In an effort to fill the growing employment gap on Oʻahu, the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges will be offering free job skills courses this fall. The initiative, Oʻahu Back to Work , is a partnership of the City and County of Honolulu and the University of Hawaiʻi. “I would like every struggling Oʻahu resident to check out this great opportunity, really think about the possibilities, and enroll if it seems right for you,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “As we attack the coronavirus with public health measures, we must also attack COVID’s economic toll with our talents and resolve. When one person builds their skills during this crisis, we all benefit. I thank everyone at the community colleges and all the future enrollees for contributing to rebuilding our island home.” Oʻahu Back to Work is a short-term employment training program that runs from October 5, 2020–December 18, 2020. Instructors at seven University of Hawaiʻi Community College campuses and the Manoa Outreach College will be providing more than 70 courses to Oʻahu participants. The courses will be provided virtually, with a few exceptions for select classes meeting Honolulu. The courses fall under these career fields: Business, Health, Industrial Engineering, Technology, Natural Resources, Public and Human Services, and Trades. “Our goal is to provide 2,000 Oʻahu participants with short term training for jobs that are currently available or will be available in the near future,” said David Lassner, University of Hawaiʻi president. “The courses offered will focus on the skills that employers in each of these sectors indicated are most needed. This training should give participants the tools they need to succeed in our changing and challenging economy.” The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent emergency orders have dramatically resulted in negative impacts on the State’s economy and displaced many workers. In August 2020, the City and County of Honolulu’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 11.8% compared with 3.4% the prior August; July 2020 counts reflected nearly 48,000 unemployed civilians in Honolulu and likely undercounted those who would be considered “marginally attached” to the labor market or who are not eligible for unemployment—those who are self-employed—and do not appear in the unemployment counts. Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi President and CEO Hilton Raethel said, “We appreciate the efforts by the University of Hawaiʻi System and the Mayor to get this initiative going. The type of training that it will provide helps to build a pipeline of high-quality staffing for our healthcare organizations; and, it could not have come at a better time when people need the work.” Eligible participants must be Oʻahu adults whose employment was disrupted by COVID-19 impacts such as reduced hours, furloughs, or job loss. To learn more, view available courses, and sign up visit OahuBacktoWork.com.

Ua hoʻolaulaha aku ko ke kulanui o Hawaiʻi i nā pepa hoʻolahamaʻi ahulau COVID-19 a puni kona mau kahua kulanui he ʻumi, i mea e paipai ai i ka mālama pono ʻana i ke ola kino o nā haumāna, nā kumu, nā limahana, a me ona mau hoa kipa. Ua paʻiʻia kekahi o ia mau pepa hoʻolaha ma ka ʻōleloʻōiwi o nei pae ʻāina,ʻo ka ʻōleloHawaiʻi nō hoʻi. Na ka hālau ʻōleloHawaiʻi o Mānoa nei, na Kawaihuelanihoʻi i ʻauamo i kēia kuleana ʻo ka haku pepa hoʻolaha, i mea e hoʻomalu mai ai i ko kākou nohona ma Hawaiʻi nei, a e kākoʻo ai hoʻi i ke ola mau o ka ʻōleloHawaiʻi. “Ke manaʻolana nei au, e ola ana kēia mau māmala ʻōlelo i kona hoʻopuka ʻia e nā kānaka a pau o Hawaiʻi nei i loko nō o kēia ʻalo like ʻana o kākou i kēia wā kūpilikiʻi o ka noho ʻana,” wahi a Kauka Keawe Lopes Jr., ke poʻo o ka hālau ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻo