Showing posts with label curfew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label curfew. Show all posts

Monday, August 16, 2021

Curfews could be next step against COVID spread as cases surge, hospitals reach capacity, Army and Native Hawaiians mull Oahu’s Makua Valley compromise, vaccine/testing mandates kick in for state workers, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy photo
Dr. Green at Queen's hospital Aug. 14, 2021 PC: courtesy

Green: Unvaccinated are to blame if new, strict rules, including curfews, needed to curb hospitalizations. Lt. Gov. Josh Green has made his position clear on widespread vaccine mandates. He believes people have the right to choose and no one should force them to get the shot. But he thinks weekly testing and mask wearing is the bare minimum that people can do. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Vaccine deadline looms for Hawaii’s state workers despite lack of guidance. The details of how the program will work don’t seem to be finalized and the state agency that oversees human resources refused to provide the Honolulu Star-Advertiser with a copy of the guidance that does exist. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii DOE Announces Start Date For Weekly COVID-19 Testing. The new requirement applies to all unvaccinated school personnel, including salaried employees, substitutes and volunteers. Civil Beat.

University of Hawaii offering free vaccinations for students, employees at 3 campuses. UH said in a news release today that surveys in June showed more than 92% of students and 95% of UH employees of the entire 10-campus system have been vaccinated for COVID-19 or plan to be, after the university added COVID-19 vaccination to its student health clearance requirements on May 17. Star-Advertiser.

More Hawaii private schools act to establish vaccine mandate.
Gov. David Ige announced Aug. 5 that all state and county workers would need to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing at their own expense. While that includes teachers and staff members at Hawaii’s 257 public schools, the state’s 163,000 or so students are not currently required to be inoculated unless they are involved in high school athletics. Star-Advertiser.

Former First Lady Vicky Cayetano will file her papers to run for governor. Her campaign manager Lynne Waters confirms Cayetano will do it this week. KITV4.

DLIR Launches Appointments for Complex Unemployment Claims
. The state Department of Labor & Industrial Relations announced it will start accepting telephone appointments for complex, disputed unemployment insurance claims beginning on Aug. 16, 2021 to allow claimants to schedule slots beginning on Aug. 23, 2021. Maui Now.

Another 800 join first responders' class action lawsuit against vaccine requirements.
The proposed class consists of all current and future first responders on Oahu and Maui subjected to the current COVID-19 vaccine mandate. KITV4.

COVID-19 cases tax neighbor island hospitals. The neighbor islands, with 30% of Hawaii’s population, have accounted for less than 25% of the state’s COVID-19 cases, yet the strain on hospital staff and resources from surging infections is no less acute there than at Honolulu’s much larger medical facilities. Star-Advertiser.

Covid-19 Treatment In Hawaii Is Getting More Expensive For Some Patients. Kaiser stopped covering costs for Covid-19 patients this month, affecting about 260,000 Hawaii residents. Civil Beat.

Hawaii records 4 new coronavirus-related deaths, 845 additional infections. State Department of Health officials Sunday reported four new corona­virus-related deaths and 845 new confirmed and probable infections statewide, bringing the state’s totals since the start of the pandemic to 552 fatalities and 51,200 cases. Sunday’s new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 543 new cases on Oahu, 85 on Maui, 147 on Hawaii Island, 46 on Kauai, six on Molokai, two on Lanai and 16 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Oahu

Plan for low-income housing towers over Waipahu. A developer is seeking to build more than 500 low-income rental homes in Waipahu, though tentative designs for two towers exceeding a city height limit by more than three times has triggered some community opposition. Star-Advertiser.

Four Years After Deadly Fire, Many Honolulu High-Rises Still Lack Sprinklers. Property owners say the cost of retrofitting older buildings with sprinklers and other fire safety improvements could bankrupt them. Civil Beat.

A Shaky Truce: The Army And Native Hawaiians Both Want Oahu’s Makua Valley. As the Army looks to renew leases on Hawaii state lands, a debate rages about both its past and its future. Civil Beat.

‘Innovative’ fish farm off Ewa Beach is proposed. An innovative offshore fish farm designed to “swing” with ocean currents while sustainably scaling up food production could be placed in the water off Ewa Beach, but concerns about its possible environmental impacts persist. Star-Advertiser.

Fish fewer at Hanauma Bay since reopening with new visitor limitations system. A new study has found that population density and biomass of more than half the bay’s most common fish species increased during the closure but decreased after reopening at only 25% of the former visitor load. Star-Advertiser.
 
New App Finds Open Parking Spaces in Honolulu. PARKLINQ, pronounced park link, is a website and app that helps motorists find parking by the hour, day or month. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

County honors homeowner association restrictions: Board of Appeals upholds planning director on vacation-rental issue. Hawaii County government won’t approve short-term vacation rentals where homeowner’s associations prohibit them, the Board of Appeals ruled unanimously Friday in denying an appeal from a Keauhou View Estates property owner. West Hawaii Today.

