platforms such as Tik-Tok, Facebook and Instagram are supporting  the #MoveforMentalHealth challenge and helping kickstart broader conversations about mental health, and the importance of investment. Messenger apps are providing support too. On World Mental Health Day, WHO will launch a digital stress management guide on the Whatsapp chat platform. Based on the stress management guide Doing what matters in times of stress, the digital guide includes short, easy-to-follow guided exercises to help reduce stress.  In addition, Messenger will be launching a new sticker pack designed with the support of WHO, to facilitate conversations around mental health. “As we continue to live through a global pandemic, we need movement on mental health, perhaps more than we have ever needed it before”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. "We need to move for our own mental health, the mental health of our families, friends and colleagues, and more importantly, so that there is a massive increase in investment for mental health services at national and international levels." The magnitude of the mental health burden faced around the world is not being matched by the investment it requires. The extraordinary increase in mental health needs  ̶  with the added challenges of COVID-19  ̶  is taking its toll on already overburdened and under-resourced mental health services. Countries spend on average only 2% of their health budgets on mental health. Despite some increases in recent years, international development assistance for mental health has never exceeded 1% of all development assistance for health. “Our world wasn’t set up to respond to the growing mental health needs before COVID-19, and it certainly isn’t now. That’s why now more than ever we need the world to move for mental health, and as individuals, communities, businesses, governments and funders we must prioritise action on, and investment in mental health,” said Elisha London, CEO and Founder of United for Global Mental Health. Close to one billion people globally have a mental disorder and those with severe mental disorders tend to die 10 -20 years earlier than the general population. Suicide is claiming the lives of close to 800 000 people every year  ̶   1 person every 40 seconds  ̶  and is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29 years. Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services, especially in low- and middle-income countries where more than 75% of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders receive no treatment for their condition at all. "Mental health is affected by many factors and circumstances. It touches on everything  ̶ poverty, equality and development  ̶  which is why we need to ensure greater investment and greater access to mental health for all, " said Dr Ingrid Daniels, President of the World Federation for Mental Health. Other events taking place around this year’s World Mental Health Day include: Big Event for Mental Health On World Mental Health Day (Saturday 10 October), WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health, an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels. The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16:00 to 19:00 CEST on WHO’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website. For updated information about the Big Event, including the latest line up of performances and participants, visit the Big Event web page. To learn more about World Mental Health Day, visit WHO’s campaign page. World’s first virtual March for Mental Health The world’s first virtual March for Mental Health will live stream 9-10 October and over the course of 24 hours mental health experts, campaigners, advocates, and people with lived experience from more than 17 countries will be sharing their stories as part of a global momentum to drive change and investment in mental health globally. For more information and to sign up and join the March visit www.marchformentalhealth.com The Grand Celebration The Global Mental Health Fest'20 organized by the World Federation for Mental Health will bring together people from different communities, age groups, organizations and institutions from across the world. The stage will be open for various perspectives to blend and consolidate, promoting the essence of unity and solidarity as we work together to establish mental well-being as our universal right. More information from www.wmhd2020.com Note: To access the stress management guide on Whatsapp, click here The World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. WHO’s goals for 2019-2023 are to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and to provide a further billion people with better health and well-being. @WHO United for Global Mental Health United for Global Mental Health brings together the global mental health community with governments, funders and campaigners to help make sure everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health. The not-for-profit organization was launched at the UN in September 2018. www.unitedgmh.org @UnitedGMH The World Federation for Mental Health The World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health. The Federation was the initiator of World Mental Health Day. https://wfmh.global/ @WMHDay

The Hawaii State Senate in their first special session of 2020 has confirmed the judicial appointments of First Circuit Court Judge Karen Nakasone to the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA); Karin Holma, Tracy Fukui, Bryant Zane and Andrew Park to the District Court of the First Circuit; and Courtney Naso, Elizabeth Paek-Harris and Thomas Haia to the District Family Court of the First Circuit. The Chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Senator Karl Rhoads (Dist. 13) commented, “The Senate is pleased to confirm the judicial appointments of these eight very well-qualified individuals. This pandemic has caused a backlog in the courts and all of these appointees are very eager to hit the ground running.” Judge Karen Nakasone has served as a judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit since 2011, where she presided over civil and criminal cases. She also has been assigned as a substitute Associate Justice on the Hawaii Supreme Court for 25 cases and a substitute Associate Judge on the ICA for four cases. Prior to her appointment in 2011, she was a Deputy Public Defender in the State Office of the Public Defender and earlier served as a law clerk to then-Associate Judge of the ICA Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. Judge Nakasone is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Boston University School of Law, class of 1995. Judge Karin Holma most recently has been a partner at Bays Lung Rose & Holma. She had been with the firm for 28 years where she successfully litigated numerous cases with a focus on commercial law including construction and real estate disputes. For six years, she was the firm's managing partner. Judge Holma graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and received her law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1989. Judge Tracy Fukui has been the section head of the employment and civil rights division of the Office of the Corporation Council for the City and County of Honolulu. She has also worked in private practice, representing businesses and individuals in civil matters and defendants in criminal cases, and was a Deputy Public Defender in the State Office of the Public Defender for six years. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1998. Judge Bryant Zane has served for seventeen years as a Deputy Public Defender in the State Office of the Public Defender. He previously worked for five years as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kauai. Cumulatively, he has handled over 95 criminal jury trials and more than 150 criminal bench trials. Judge Zane is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1996. Judge Andrew Park most recently has worked in private practice at the Law Office of Andrew T. Park, LLLC, focusing on criminal defense and assisting clients with mental health issues. Since 2017, he has also served as a Per Diem Judge in the District Family Court of the First Circuit. He previously worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, from 2008 to 2011. Judge Park is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2008. Judge Courtney Naso has been in private practice for the past 20 years and has experience handling all aspects of family law cases including divorce, child custody and adoption. Since 2013, she also has served as a court-appointed Volunteer Settlement Master for the First Circuit Family Court. Judge Naso graduated from Michigan State University and received her law degree from Regent University School of Law in 1998. Judge Elizabeth Paek-Harris has been in private practice for the past 16 years, focusing on family law. Since January 2019, she has also served as a Per Diem Judge in the District Family Court of the First Circuit. Judge Paek-Harris is a graduate of the Evergreen State College and received her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2003. Judge Thomas Haia has been a solo practitioner with an emphasis on family law for the past 23 years and since 2014 has also served as a Per Diem District Court Judge in the First Circuit. He also briefly worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kauai. Judge Haia is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995.