Kawaihuelani, i ʻōlelo mai ai. Penei kekahi o ia mau māmala ʻōlelo, “Eia nā hōʻailona o ka maʻi ahulau COVID-19”—Here are the symptoms for the COVID-19 virus. Ma kēia mau pepa hoʻolaha maʻi ahulau COVID-19, hōʻike ʻia nā loina e mālama pono ai i ke ola kino, ʻo ia hoʻi ka holoi lima ʻana, a me ka hana kūpono e komo ai i ka pale ihu, e like me ia e aʻoaʻo ʻia e ka Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “ʻO ka ʻimi ʻana i nā ala he lehulehu e hoʻolaha a hoʻopuka ai i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, pēlā nō e ola maoli ai ka ʻōlelo ʻōiwi o nei pae ʻāina,” wahi a Lopes Jr. i wehewehe mai ai. “Ma o kēia mau pepa hoʻolaha e laha loa aʻe ai ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i pili i kēia kumuhana koʻikoʻi a ma nā mahele ʻē aʻe hoʻi o ko kākou ola. Ua laulima pū ʻo Kauka Lopes lāua ʻo Kauka Kuuipolani Kanahele Wong, he polopeka no Kawaihuelani, a he mānaleo no Niʻihau, i ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ua mau pepa hoʻolaha nei i haku ʻia e Kainehe Chun-Lum, ke kahu hoʻomalu keʻena o Kawaihuelani, a me Maluhia States, he limahana haumāna laeoʻo no Kawaihuelani. Ua hoʻouna mua ʻia nā pepa hoʻolaha i ko ke kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa, a me nā keʻena like ʻole o ke kōleke ʻike Hawaiʻi ʻo Hawaiʻinuiākea. ʻAʻohe ʻū iho, a piha aʻela nō ka pahu leka uila a Kauka Lopes i nā noi no waho mai o ke kulanui nei e hoʻohana ai i ia mau pepa hoʻolaha. I kēia manawa, aia pū nō ia mau pepa hoʻolaha ma nā kahua kula o Kamehameha, a me nā kula kaiapuni o Oʻahu. Hiki ke loaʻa nā pepa hoʻolaha maʻi ahulau COVID-19 ma ka Facebook a Kawaihuelani. Hawaiian language COVID-19 signs serve two-fold mission The University of Hawaiʻi posted COVID-19 safety signs online and across the 10 UH campuses to help promote the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, staff and visitors during the pandemic. Some of the signs are also printed in Hawaiʻi’s native language. The UH Mānoa Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language took on this initiative as a way to help protect the public and preserve the state’s mother tongue. “It is my hope that both Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian speakers learn the phrases and use them in their daily life as we continue to brave this storm together,” said Kumu Keawe Lopes, director of Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language. One of those phrases is, Eia nā hōʻailona o ka maʻi ahulau COVID-19- “Here are the symptoms for the COVID-19 virus.” The ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) signs highlight health guidance and daily hygiene recommendations such as proper handwashing and mask wearing practices based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. “In an effort to normalize Hawaiian language here in our homeland it is important that we seize every opportunity to promote her usage especially in professional academic locations,” Lopes explained. “These signs allow for the dissemination of our language specifically in regards to this particular context with COVID-19.” Lopes collaborated with Kuuipolani Kanahele Wong, a Hawaiian language professor and mānaleo (native speaker) in finalizing the task given to Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language Educational Specialist Kainehe Chun-Lum and graduate student Maluhia States. The completed signage was first sent to UH Mānoa, including various departments part of Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge. Shortly after, emails started to fill Lopes’ inbox from outside the UH system requesting for signs too. They are now posted at Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiian immersion schools on Oʻahu. Signs are available to download on the Kawaihuelani Facebook page.

Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health authorities, Pearl Harbor National Memorial will resume access to the USS Arizona Memorial on September 28, 2020. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and is using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. Beginning Monday September 28, 2020, Pearl Harbor National Memorial will resume a limited number of USS Arizona Memorial programs. The 30-minute program will consist of a brief orientation from NPS staff, followed by a boat ride to the memorial on U.S. Navy vessels.  Visiting the USS Arizona The U.S. Navy requires the use of face coverings for all visitors while transiting to and from the USS Arizona Memorial. Tours will be limited to 50 people per vessel to facilitate social distancing. The National Park Service asks visitors to reserve tickets ahead of time on www.recreation.gov prior to arrival and present a paper copy or digital reservation confirmation to NPS staff for validation no sooner than 30 minutes prior to their program time. Tickets for specific tour dates will be made available at 3:00pm HST the day before the selected program date. For example, tickets for October 10 will become available on October 9. A limited number of walk-in tickets will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis. “The National Park Service is proud to re-open access to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center and the USS Arizona Memorial and offer the opportunity for the public to experience the sites and learn about the important stories associated with the attack on Pearl Harbor.” said Acting Superintendent Scott Burch. “We encourage the public to visit the memorial to pay their respects to the thousands of Americans and their families who served, suffered and sacrificed during that fateful period in world history.” The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Pearl Harbor National Memorial our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and employee workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers. The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.   Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website https://www.nps.gov/pearlharbor and frequently asked questions page https://www.nps.gov/pearlharbor/faqs.htm along with our social media channels. The other Pearl Harbor Historic Sites – USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, Battleship Missouri Memorial and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum remain closed to the public until further notice. Information and updates on visiting the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites to include Pacific Historic Parks, Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum can be found at www.pearlharborhistoricsites.org National Park Service Pearl Harbor National Memorial 1845 Wasp Blvd. Bldg. 176 Honolulu, HI 96818 Phone: (808) 422-3399

Hawai‘i State Hospital in Kaneohe has reported that one patient and three staff members within the hospital’s admissions unit have tested positive for COVID-19. After the first staff member tested positive last week, the hospital immediately activated its standard protocol to test all of its staff and patients within the hospital’s admissions unit. As a result of the protocol, two other staff members were identified as positive. The three staff members are now in isolation and not working at the hospital. The hospital continued to test staff and patients over the next several days and, as a standard precaution, issued an alert to all employees in the hospital. The latest round of testing for those in the admissions unit occurred on Sept. 23 and one patient tested positive. The hospital is equipped with isolation capabilities for this patient. A total of 68 staff and 22 patients in the admissions unit have been tested and there are no other positive cases to date

The Department of Public Works and Goodfellow Bros. LLC., are announcing that lane closures for ongoing construction work on Kōloa Road and Maluhia Road are scheduled during the week of Sept. 28. During the morning of Monday, Sept. 28, engineers and construction personnel will be on Kōloa Road between Kaumauli‘i Highway and Horita Road to mark the areas for pavement reconstruction that is scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct.19. In order to maintain safety during the layout work on the roadway, one lane of Kōloa Road will be closed. From Tuesday Sept. 29 to Friday Oct. 2 during daylight hours, lane closures of Maluhia Road will be in place for active construction work, subject to change depending on weather and other factors. During lane closures on Kōloa Road and Maluhia Road, flaggers will alternate traffic in the open lane. Motorists are advised to follow all traffic control signs and directions from personnel. Traffic delays of up to five minutes may occur intermittently during the lane closures. Given the short anticipated delays, motorists are advised not use alternate routes as detour routes. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Michael Jauch at 808-241-4601.