Mounting frustration: Pretrial defendants freed on lowered bail later arrested for other offenses. The Hawaii County prosecutor said he’s concerned about pretrial felony defendants being freed without cash bail or having their bail reduced because of COVID-19 concerns at Hawaii Community Correctional Center. Tribune-Herald.

Hefty fine levied for damage to archaeological features.
A Kailua-Kona woman and an environmental consulting firm were fined $180,000 Friday for unpermitted grading resulting in the damage or destruction of 40 archaeological features on a North Kona property. West Hawaii Today.

Biologist finds TV show Love Island not to blame for distressed ‘a‘o.
Earlier this month, biologists from the Department of Land and Natural Resources found an ‘a‘o — a threatened species of puffin also called a Newell’s shearwater — in Umaumau that had been grounded and was unable to return to flight. Tribune-Herald.

Daniel K. Inouye Highway reopens as Big Isle crews clean up after brush fire. Hawaii County police have reopened this afternoon Daniel K. Inouye Highway in both directions from the Old Saddle Road junction to the Highway 190 junction. Star-Advertiser.

Markers would honor birthplace of the bodyboard. Nonprofit Malama Wai‘aha has donated a pair of historical markers to the county with the intention of erecting them at Wai‘aha Beach Park, where the Boogie Board was invented in 1971. Tribune-Herald.


Maui

Maui Charter Commission Vets Record Number Of Reforms On Elections, Police. The Maui Charter Commission will review more than 100 proposed amendments to the county charter that governs daily life on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Civil Beat.

Maui Police Commission Wants In-Person Interviews, Exams with Five Chief Finalists.
The Maui Police Commission on Wednesday agreed to ask the mayor for approval of in-person interviews with the five individuals it has identified as finalists for the job of Maui Police Chief. Maui Now.

Public asked to help capture new invasive parakeets on Maui.
A new invasive pest has been captured on the Valley Isle. A rose-ringed parakeet was captured in Kihei in July. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

County mulls tax on Turo providers. State tax officials are interested in the ramifications of car-rental apps like Turo, but agencies aren’t commenting on suspected levels of tax delinquency among the platform’s users. Garden Island.

KIUC named ‘Electric Cooperative of the Year’ by national nonprofit.
The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative was one of eight electric utilities recognized as “Power Players of the Year” by the Smart Electric Power Alliance. Garden Island.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Hawaii in top 3 lowest COVID-19 infection rate, highest mask use; state looks to limit hotel rooms; Kauai makes masks mandatory; unemployment system meltdown irks legislators, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2020 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hilo Farmers Market during COVID-19 ©2020 All Hawaii News
Hawaii’s coronavirus infection rate among the lowest in the U.S. — so far. Despite the discouraging stream of announcements of new coronavirus cases that have been detected in Hawaii, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows that as of Monday this state had the third- lowest per capita infection rate of any state. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii ranked in top 3 mask wearing states according to geotagged Twitter data. KITV4.

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Hawaii explores deterring tourists by limiting hotel reservations. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Incident Commander Kenneth Hara said today that Gov. David Ige’s administration is exploring further stemming the flow of visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic by disrupting their ability to make hotel reservations. Associated Press.

Hara Says Plan to Limit Visitor Lodging Options Under Discussion. The state can’t stop visitors from boarding planes bound for Hawai‘i, but it might be able to restrict lodging options for them once they arrive. Big Island Now.

Antibody testing may play key role in reopening tourism to Hawaii. A new blood test that reveals who’s immune to the coronavirus will likely play a key role in the state’s plan to allow visitors to return to Hawaii. It’s called an antibody test and involves a simple finger-prick. Hawaii News Now.

Local 5 Promotes ‘Safe Hotels, Safe Hawaii’ Program. The union’s goal is to keep hotels open while prioritizing public health. Civil Beat.

Senators wonder why Ige hasn’t asked Trump to ban nonessential travelers. The state’s emergency management director and the governor’s chief of staff told lawmakers Monday that despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, there is nothing they can do to stop nonessential travelers from coming into the state. Tribune-Herald.

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Low number of new COVID-19 cases has officials feeling good about response. The number of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii crossed the 500 mark Monday with one of the lowest numbers of new cases in several weeks. Star-Advertiser.

Officials say numbers show we’re flattening the curve. The state’s number of coronavirus cases rose by only five Monday. KHON2.

Hawaii Appears To Be Flattening The COVID-19 Curve — For Now. The data changes every day. But so far, Hawaii’s social-distancing measures appear to be slowing the epidemic, experts say. Civil Beat.

