SEPT. 15, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that median household income in 2019 increased 6.8% from 2018, and the official poverty rate decreased 1.3 percentage points. Meanwhile the percentage of people with health insurance coverage for all or part of 2019 was 92.0% and 8.0% of people, or 26.1 million, did not have health insurance at any point during 2019, according to the 2020 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). Median household income was $68,703 in 2019, an increase of 6.8% from the 2018 median. Between 2018 and 2019, the real median earnings of all workers increased by 1.4%, while the real median earnings of full-time, year-round workers increased 0.8%. The 2019 real median earnings of men and women who worked full-time, year-round increased by 2.1% and 3.0%, respectively, between 2018 and 2019. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median earnings for men and women working full-time, year-round was not statistically significant. The number of full-time, year-round workers increased by approximately 1.2 million between 2018 and 2019. Between 2018 and 2019, the total number of people with earnings increased by about 2.2 million. The official poverty rate in 2019 was 10.5%, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from 11.8% in 2018. This is the fifth consecutive annual decline in the national poverty rate. Since 2014, the poverty rate has fallen 4.3 percentage points, from 14.8% to 10.5%. The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% is the lowest rate observed since estimates were initially published for 1959. The number of people in poverty in 2019 was 34.0 million, 4.2 million fewer people than 2018. Private health insurance coverage was more prevalent than public coverage, covering 68.0% and 34.1% of the population at some point during the year, respectively. Employment-based insurance was the most common subtype. Some people may have more than one coverage type during the calendar year. These findings are contained in two reports: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019 and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2019. Another Census Bureau report, The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2019, was also released today. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2019 was 11.7%. This was 1.0 percentage point lower than the 2018 SPM rate of 12.8%. The SPM provides an alternative way of measuring poverty in the United States and serves as an additional indicator of economic well-being. The Census Bureau has published poverty estimates using the SPM annually since 2011 with the collaboration of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and BLS, is conducted every month and is the primary source of labor force statistics for the U.S. population; it is used to calculate monthly unemployment rate estimates. Supplements are added in most months; the CPS ASEC is designed to give annual, national estimates of income, poverty and health insurance numbers and rates. The CPS ASEC is conducted in February, March and April. It collects information about income and health insurance coverage during the prior calendar year. As data were collected in February, March and April 2020 about income and health insurance coverage in 2019, this report does not reflect economic impacts related to COVID-19, but instead serves as a pre-pandemic benchmark for future research. This year, data collection faced extraordinary circumstances. As the United States began to grapple with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the nation, interviewing for the March CPS began on March 15. In order to protect the health and safety of Census Bureau staff and respondents, the survey suspended in-person interviewing and closed both Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) contact centers on March 20. For the rest of March and through April, the Census Bureau continued to attempt all interviews by phone. For those whose first month in the survey was March or April, the Census Bureau used vendor-provided telephone numbers associated with the sample address. While the Census Bureau went to great lengths to complete interviews by telephone, the response rate for the CPS basic household survey was 73% in March 2020, about 10 percentage points lower than in preceding months and the same period in 2019, which were regularly above 80%. The change from conducting first interviews in person to making first contacts by telephone contributed to the lower response rates and it is likely that the characteristics of people for whom a telephone number was found may be systematically different from the people for whom the Census Bureau was unable to obtain a telephone number. While the Census Bureau creates weights designed to adjust for nonresponse and to control weighted counts to independent population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, the magnitude of the increase in (and differential nature of) nonresponse related to the pandemic likely reduced their efficacy. Using administrative data, Census Bureau researchers have documented that the nonrespondents in 2020 are less similar to respondents than in earlier years. Of particular interest for the estimates in this report released today are the differences in median income and educational attainment, indicating that respondents in 2020 had relatively higher income and were more educated than nonrespondents. The 2019 income and poverty report is based on the CPS ASEC and includes comparisons with the previous year and historical tables in the report, which contain statistics back to 1959. The health insurance report is based on both the CPS ASEC and the American Community Survey (ACS). State and local income, poverty and health insurance estimates from the ACS will be released Thursday, Sept. 17. Income Median household income was $68,703 in 2019, an increase of 6.8% from the 2018 median of $64,324. The 2019 real median income of family households and nonfamily households increased 7.3% and 6.2%, respectively, between 2018 and 2019. This is the fifth consecutive annual increase in median household income for family households and the second consecutive increase for nonfamily households. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median income for family (7.3%) and nonfamily (6.2%) households was not statistically significant. Real median household incomes increased for all regions in 2019: 6.8% in the Northeast, 4.8% in the Midwest, 6.1% in the South, and 7.0% in the West. The differences between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median household income for all regions were not statistically significant. Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only; Hispanics can be of any race.) The 2019 real median incomes of White, Black, Asian and Hispanic households all increased from 2018. The differences between the 2018-2019 percent changes in household median income for each race group were not statistically significant. Earnings The 2019 real median earnings of men ($57,456) and women ($47,299) who worked full-time, year-round increased by 2.1% and 3.0%, respectively. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent change in median earnings for men working full-time, year-round and women working full-time, year-round was not statistically significant. The 2019 female-to-male earnings ratio was 0.823, not statistically different from the 2018 ratio. Between 2018 and 2019, the real median earnings of all workers and full-time, year-round workers increased 1.4% and 0.8%, respectively. Between 2018 and 2019, the total number of people with earnings, regardless of work experience, increased by about 2.2 million. The number of full-time, year-round workers increased by approximately 1.2 million. Poverty As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2019 was $26,172. (See for the complete set of dollar value thresholds that vary by family size and composition.) The official poverty rate in 2019 was 10.5%; down 1.3 percentage points from 11.8% in 2018 (the OMB determined the official definition of poverty in Statistical Policy Directive 14). The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% marks the fifth consecutive annual decline in poverty. Since 2014, the poverty rate has fallen 4.3 percentage points, from 14.8% to 10.5%. The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% is the lowest rate observed since estimates were initially published for 1959. In 2019, there were 34.0 million people in poverty, approximately 4.2 million fewer people than 2018. Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only; Hispanics can be of any race.) Between 2018 and 2019, poverty rates declined for all major race and Hispanic origin groups. The poverty rate for Whites decreased 1.0 percentage point to 9.1%. The poverty rate for Blacks decreased by 2.0 percentage points to 18.8%. The poverty rate for Asians decreased 2.8 percentage points to 7.3%. The poverty rate for Hispanics decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 15.7%. The percentage point change in poverty rates from 2018 to 2019 for Blacks is not significantly different than the percentage point change for Whites, Asians or Hispanics. The percentage point change from 2018 to 2019 for Hispanics is not significantly different from the percentage point change for Asians. Age Between 2018 and 2019, poverty rates for children under the age of 18 decreased 1.8 percentage points, from 16.2% to 14.4%. Poverty rates decreased 1.2 percentage points for adults ages 18 to 64, from 10.7% to 9.4%. The poverty rate for people age 65 and older decreased by 0.9 percentage points, from 9.7% to 8.9%. Supplemental Poverty Measure The SPM extends the official poverty measure by taking into account many of the government programs designed to assist low-income families and individuals that are not included in the current official poverty measure. The SPM released today shows: in 2019, the overall SPM rate was 11.7%. This was 1.0 percentage point lower than the 2018 SPM rate of 12.8%. The SPM rate for 2019 was 1.3 percentage points higher than the official poverty rate of 10.5%. There were 16 states plus the District of Columbia for which SPM rates were higher than official poverty rates, 25 states with lower rates, and 9 states for which the differences were not statistically significant. Social Security continued to be the most important anti-poverty program, moving 26.5 million individuals out of poverty in 2019. Refundable tax credits moved 7.5 million people out of poverty. Age SPM rates were down for all major age categories: children under age 18, adults ages 18 to 64, and adults age 65 and older between 2018 and 2019. While the official poverty measure includes only pretax money income, the SPM adds the value of in-kind benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, school lunches, housing assistance and refundable tax credits. Additionally, the SPM deducts necessary expenses for critical goods and services from income. Expenses that are deducted include taxes, child care, commuting expenses, contributions toward the cost of medical care and health insurance premiums, and child support paid to another household. The SPM permits the examination of the effects of government transfers on poverty estimates. For example, not including refundable tax credits (the Earned Income Tax Credit and the refundable portion of the child tax credit) in resources, the poverty rate for all people would have been 14.0% rather than 11.7%. The SPM does not replace the official poverty measure and is not used to determine eligibility for government programs. Health Insurance As in the past several years, the Census Bureau is releasing estimates of health insurance from two surveys. The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) asks people about coverage during the entire previous calendar year. The American Community Survey (ACS) asks people to report their health insurance coverage at the time of interview. The use of both surveys provides a more complete picture of health insurance coverage in the United States in 2019. Highlights reporting coverage in 2019 come from the CPS ASEC. Highlights reporting change in health coverage from 2018 to 2019 or health coverage at the state-level come from the ACS. In 2019, 8.0% of people, or 26.1 million, did not have health insurance at any point during the year, according to the CPS ASEC. The percentage of people with health insurance coverage for all or part of 2019 was 92.0%. In 2019, 9.2% of people, or 29.6 million, were not covered by health insurance at the time of interview, according to the ACS, up from 8.9% and 28.6 million in 2018. In 2019, the percentage of people with employer-provided coverage at the time of interview was slightly higher than in 2018, from 55.2% in 2018 to 55.4% in 2019. The percentage of people with Medicaid coverage at the time of interview decreased to 19.8% in 2019, down from 20.5% in 2018. Between 2018 and 2019, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased in one state and increased in nineteen states. All states and the District of Columbia had a lower uninsured rate in 2019 than in 2010. Regional trends are available for income, poverty, SPM and health insurance in each respective report, as well as tables showing state-level coverage for health insurance and poverty rates using the supplemental poverty measure. State and Local Estimates From the American Community Survey Some state-level health insurance data from the ACS are included in this release. On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Census Bureau will release 2019 single-year estimates of median household income, poverty and health insurance for all states, counties, places and other geographic units with populations of 65,000 or more from the ACS. These statistics will include numerous social, economic and housing characteristics, such as language, education, commuting, employment, mortgage status and rent. Subscribers will be able to access these estimates on an embargoed basis. The ACS provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community (i.e., census tracts or neighborhoods) across the nation. The results are used by everyone from town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers. The CPS ASEC and ACS are subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. All comparisons made here and in each respective report have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90% confidence level, unless otherwise noted. For additional information on the source of the data and accuracy of the income, poverty and health insurance estimates, visit