Mass inmate testing results for 3 prisons negative for COVID-19 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 broad-based testing administered by PSD health care, mental health and security staff at Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) is complete. The final batch of HCF test results came back negative for the remaining 23 tested inmates. “Facility staff did an amazing job coordinating the inmate testing. The combined presence of mental health and security staff in the housing units helped to calm inmates who were anxious, stressed or confused by the activity. This allowed the nurses to get samples quickly and complete testing faster than anticipated. The facility staff and inmates really appreciated their efforts,” said HCF Warden Scott Harrington. “HCF staff have worked diligently from day 1 to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID inside our facility.” Kulani testing was completed on Tuesday for 164 inmates. All 164 inmate results were negative. Last week the Waiawa Correctional Facility reported all negative test results as well. “This huge accomplishment of negative broad-based testing results in the inmate population of three prison facilities shows that staff are executing their pandemic plans daily. Everyone from the wardens and their security staff to the medical, mental health, and civilian staff are to be commended for a job well done,” said Maria Cook, Deputy Director for Administration/Acting Director. “We know this battle to keep coronavirus out is a daily one, and I am confident they will continue to make every effort to maintain the safety security and health of the inmates as well as their co-workers.” The order of the facilities next in line for testing is being worked out. PSD is also working with DOH and the Hawaii National Guard to coordinate the testing of correctional officers and staff. The outbreak at the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) is under control. There were no new positive results for inmates. There are currently no inmates hospitalized. Over 96% of all inmates who tested positive have recovered. There was 1 new positive staff test result reported today. Total PSD staff recoveries increased to 80. For more information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19, inmate testing data, and information detailing the efforts made to safeguard the inmates, staff and public, visit our webpage at: http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services will soon be formalizing a new bus-only lane on King Street. This bus-only lane will utilize the rightmost travel lane on the one-way King Street from Dillingham Boulevard, through downtown, and ending at Punchbowl Street. As the state’s busiest bus corridor, King Street was chosen to formalize the bus-only lane. King Street’s right lane serves 36 different TheBus routes coming from the Leeward, Central, Windward and North Shore of Oahu. Reducing any delay from congestion on King Street will improve bus service and safety for these routes and riders, and reduce bus operation expenses. “TheBusLane on King Street is another part of the City’s multimodal approach to Complete Streets” says Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “It’s about transportation equity for TheBus riders, all of whom are pedestrians before and after their ride. We want to move more people, not move more single-occupant cars. This dedicated bus lane is another example of providing extra benefits to people who choose to travel on transit.” New signs and pavement markings including red paint will indicate that the right lane of King Street is for City buses only. Vehicles making right-hand turns will be allowed into the bus only lane to do so. No changes are being made to parking or loading zones. Installation of the bus only lane is projected to take six to eight weeks (weather permitting), and is scheduled to start Monday, September 28th. The first phase of the project will end at Punchbowl Street. The second phase will reach Alapai Street with a future construction date. Travelers, please be aware of construction along King Street during this time. For more information on the King Street bus-only lane, please visit http://www.honolulu.gov/completestreets/urbancore

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services announces changes to TheBus services and schedules effective Monday, October 5, 2020 (unless otherwise noted). Temporarily discontinued routes: Route 8: Waikīkī – Ala Moana Route 22: Beach Bus Routes 8 and 22 will be temporarily discontinued until further notice. This comes after a sharp decline in ridership for these routes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Buses that are operating on this route will be reassigned to support busier routes such as Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13 and others to help accommodate better physical distancing. All other routes serving the Waikiki area will not change. Schedule and route changes: Route 1L, Kalihi – Hawaiʻi Kai Limited - Effective 8/23/2020 Route has been renamed and will provide service on North King Street instead of North School Street. The westbound terminus was relocated to Kalihi Transit Center. The route offers limited stop-service between Kalihi Transit Center and Kahala Mall. Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 2, Waikīkī–School–Middle - Effective 8/23/2020 East terminus has been changed from KCC to 18th Avenue opposite Iwalani. Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route 3, Kaimukī–Salt Lake Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 7, Kalihi Valley Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 9, Kaimukī–Pearl Harbor Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 10, Kalihi–ʻĀlewa Heights Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 13, Liliha–Waikīkī–University Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 14, St. Louis–Maunalani Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 15, Makiki–Pacific Heights Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 24, Kapahulu–ʻĀina Haina Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 31, Tripler–Māpunapuna Weekday and State Holiday schedules have been adjusted. Route 40, Honolulu–Mākaha Weekday and Saturday schedules have been adjusted. Route 41, Kapolei–ʻEwa Beach Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 42, ʻEwa Beach–Waikīkī Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Arizona Memorial on/off schedule implemented on Sundays. Route 44, Waipahu–ʻEwa Beach Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 51, Honolulu–Wahiawā Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 52, Honolulu–Mililani–Haleʻiwa Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 54, Honolulu–Pearl City Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 60, Honolulu–Kāneʻohe–Haleʻiwa Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 66, Downtown–Kailua–ʻAikahi Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 67, Honolulu–Kailua–Waimānalo -- Effective 8/23/2020 Route has been renamed. Westbound terminus changed to Kalanianaole/Nalu and will no longer provide service to Sea Life Park. Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route 69, Kāneʻohe–Waimānalo–Sea Life Park Weekday and State Holiday schedules have been adjusted. Route 73, Leeward Community College Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Provides service to LCC via Kuala Street on weekdays and State Holidays. Route 80A, Hawaiʻi Kai Park & Ride Express–UH Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 81, Waipahu Express Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 83, Wahiawā Town Express Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 84 Mililani Express–North Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 84A, Mililani Express–South Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 93, Waiʻanae Coast Express Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 94, Villages of Kapolei–Kaupeʻa Express Weekday and State Holiday schedules have been adjusted. Route 411, Makakilo Heights Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 413, Campbell Industrial Park -- Effective 8/23/2020 Provides service to Kalaeloa Harbor in a.m. and p.m. peak hours on weekdays and State Holidays. Off peak hours to service Lauwiliwili Street only. Route 432, East–West Waipahu Weekday and State Holiday schedules have been adjusted. Route 434, Waipahu–Village Park Express Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route 671, Kailua–Lanikai Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route 672, Kailua–Maunawili Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route 673, Kailua–Enchanted Lake Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route 674, Kailua–ʻAikahi Daily schedules have been adjusted. Route A, CityExpress! A Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route C, CountryExpress! C Weekday, Saturday and State Holiday schedules have been adjusted. Route E, CountryExpress! E Weekday schedule has been adjusted. Route PH1, Waiʻanae Coast–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route PH2, Mililani Town–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route PH3, Wahiawā Heights–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route PH4, Kailua–Kahaluʻu–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route PH6, Hawaiʻi Kai–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route PH7, ʻEwa Beach–Pearl Harbor Express P.M. start point has been changed to Neches/North. Route W1, Waipahu via Farrington Express Weekday schedule has been adjusted. There will be no printed timetables available for these route changes. For more information on route and schedules, please visit www.thebus.org or call 848-5555 (press 2).

During Small Business Week, the Internal Revenue Service reminds business owners and self-employed individuals of the employer credits available to them during COVID-19. These credits were specially created to help small business owners during this unprecedented time. During Small Business Week, the IRS wants to ensure all eligible people know about the relief these credits provide. Employee Retention Credit The Employee Retention Credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19. The credit is available to all employers regardless of size, including tax-exempt organizations. There are only two exceptions: State and local governments and their instrumentalities and small businesses who take small business loans. Qualifying employers must fall into one of two categories The employer's business is fully or partially suspended by government order due to COVID-19 during the calendar quarter. The employer's gross receipts are below 50% of the comparable quarter in 2019. Once the employer's gross receipts go above 80% of a comparable quarter in 2019, they no longer qualify after the end of that quarter. Employers will calculate these measures each calendar quarter. Paid Sick Leave Credit and Family Leave Credit The Paid Sick Leave Credit is designed to allow business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine, self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 10 days (up to 80 hours) at the employee's regular rate of pay up to $511 per day and $5,110 in total. The employer can also receive the credit for employees who are unable to work due to caring for someone with Coronavirus or caring for a child because the child's school or place of care is closed, or the paid childcare provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to two weeks (up to 80 hours) at 2/3 the employee's regular rate of pay or, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total. Employees are also entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to 2/3 of the employee's regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the Family Leave Credit. Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit. Eligible employers are entitled to immediately receive a credit in the full amount of the required sick leave and family leave, plus related health plan expenses and the employer's share of Medicare tax on the leave, for the period of April 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. The refundable credit is applied against certain employment taxes on wages paid to all employees. How will employers receive the credit? Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit. Eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns or Form 941 beginning with the second quarter. If the employer's employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may receive an advance payment from the IRS by submitting Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19. Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting Form 7200. The IRS has also posted Employee Retention Credit FAQs and Paid Family Leave and Sick Leave FAQs that will help answer questions. Updates on the implementation of the Employee Retention Credit and other information can be found on the Coronavirus page of IRS.gov