Hawaii sees just 5 new COVID-19 cases as talks about how to lift stay-at-home order begin. Hawaii reported just five new COVID-19 cases Monday in what Honolulu’s mayor called “very good news” — and proof stay-at-home restrictions are working. Hawaii News Now.

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State senators slam officials over COVID-19 response. Frustrated state senators Monday blasted Gov. David Ige’s chief of staff and some state department heads over a myriad of coronavirus-­related responses, including admitted lax tracking of arriving visitors, idled state workers not helping with backlogged unemployment claims and the prospect 631 nonessential state workers could join the army of unemployed private and gig workers in just over two weeks, when rents and mortgages are typically due. Star-Advertiser.

Tech chief briefs senators about progress on fixing beleaguered unemployment filing system. The state’s tech chief briefed the state Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 Monday on what’s being done to alleviate an outmoded and overloaded computer system handling unemployment claims, while the committee unloaded on the governor’s chief of staff about the pace of repurposing idled state employees to help take phone calls for the Unemployment Insurance Division. Tribune-Herald.

18 workers reassigned to help with jobless claims are only staying long enough to get trained. The state Labor Department can use all the help it can get processing the more than 220,000 unemployment claims filed since March 1. That’s why on Monday 18 workers from other state agencies were added to the department’s 83 staff members. Hawaii News Now.

Many of Hawaii’s jobless near the end of their emergency funds as they desperately await unemployment checks. Nearly 17 percent of Hawaii’s workforce has filed a claim – and that’s just the ones who have been successful. Since mass layoffs started, people have encountered delays, denials, and defects in the system. Hawaii News Now.

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Pandemic logistics expert outlines Hawaii’s path to restart economy. As Hawaii continues to flatten the curve of COVID-19, many are wondering what the next steps are to get the economy back open and running. KHON2.

Widespread testing and contact tracing data are needed before the economy can be reopened. That's what a panel of medical experts and economists told House leaders who are trying to develop a state recovery plan. KITV4.

Reopening Hawaii’s Economy Will Likely Be Slow and Painful. Economists and business and political leaders are preparing a roadmap to restart the shuttered economy. Civil Beat.

Date to Reopen Hawai‘i Economy a Distant, Moving Target. Economic leaders met Monday to discuss the reopening of Hawai‘i’s economy, but it appears any decision as to when the state can get back to business as usual remains in the distant future. Economic leaders met Monday to discuss the reopening of Hawai‘i’s economy, but it appears any decision as to when the state can get back to business as usual remains in the distant future. Big Island Now.

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Why Hawaii Can't Be Sure If It's Prepared For A COVID-19 Surge. Hawaii was poised to hit its peak coronavirus medical need as soon as this past weekend, according to one widely cited coronavirus research institute. Yet the local numbers continue to climb and are likely to exceed 500 this week, begging the question: why doesn't the state have a solid idea of when the surge will come and whether it is prepared? Civil Beat.

Early action helps Coast Guard keep virus at bay. As fallout continues from the outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt — with nearly 600 infected and one crew member dead — the Coast Guard appears to have had a close call, but that’s all, with the virus on the Honolulu-based cutter Midgett. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

1,350 Schofield soldiers start returning today from Thailand under COVID-19 monitoring. About 350 Schofield Barracks soldiers are returning today on two charter flights from abbreviated training in Thailand. Approximately 1,000 more are expected back later in the week. Star-Advertiser.

No more curfew for Oahu, Mayor says. Mayor Kirk Caldwell says for now future curfews are out of the picture.  KHON2.

Caldwell, Ballard put an end to weekend curfews. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Police Chief Susan Ballard said Monday the 11 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew imposed this past weekend was likely a one-time-only imposition. Star-Advertiser.

Fabric stores to open as essential businesses. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Monday he will allow fabric stores on Oahu to reopen as essential businesses, but on a limited basis. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu fabric stores are now essential businesses. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell made fabric stores an essential business on Monday. KHON2.

New Aloha Stadium project draws interest from companies. Aloha Stadium wasn’t open for business Monday due to COVID-19 restrictions, but interest in the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District project managed to draw about 200 participants from development and building industries to an online conference. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Authorities investigate cluster of coronavirus cases tied to Kona restaurant. A restaurant in Kona is closed for a thorough cleaning after eight people — employees and their family members — tested positive for COVID-19. Hawaii News Now.

Humane society opens pet pantries. The Hawaii Island Humane Society is opening Community Pet Pantries to provide pet food for those families impacted by COVID-19. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Second Maui cluster of virus cases possible, mayor says. Maui County Mayor Mike Victorino said there is another possible cluster of COVID-19 cases aside from the Maui Memorial Medical Center. Star-Advertiser.

Over one-third of Maui COVID-19 cases linked to Maui Memorial. Maui County cases rise to 84 over the weekend, including 31 workers and patients. Maui News.