Governor’s Office: Pre-Travel Testing Option to Begin on Oct. 15, 2020 At an afternoon news briefing, Gov. David Ige announced plans for a Hawai‘i pre-travel testing program that gives travelers the option of possibly avoiding 14-day-long quarantine upon arrival to the state. This is viewed as one of the key measures for revitalizing Hawai‘i’s visitor-centric economy, while providing protection for the spread of COVID-19. Key components of the pre-travel testing program include: All travelers must either pre-test or go into 14-day quarantine upon arrival to the state All travelers are required to have temperature checked and complete a health & travel questionnaire As an alternative to quarantine a traveler must produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test no earlier than 72-hours prior to their flight arrival in Hawai‘i The interisland quarantine for anyone arriving on any island other than O‘ahu continues through Sept. 30, unless terminated or extended by a separate emergency proclamation FDA-approved NAAT tests, processed by a CLIA-certified laboratory are the only types of coronavirus tests currently approved Currently approved trusted testing partners are CVS and Kaiser Permanente The State has produced an extensive list of questions and answers associated with the Safe Travels Pre-Testing Program. See the FAQs at: hawaiicovid19.com New Leadership Team, Realignment of COVID-19 Efforts Announced Governor Ige announced a new leadership team that will oversee the State’s public health response to COVID-19. Maj. Gen. Ken Hara, Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Director, will continue his role as incident commander, spearheading the collaboration between federal, state and county resources to address the pandemic response. Dr. Libby Char, DOH Director, is responsible for the management of the state’s public health programs and collaboration between state, county, and private healthcare partners. Lt. Gov. Josh Green will spearhead the pre-travel testing program, which includes adding partners to administer the tests and sourcing new testing options and is also responsible for planning the state’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy. Gov Ige. said, “This new leadership team gives us a stronger operational structure, stronger leadership, and clears the way for stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors.” Meanwhile, Dr. Virginia Pressler, the former director of DOH, has also volunteered to lead the Laulima Alliance, a cross functional team of public and private sector resources, ensuring that all have a voice in policy making and implementation of programs responding to the pandemic. Gov. Ige said, “Together with the progress we’ve made, and continue to make, in the fight against COVID-19, this new leadership team gives us confidence that the time is right to launch our pre-travel COVID-19 testing program, which is an important step toward reviving our economy while continuing to protect public health.” Department of Health: 102 Cases Reported Today & Three Additional Deaths on O‘ahu Two (2) men and one (1) woman, all from O‘ahu, all with underlying health conditions, and all in the 70 to 79-year-old age group are the latest to pass away from coronavirus. All three had been in the hospital. After two days of double-digit case counts, DOH reports a slight increase into the low triple digits with 102 new cases today. *Electronic Laboratory Reporting **23 test results were inconclusive ++ Tests results from unique individuals. Total numbers may be higher due to repeat tests on single individuals. Hawaiicovid19.com For more tables, charts and visualizations visit the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division: https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency: Update on COVID-19 Response Assets At the governor’s news briefing Thursday, HI-EMA Director Kenneth Hara gave an update on COVID-19 response assets that have been assisting in Hawai‘i. At the request of the State, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) deployed a team of public health officers to help augment clinical staff at the Queen’s Medical Center and Kuakini Medical Center. The short-term surge support is designed to relieve the pressure on medical staff who work in the hospital’s emergency department and ICU. About 36 health care providers are deployed. A separate VA team of experts in outbreak control will arrive at Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home in Hilo later this week. Post-Surge Testing Strategy Efforts are also underway with the various counties and HHS to expand surge testing on neighbor islands. The surge testing on O‘ahu showed a COVID-19 positive rate of less than 1%, which indicates that COVID-19 is not widespread or “out of control.” Director Hara said, “With positive cases identified through laboratory reporting and contact tracing also decreasing, things are moving in the right direction.” Airport Screening Tools are also being used at Hawai‘i airports to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including using 133 cameras statewide to detect individuals with a fever higher than 100.4 degrees and above. Previously, National Guard members would stop each passenger as they exited the plane and take their temperature. Now, people exit the plane without being stopped and their temperature is taken automatically as they walk past the equipment. Facial imaging technology is also expected to be completed and rolled out by Dec. 31, 2020. Department of Public Safety: Two Additional COVID-19 Positive Cases Reported at OCCC PSD is reporting two new COVID-19 positive cases; one is an OCCC inmate, the other is an OCCC staff member. Recovered PSD staff increased to 65, with only 38 active cases. Mass testing is underway for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. Testing started at the Waiawa Correctional