Statement from Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami regarding Governor David Ige’s denial of Kauai County’s proposed second-test pilot program “We thank the public for your patience over the course of the past 10 days while we awaited a decision on our proposed Mayor’s Emergency Rule 18, which would have established a post-arrival testing program for all incoming travelers to Kaua‘i. Our proposed pilot was intended to augment the state’s pre-travel testing program. “Unfortunately, we were informed by Governor Ige Monday morning that our proposed Rule 18 was denied. “Our county administration has been clear that a single pre-arrival testing program alone does not provide the needed level of protection for our Kaua‘i community. However, our proposed second-test program has formally been denied. “While this news is disappointing, we have said since day one that we must be flexible and ready to adapt to our ever-changing environment in order to keep our community safe. Today is no different. “We will keep moving forward and utilize our resources to help protect our residents. We have already secured 15,000 rapid tests. We are now developing a plan on how we can still utilize these tests to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our island in light of the Governor and Lt. Governor’s pre-travel testing program which will commence on Oct. 15.”

World Mental Health Day - October 10 to highlight urgent need to increase investment in chronically underfunded sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing, according to a new WHO survey. The survey of 130 countries provides the first global data showing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding. The survey was published ahead of WHO’s Big Event for Mental Health  ̶  a global online advocacy event on 10 October that will bring together world leaders, celebrities, and advocates to call for increased mental health investments in the wake of COVID-19. WHO has previously highlighted the chronic underfunding of mental health: prior to the pandemic, countries were spending less than 2 per cent of their national health budgets on mental health, and struggling to meet their populations’ needs. And the pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services. Bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety. Meanwhile, COVID-19 itself can lead to neurological and mental complications, such as delirium, agitation, and stroke. People with pre-existing mental, neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection  ̶  they may stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death. “Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well-being,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “COVID-19 has interrupted essential mental health services around the world just when they’re needed most. World leaders must move fast and decisively to invest more in life-saving mental health programmes  ̶  during the pandemic and beyond.” Survey finds major disruptions to critical mental health services The survey was conducted from June to August 2020 among 130 countries across WHO’s six regions. It evaluates how the provision of mental, neurological and substance use services has changed due to COVID-19, the types of services that have been disrupted, and how countries are adapting to overcome these challenges. Countries reported widespread disruption of many kinds of critical mental health services: Over 60% reported disruptions to mental health services for vulnerable people, including children and adolescents (72%), older adults (70%), and women requiring antenatal or postnatal services (61%). 67% saw disruptions to counseling and psychotherapy; 65% to critical harm reduction services; and 45% to opioid agonist maintenance treatment for opioid dependence. More than a third (35%) reported disruptions to emergency interventions, including those for people experiencing prolonged seizures; severe substance use withdrawal syndromes; and delirium, often a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. 30% reported disruptions to access for medications for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Around three-quarters reported at least partial disruptions to school and workplace mental health services (78% and 75% respectively). While many countries (70%) have adopted telemedicine or teletherapy to overcome disruptions to in-person services, there are significant disparities in the uptake of these interventions. More than 80% of high-income countries reported deploying telemedicine and teletherapy to bridge gaps in mental health, compared with less than 50% of low-income countries. WHO has issued guidance to countries on how to maintain essential services  ̶  including mental health services  ̶  during COVID-19 and recommends that countries allocate resources to mental health as an integral component of their response and recovery plans. The Organization also urges countries to monitor changes and disruptions in services so that they can address them as required. Although 89% of countries reported in the survey that mental health and psychosocial support is part of their national COVID-19 response plans, only 17% of these countries have full additional funding for covering these activities. This all highlights the need for more money for mental health. As the pandemic continues, even greater demand will be placed on national and international mental health programmes that have suffered from years of chronic underfunding. Spending 2% of national health budgets on mental health is not enough. International funders also need to do more: mental health still receives less than 1% of international aid earmarked for health. Those who do invest in mental health will reap rewards. Pre-COVID-19 estimates reveal that nearly US$ 1 trillion in economic productivity is lost annually from depression and anxiety alone. However, studies show that every US$ 1 spent on evidence-based care for depression and anxiety returns US$5. Note on World Mental Health Day: Mobilizing the global community to #MoveforMentalHeatlh On World Mental Health Day (Saturday 10 October), as part of its campaign Move for mental health: let’s invest, WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health, an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels  ̶  from individuals to businesses to countries to civil society  ̶  so that the world can begin to close the gaps highlighted by today’s report. The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16:00 to 19:00 CEST on WHO’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website. For updated information about the Big Event for Mental Health, including the latest lineup of performances and participants, visit the Big Event web page. To learn more about World Mental Health Day, visit WHO’s campaign page.

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety (PSD) Health Care Division is working with the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. The Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) health care and security staff have begun inmate testing with the help of the Waimanalo Health Center. There were no new inmate or staff results received today. Information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19 can be found at: http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/.