IRS provides tax relief for victims of Hurricane Sally; Oct. 15 deadline, other dates extended to Jan. 15 Victims of Hurricane Sally that began on Sept. 14 now have until Jan. 15, 2021 to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. The IRS is offering this relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual assistance. Currently this includes Baldwin, Escambia and Mobile counties in Alabama, but taxpayers in localities qualifying for individual assistance added later to the disaster area, elsewhere in the state and in neighboring states, will automatically receive the same filing and payment relief. The current list of eligible localities is always available on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov. The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Sept. 14, 2020. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 15, 2021, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. This means individuals who had a valid extension to file their 2019 return due to run out on Oct. 15, 2020, will now have until Jan. 15, 2021, to file. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2019 returns were due on July 15, 2020, those payments are not eligible for this relief. The Jan. 15, 2021, deadline also applies to quarterly estimated income tax payments due on Sept. 15, 2020, and the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on Nov. 2, 2020. It also applies to tax-exempt organizations, operating on a calendar-year basis, that had a valid extension due to run out on Nov. 16, 2020. Businesses with extensions also have the additional time including, among others, calendar-year corporations whose 2019 extensions run out on Oct. 15, 2020. In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after Sept. 14 and before Sept. 29, will be abated as long as the deposits are made by Sept. 29, 2020. The IRS disaster relief page has details on other returns, payments and tax-related actions qualifying for the additional time. The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Therefore, taxpayers do not need to contact the agency to get this relief. However, if an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original or extended filing, payment or deposit due date falling within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated. In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at 866-562-5227. This also includes workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization. Individuals and businesses in a federally declared disaster area who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2020 return normally filed next year), or the return for the prior year (2019). Be sure to write the FEMA declaration number – 4563 − for Hurricane Sally in Alabama on any return claiming a loss. See Publication 547 for details. The tax relief is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by Hurricane Sally and is based on local damage assessments by FEMA. For information on disaster recovery, visit disasterassistance.gov

The Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) is offering Hawai‘i residents complimentary access to the Coursera online learning platform with registration open until October 31, 2020. Approved users can take their pick from more than 3,000 courses and certifications from top universities and organizations, ranging from technology to business and personal development offerings. HTDC is an agency of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) and has partnered with the TRUE Initiative to bring the Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative to Hawai‘i. This initiative, administered through HTDC, offers educational resources to Hawai‘i’s workforce, especially unemployed workers, so they can equip themselves with technology skills and reposition for new career opportunities. Those currently employed or furloughed can leverage Coursera’s offerings to upskill themselves and take on more advanced technology projects. A list of HTDC recommended courses for those interested in picking up technology skills can be found at https://www.htdc.org/covid-19/learning-tech/. The State has up to 5,000 online learning licenses available that provide free access to courses; approved users will have until December 31, 2020 to complete the courses they have enrolled in at no extra cost. Applicants need to be a Hawai'i resident to apply. For more information and to apply visit HTDC’s website at www.htdc.org/workforce-recovery-initiative-by-coursera. Contact info@htdc.org for additional assistance. Find more info, including an FAQ, about the Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative here.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority was recently made aware of an entity called the “Hawaii Tourism Association,” utilizing the email address aloha@hawaiitourismassociation.com and website address hawaiitourismassociation.com. This group is in no way related to the Hawaii Tourism Authority and it is not a state agency. Furthermore, the State of Hawaii has not endorsed the entity’s “Safer Tourism Seal” program nor any email solicitation on this matter. The Hawaii Attorney General’s office sent a letter today to the “Hawaii Tourism Association,” demanding the entity cease and desist from the use of the name “Hawaii Tourism Association” in any public or commercial forum or medium.