Facility Tuesday. PSD anticipates test results will take up to three days to receive. The order of the facilities next in line for testing is still being worked out. Staff testing is being coordinated with the Hawai‘i National Guard and will be conducted separately from the inmate testing being performed by the PSD Health Care Division nursing staff. The inmate releases directed through the Hawai‘i Supreme Court orders are on-going. There are no releases to report for Tuesday. For more information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19, testing data, and information detailing the efforts made to safeguard the inmates, staff and public, can be found here: http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/ Helpful Resources Kaua‘i County Kaua‘i COVID-19 webpage: https://www.kauai.gov/COVID-19 To report violators: https://www.kauai.gov/KPD-Online-Reporting Maui County Maui County mandatory travel declaration form and request for limited quarantine form: https://www.mauicounty.gov To report violators: (808) 244-6400 or mpdquarantine@mpd.net Hawai‘i County Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage: https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/ Critical infrastructure and medical travel request: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c To report violators: 808-935-3311 City & County of Honolulu Honolulu COVID-19 webpage: oneoahu.org Interisland passengers arriving on O‘ahu are not subject to the mandatory quarantine. To report violators: 808-723-3900 or HPDcovidenforce@honolulu.gov Hawai‘i COVID-19 Joint Information Center (808) 636-8194 Hawaiicovid19@gmail.com

A wildland fire in Waimea Canyon on Kaua‘i is the focus of a joint response from the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the Kaua‘i Fire Department. As of 1:00 p.m. today, the fire covered one acre near mile marker 11 on Highway 550. The DOFAW Kaua’i Branch dispatched two fire engines along with a crew of ten wildland firefighters to assist with the effort. This fire is in a co-response zone that is shared state and county responsibility. DOFAW as the primary responder for wildland fires. September and October are some of the driest months in Hawai’i, as highlighted in the “Wildfire & Drought LOOKOUT!” awareness campaign supported by DLNR, county fire departments, and a variety of other partners. During this time of year residents and visitors are reminded to be particularly mindful about wildfire prevention by: Clearing vegetation within 10 feet of campfires and barbecues, keeping a shovel and water nearby, and putting fires out cold before walking away Being sure machinery (chainsaws, weed trimmers) and recreational vehicles have operating spark arrestors and are maintained regularly Parking cars on areas that are paved or where vegetation is trimmed and cleared Attending public fireworks displays rather than using fireworks in residential areas.

Calling the illegal actions “outrageous,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case praised the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) arrest yesterday of a West Hawai‘i aquarium fish collector. 57-year-old Steve Howard of Kailua-Kona, a well-known aquarium fisher, was arrested after a bizarre series of events that included a search and rescue operation. Howard was observed launching his boat at DLNR’s Honokohau Small Boat Harbor. When DOCARE officers were alerted, they mobilized, and followed the boat to the Kailua-Kona pier, where Howard picked up two women. DLNR PHOTO DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla picks up the story. “Our officers observed Howard’s vessel heading out to the ocean and by this time we were able to deploy our own boat. Officers intercepted Howard in South Kona off Pebble Beach near Ho‘okena. He was questioned about the whereabouts of the women who were no longer on the boat. Officers report Howard was uncooperative as they tried to determine the location of the women. His voyage was terminated due to equipment violations, and he was escorted back to Honokohau.” The missing women prompted a multi-agency, land, air and sea search & rescue mission involving DOCARE, the Hawai‘i County Fire Dept., the Hawai‘i County Police Dept., the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement. Eventually authorities received a call that two women, with full diving equipment, were spotted at a Kona gas station. They were picked up for interviews and admitted Howard had “dropped them off to go scuba diving. Ultimately the women told investigators that they’d left approximately 200 fish in a collection basket in the ocean. A NOAA vessel located nets and other equipment used for aquarium collection on the shore and then found the ten different species of fish in the basket in the ocean. With the assistance of staff from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), the underwater cage and the captured fish were recovered. After an accounting of the numbers of fish and species type for evidence, all of the fish were returned to the ocean. The fish had an estimated value of $17,000. Howard faces multiple charges for resisting arrest, aquatics and equipment violations and for reckless endangerment associated with his dropping the women in the ocean. Chair Case explained, “Aquarium collection in West Hawaii is not permitted at this time. Everyone knows the rules and the industry is under a microscope legally, procedurally, and physically. Why would anyone blatantly flaunt the law to continue to fish illegally for aquarium fish in Kona is beyond me. It’s absolutely wrong. Big kudos to our DOCARE and DAR teams, that nailed this one.” DAR Administrator Brian Neilson commented, “These people collected 235 fish popular for the aquarium trade in a place that they all know is currently off-limits to any aquarium fish collecting. These are egregious violations and we take them very seriously.” DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla concluded, “Beyond the impacts on our aquatic resources, the actions yesterday diverted limited law enforcement & emergency services resources into a potential search and rescue. At one time we thought we might be looking for missing or deceased divers. Who drops divers off a boat into the open ocean and then leaves in order to avoid detection?” “I’m very proud of our DOCARE officers and all of the personnel from other agencies who assisted in the search and subsequent arrest yesterday. These actions potentially endangered the lives of two divers and are clearly detrimental to the aquatic resources in West Hawai‘i. We hope the individual arrested will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is reporting three confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Sept. 1 involving two employees and a student at Dole Middle School in Kalihi. The Department is awaiting documentation of two potential cases involving Dole Middle employees. Due to the timing and location on campus of the individuals, the cases do not appear to be connected; however, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) is conducting an ongoing investigation. While it is not standard practice for HIDOE to publicly disclose pending cases, the two potential cases are being included because they occurred during the same time as multiple confirmed cases on a single campus. Anyone with concerns about these cases is encouraged to contact their health care provider or DOH using these options. Immediate actions were taken by the school administration to ensure campus safety. Students who were receiving specialized, in-person services were instructed to remain home through Sept. 10; instructional support is being provided by the school. Staff who are potential close contacts were asked to telework. The impacted areas were professionally cleaned and sanitized today, and the campus remains open. Below is a timeline of the cases impacting Dole Middle and immediate action taken by the school and Department’s COVID-19 Response Team: Sept. 7 (pending confirmation): The employee was last on campus on Sept. 3. Potential close contacts have been identified and have been/will be notified today. Professional cleaning and disinfection of the impacted areas was completed today. Sept. 6 (pending confirmation): The employee was last on campus on Aug. 28. Potential close contacts were notified on Sept. 6. Professional cleaning and disinfection were not performed since the same areas were professionally cleaned and disinfected on Sept. 1. Routine cleaning was done by school custodial staff. Sept. 4 (confirmed): The employee was last on campus on Aug. 28. This individual had minimal contact with staff and no contact with students. A joint notification was sent to all staff and parents on Sept. 4. The impacted areas were professionally cleaned and disinfected on Sept. 1 due to an earlier case. Sept. 3 (confirmed): The student was last on campus on Aug. 17. A joint notification was sent to all staff and parents on Sept. 4. Due to the timing that had passed since the individual was on campus, routine cleaning was done by school custodial staff. Sept. 1 (confirmed): This individual was on campus on Aug. 26, had minimal interaction with staff and no interaction with any students. The impacted areas were professionally cleaned and disinfected on Sept. 1, and notification was sent to all staff and parents on the same day. Aug. 15 (confirmed): The school’s first case involved an employee and was confirmed on Aug. 27. Despite the pending status, the entire campus was professionally cleaned and disinfected on Aug. 15, and notification was sent to all staff and parents on Aug. 15. HIDOE urges all staff, service providers, parents and students to perform a wellness check prior to arrival at a HIDOE facility or before they have any educational or work-related interaction, bit.ly/HIDOEWellnessCheck. If an individual is exhibiting symptoms or if they have been directed to quarantine by DOH, they should stay home and contact their health care provider.

Kāʻanapali Beach has been negatively impacted by chronic erosion and extreme seasonal erosion over the previous four decades.  Sand loss is expected to continue and even accelerate with sea level rise. The DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) will be holding an informational meeting regarding this sand replenishment project on Maui. The State of Hawaiʻi and the Kāʻanapali Operations Association, Inc. have developed a plan to ensure the long-term viability of this sandy coastal resource, which includes both beach restoration and berm enhancement.  Beach restoration is proposed for the section of beach between Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park and Hanakaʻōʻō Point and beach berm enhancement is proposed for the section of beach between Hanakaʻōʻō Point and Puʻu Kekaʻa. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project was published in the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s Environmental Bulletin on August 23, 2020 and comments are currently being solicited for the draft EIS until October 7, 2020. The informational meeting will begin at 2:00 pm on September 24, 2020. The webinar link is: https://zoom.us/j/91922314975 For further information, contact the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands at (808) 342-1922. For more information regarding this project: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/kaanapali/ .

The County of Kaua‘i is announcing that 2021 Real Property tax exemptions or tax credits are available. If you are a primary resident of Kaua‘i and are not currently receiving a home exemption or tax credit, you may be eligible to file a claim to reduce the real property taxes on your home. To qualify for a home exemption, you must occupy your property as your principal home and hold no other property exemption anywhere in the world. For the exemption or tax credit to be effective in the next year 2021-2022, the claim must be filed by Sept. 30, 2020. Others who may be eligible for an exemption or tax credit and are affected by the Sept. 30, 2020 deadline include totally disabled veterans, property owners who are deaf, blind or totally disabled, nonprofit organizations, low and moderate-income housing projects, property owners with eligible safe rooms, kuleana owners, and an additional home exemption relating to owner-occupants’ income. Tax credits programs include home preservation tax limitation and the very low income tax credit. The Long Term Affordable rental program allows for application of the lowest tax rate for eligible landlords. If there any questions regarding the 2021- COVID-19 Relief rollover of an existing 2020 Low Income exemption or 2020 Tax Credit or the continuing status of a multi-year lease agreement you are strongly urged to contact our office or file prior to the deadline. In order to qualify for Tax Relief, the document by which the property was acquired (i.e., deed, lease, agreement of sale, etc.) must be recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances on or before Sept. 30, 2020. To expedite the filing process, the claimant should know the tax map key number of the property. A change in ownership or use, such as the sale or rental of the property, voids the exemption and must be reported to the assessor within 30 days. Failure to notify the assessor of any change to current tax relief status subjects the claimant to back taxes and a civil penalty for each year that the change remains unreported. Exemption or tax credit claim forms are available at 4444 Rice St., Suite 454, Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, 96766 or on our website www.kauaipropertytax.com. (click on Forms & Instructions). For additional information, call 241-4224.

Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami has signed Bill No. 2775, restricting the use and sale of polystyrene foam food service containers, today, Sept. 15. The bill, introduced by Councilmembers Mason Chock and KipuKai Kuali‘i, was passed after a 4-2 vote at Council chambers on Wednesday. “Mahalo to the Kaua‘i County Council for passing this bill that will help to lessen the impact of waste on our island – both on land and in the ocean,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “Restricting these types of containers will further public health and encourage the use of environmentally-safe products.” The ordinance to restrict of the use and sale of polystyrene foam food service containers will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Link to virtual bill signing: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=800046127426415&extid=ozAzIOmhjgiovGf2.

Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami today proclaimed September as Suicide Prevention Month for the County of Kaua‘i. Mayor Kawakami was joined by members of the Prevent Suicide Kaua‘i Task Force and Chief of Police Todd Raybuck at the Līhu‘e Civic Center today, Sept. 15. Photo caption: (From left to right) Chief of Police Todd Raybuck, Madeline Hiraga-Nuccio, Gina Kaulukukui, Patricia Wistinghausen, and Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “I ask the people of the Kaua‘i to help raise awareness of local and national mental health and suicide prevention resources available to our communities and encourage all those in need to seek the care and treatment necessary for a long and healthy life,” said Mayor Kawakami. For those experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers a free 24/7 hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or a National Crisis Text Line, 741741. There is also a local program called Crisis Line of Hawai‘i at 1-800-753-6879. This, too is a 24/7 service. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has a Hawai‘i chapter. For more information on AFSP Hawaii, visit its website at https://afsp.org/chapter/afsp-hawaii// This service is aimed at assisting Veterans in crisis, https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. Lastly, for general information on suicide prevention – including common questions and myths, data and statistics, and other resources and links – visit the state Department of Health website at http://health.hawaii.gov/injuryprevention/home/suicide-prevention/information/ If at any time you feel you are in danger or have an emergency, don't hesitate to call 911

2021 LĀNA‘I AXIS DEER HUNTING SEASON CANCELLED Replacement season will be announced pending COVID-19 developments The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) regretfully announces the cancellation of the 2021 Lāna‘i Axis Deer season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. DOFAW has determined that cancellation of the hunt is in the best interest of public safety. DOFAW is planning to implement a combination Mouflon Sheep/Axis Deer season in the summer or fall of 2021, pending the status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and updates on the Mouflon Sheep/Axis Deer combination hunt will be posted on the DOFAW webpage in the spring of 2021. Hunters seeking further information may contact the Maui Branch of DOFAW at (808) 984-8100.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that median household income in 2019 increased 6.8% from 2018, and the official poverty rate decreased 1.3 percentage points. Meanwhile the percentage of people with health insurance coverage for all or part of 2019 was 92.0% and 8.0% of people, or 26.1 million, did not have health insurance at any point during 2019, according to the 2020 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC). Median household income was $68,703 in 2019, an increase of 6.8% from the 2018 median. Between 2018 and 2019, the real median earnings of all workers increased by 1.4%, while the real median earnings of full-time, year-round workers increased 0.8%. The 2019 real median earnings of men and women who worked full-time, year-round increased by 2.1% and 3.0%, respectively, between 2018 and 2019. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median earnings for men and women working full-time, year-round was not statistically significant. The number of full-time, year-round workers increased by approximately 1.2 million between 2018 and 2019. Between 2018 and 2019, the total number of people with earnings increased by about 2.2 million. The official poverty rate in 2019 was 10.5%, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from 11.8% in 2018. This is the fifth consecutive annual decline in the national poverty rate. Since 2014, the poverty rate has fallen 4.3 percentage points, from 14.8% to 10.5%. The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% is the lowest rate observed since estimates were initially published for 1959. The number of people in poverty in 2019 was 34.0 million, 4.2 million fewer people than 2018. Private health insurance coverage was more prevalent than public coverage, covering 68.0% and 34.1% of the population at some point during the year, respectively. Employment-based insurance was the most common subtype. Some people may have more than one coverage type during the calendar year. These findings are contained in two reports: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019 and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2019. Another Census Bureau report, The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2019, was also released today. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2019 was 11.7%. This was 1.0 percentage point lower than the 2018 SPM rate of 12.8%. The SPM provides an alternative way of measuring poverty in the United States and serves as an additional indicator of economic well-being. The Census Bureau has published poverty estimates using the SPM annually since 2011 with the collaboration of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and BLS, is conducted every month and is the primary source of labor force statistics for the U.S. population; it is used to calculate monthly unemployment rate estimates. Supplements are added in most months; the CPS ASEC is designed to give annual, national estimates of income, poverty and health insurance numbers and rates. The CPS ASEC is conducted in February, March and April. It collects information about income and health insurance coverage during the prior calendar year. As data were collected in February, March and April 2020 about income and health insurance coverage in 2019, this report does not reflect economic impacts related to COVID-19, but instead serves as a pre-pandemic benchmark for future research. This year, data collection faced extraordinary circumstances. As the United States began to grapple with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the nation, interviewing for the March CPS began on March 15. In order to protect the health and safety of Census Bureau staff and respondents, the survey suspended in-person interviewing and closed both Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) contact centers on March 20. For the rest of March and through April, the Census Bureau continued to attempt all interviews by phone. For those whose first month in the survey was March or April, the Census Bureau used vendor-provided telephone numbers associated with the sample address. While the Census Bureau went to great lengths to complete interviews by telephone, the response rate for the CPS basic household survey was 73% in March 2020, about 10 percentage points lower than in preceding months and the same period in 2019, which were regularly above 80%. The change from conducting first interviews in person to making first contacts by telephone contributed to the lower response rates and it is likely that the characteristics of people for whom a telephone number was found may be systematically different from the people for whom the Census Bureau was unable to obtain a telephone number. While the Census Bureau creates weights designed to adjust for nonresponse and to control weighted counts to independent population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, the magnitude of the increase in (and differential nature of) nonresponse related to the pandemic likely reduced their efficacy. Using administrative data, Census Bureau researchers have documented that the nonrespondents in 2020 are less similar to respondents than in earlier years. Of particular interest for the estimates in this report released today are the differences in median income and educational attainment, indicating that respondents in 2020 had relatively higher income and were more educated than nonrespondents. The 2019 income and poverty report is based on the CPS ASEC and includes comparisons with the previous year and historical tables in the report, which contain statistics back to 1959. The health insurance report is based on both the CPS ASEC and the American Community Survey (ACS). State and local income, poverty and health insurance estimates from the ACS will be released Thursday, Sept. 17. Income • Median household income was $68,703 in 2019, an increase of 6.8% from the 2018 median of $64,324. • The 2019 real median income of family households and nonfamily households increased 7.3% and 6.2%, respectively, between 2018 and 2019. This is the fifth consecutive annual increase in median household income for family households and the second consecutive increase for nonfamily households. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median income for family (7.3%) and nonfamily (6.2%) households was not statistically significant. • Real median household incomes increased for all regions in 2019: 6.8% in the Northeast, 4.8% in the Midwest, 6.1% in the South, and 7.0% in the West. The differences between the 2018-2019 percent changes in median household income for all regions were not statistically significant. Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only; Hispanics can be of any race.) • The 2019 real median incomes of White, Black, Asian and Hispanic households all increased from 2018. The differences between the 2018-2019 percent changes in household median income for each race group were not statistically significant. Earnings • The 2019 real median earnings of men ($57,456) and women ($47,299) who worked full-time, year-round increased by 2.1% and 3.0%, respectively. The difference between the 2018-2019 percent change in median earnings for men working full-time, year-round and women working full-time, year-round was not statistically significant. • The 2019 female-to-male earnings ratio was 0.823, not statistically different from the 2018 ratio. • Between 2018 and 2019, the real median earnings of all workers and full-time, year-round workers increased 1.4% and 0.8%, respectively. • Between 2018 and 2019, the total number of people with earnings, regardless of work experience, increased by about 2.2 million. The number of full-time, year-round workers increased by approximately 1.2 million. Poverty As defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2019 was $26,172. (See www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-poverty-thresholds.html for the complete set of dollar value thresholds that vary by family size and composition.) • The official poverty rate in 2019 was 10.5%; down 1.3 percentage points from 11.8% in 2018 (the OMB determined the official definition of poverty in Statistical Policy Directive 14). • The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% marks the fifth consecutive annual decline in poverty. Since 2014, the poverty rate has fallen 4.3 percentage points, from 14.8% to 10.5%. • The 2019 poverty rate of 10.5% is the lowest rate observed since estimates were initially published for 1959. • In 2019, there were 34.0 million people in poverty, approximately 4.2 million fewer people than 2018. Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only; Hispanics can be of any race.) • Between 2018 and 2019, poverty rates declined for all major race and Hispanic origin groups. • The poverty rate for Whites decreased 1.0 percentage point to 9.1%. The poverty rate for Blacks decreased by 2.0 percentage points to 18.8%. The poverty rate for Asians decreased 2.8 percentage points to 7.3%. The poverty rate for Hispanics decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 15.7%. • The percentage point change in poverty rates from 2018 to 2019 for Blacks is not significantly different than the percentage point change for Whites, Asians or Hispanics. The percentage point change from 2018 to 2019 for Hispanics is not significantly different from the percentage point change for Asians. Age • Between 2018 and 2019, poverty rates for children under the age of 18 decreased 1.8 percentage points, from 16.2% to 4%. • Poverty rates decreased 1.2 percentage points for adults ages 18 to 64, from 10.7% to 9.4%. • The poverty rate for people age 65 and older decreased by 0.9 percentage points, from 7% to 8.9%. Supplemental Poverty Measure The SPM extends the official poverty measure by taking into account many of the government programs designed to assist low-income families and individuals that are not included in the current official poverty measure. • The SPM released today shows: in 2019, the overall SPM rate was 11.7%. This was 1.0 percentage point lower than the 2018 SPM rate of 12.8%. • The SPM rate for 2019 was 1.3 percentage points higher than the official poverty rate of 10.5%. • There were 16 states plus the District of Columbia for which SPM rates were higher than official poverty rates, 25 states with lower rates, and 9 states for which the differences were not statistically significant. • Social Security continued to be the most important anti-poverty program, moving 26.5 million individuals out of poverty in 2019. Refundable tax credits moved 7.5 million people out of poverty. Age • SPM rates were down for all major age categories: children under age 18, adults ages 18 to 64, and adults age 65 and older between 2018 and 2019. While the official poverty measure includes only pretax money income, the SPM adds the value of in-kind benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, school lunches, housing assistance and refundable tax credits. Additionally, the SPM deducts necessary expenses for critical goods and services from income. Expenses that are deducted include taxes, child care, commuting expenses, contributions toward the cost of medical care and health insurance premiums, and child support paid to another household. The SPM permits the examination of the effects of government transfers on poverty estimates. For example, not including refundable tax credits (the Earned Income Tax Credit and the refundable portion of the child tax credit) in resources, the poverty rate for all people would have been 14.0% rather than 11.7%. The SPM does not replace the official poverty measure and is not used to determine eligibility for government programs. Health Insurance As in the past several years, the Census Bureau is releasing estimates of health insurance from two surveys. The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) asks people about coverage during the entire previous calendar year. The American Community Survey (ACS) asks people to report their health insurance coverage at the time of interview. The use of both surveys provides a more complete picture of health insurance coverage in the United States in 2019. Highlights reporting coverage in 2019 come from the CPS ASEC. Highlights reporting change in health coverage from 2018 to 2019 or health coverage at the state-level come from the ACS. • In 2019, 8.0% of people, or 26.1 million, did not have health insurance at any point during the year, according to the CPS ASEC. The percentage of people with health insurance coverage for all or part of 2019 was 92.0%. • In 2019, 9.2% of people, or 29.6 million, were not covered by health insurance at the time of interview, according to the ACS, up from 8.9% and 28.6 million in 2018. • In 2019, the percentage of people with employer-provided coverage at the time of interview was slightly higher than in 2018, from 55.2% in 2018 to 55.4% in 2019. • The percentage of people with Medicaid coverage at the time of interview decreased to 19.8% in 2019, down from 20.5% in 2018. • Between 2018 and 2019, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased in one state and increased in nineteen states. • All states and the District of Columbia had a lower uninsured rate in 2019 than in 2010. Regional trends are available for income, poverty, SPM and health insurance in each respective report, as well as tables showing state-level coverage for health insurance and poverty rates using the supplemental poverty measure. State and Local Estimates From the American Community Survey Some state-level health insurance data from the ACS are included in this release. On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Census Bureau will release 2019 single-year estimates of median household income, poverty and health insurance for all states, counties, places and other geographic units with populations of 65,000 or more from the ACS. These statistics will include numerous social, economic and housing characteristics, such as language, education, commuting, employment, mortgage status and rent. Subscribers will be able to access these estimates on an embargoed basis. The ACS provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community (i.e., census tracts or neighborhoods) across the nation. The results are used by everyone from town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers. The CPS ASEC and ACS are subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. All comparisons made here and in each respective report have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90% confidence level, unless otherwise noted. For additional information on the source of the data and accuracy of the income, poverty and health insurance estimates, visit .

The People’s Open Markets will resume their regular schedule beginning this Saturday, Sept. 19, with five rotating market locations for that day spanning from Kalihi to Hawai‘i Kai. The markets were most recently closed beginning Saturday, Aug. 8 as part of Emergency Order 2020-23. Their closure was made in an effort to combat the second surge of COVID-19 cases. Under the current Emergency Order 2020-26, certified farmers’ markets are considered essential businesses. With park parking lots reopened, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation decided to resume market operations once the attendance of enough market vendors was confirmed. While these markets are an excellent way for farmers to sell their produce and for the public to access the discounted food they sell, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant and cognizant of the efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Physical distancing and face mask requirements established for these markets prior to the Aug. 8 closure will again be enforced. The entire People’s Open Market schedule and additional information on the program can be accessed by visiting the dedicated website at: http://bit.ly/peoplesmarkets 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 the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or send an email to parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the date accommodations are needed. It may not be possible to fulfill requests received after this date.