Mayor Victorino COVID-19 Update: Maui Hospital Cluster Grows to 34 Positive. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino provides an afternoon update on Maui’s COVID-19 response in a 4 p.m. press conference. Maui Now.

Drop in energy demand greatest on Maui County. Average demand for electricity declined by 14 percent on Maui during the week of March 22, the biggest drop among three islands as electricity use fell during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai makes cloth masks required in public for everyone 5 and over. Under a new emergency order, everyone 5 and over will have to wear a cloth face mask on Kauai during most activities in public starting Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Masks now mandated. Mayor Derek Kawakami announced more rules for Kaua‘i on Monday that further closed county parks, require mask-wearing for everyone in public, and outline sheltering procedures for Kaua‘i’s homeless population — all effective at 5 a.m. today. Garden Island.

Kaua'i makes wearing masks mandatory for everyone over age five. Mayor Derek Kawakami announced that beginning on Tuesday, April 14 everyone over the age of five would be required to wear a mask outdoors. KITV4.

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Food distribution shifts gears. In the face of growing demand, the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank is expanding its emergency food pickup to five days a week. Garden Island.

Unemployment frustrations. Applying for unemployment has been a headache for many Kaua‘i residents who are working to file claims after being furloughed or laid off from their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Garden Island.

Lanai

Coast Guard takes COVID-19 supplies to Lanai. A Coast Guard Auxiliary aircrew transported COVID-19 supplies from the Kahului Airport Fire Station to personnel at Lanai Airport for use by airport staff. Maui News.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Three counties impose nighttime curfews, face masks to be required at Foodland, inmate release to be case-by-case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2020  All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Waikiki at night ©2020 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Oahu, Maui to enforce stay-at-home order with nighttime curfew over Easter weekend. Both the City and County of Honolulu along with Maui County have announced a nighttime curfew for the three-day Easter weekend, saying the order is aimed at keeping people in their homes and off the roads. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu police will enforce a nighttime curfew this weekend in a move intended to stem the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. Shortly after Caldwell’s announcement, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said Maui would also enforce an 11 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Kauai on March 18 was the first county to issue a curfew. The Kauai curfew is from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily and runs until May 3. Star-Advertiser.

Nighttime ‘No Driving’ Rules To Be In Place On Oahu Over Easter Weekend. The Honolulu Police Department also intends to step up enforcement of beach closures. Civil Beat.


The city has instituted a nighttime curfew for Easter weekend. Here’s how it works. The city’s series of emergency orders aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus now includes a nighttime curfew. Hawaii News Now.

No-driving curfew on O'ahu to take effect this weekend. Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced a pilot program curfew that will take place each day this weekend starting Friday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and Sunday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. KITV4.

Oahu under trial curfew this Easter weekend. The City announced that a holiday weekend pilot curfew will take place on April 10 at 11 p.m. The hours of the curfew will be between 11 p.m. through 5 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. KHON2.

Maui County to roll out curfew pilot program Friday night. Maui County plans to roll out a nighttime curfew pilot program and stricter rules starting Friday night, Mayor Michael Victorino announced Thursday evening. Maui News.

Mayor Michael Victorino announces curfew for Maui County among other rules to curb spread of coronavirus. Victorino said the curfew pilot program will start at 11 p.m. Friday night for the county. The curfew lasts from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. but would exempt travel for urgent medication, medical emergencies or essential business. Star-Advertiser.

Maui County Night-Time Curfew Pilot Program and Stricter Rules to Start Friday. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino announced a night-time curfew pilot program will start at 11 p.m. Friday night, April 10, for Maui County. Curfew will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Maui Now.

Overnight curfew pilot program and stricter rules to start Friday night in Maui County. Mayor Michael Victorino announced a night-time curfew pilot program will start at 11 p.m. Friday night, April 10, for Maui County. KITV4.

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Come Monday, you’ll need to be wearing a face mask to enter Foodland stores. Foodland is implementing new policies to continue keeping their customers and employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawaii News Now.

Stores like Foodland, Down to Earth implementing changes to grocery shopping. Starting Monday, Foodland will require employees and customers to wear a mask when shopping. KHON2.

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Hotels for Heroes program criticized for turning many of those heroes away. Just days after the Hotels for Heroes program launched, first responders and medical workers are calling it confusing and too restrictive. The program, a partnership with the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Authority, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Visitors and Convention Bureau, was touted as providing hotel rooms for those on the front lines. Hawaii News Now.

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More help on the way to assist unemployment claims. The number of people filing for unemployment on a daily basis is starting to slow down, but many people still haven’t seen any money. KHON2.

Hawaii officials cannot say when state unemployment checks will include extra $600 federal payments. State officials cannot say how soon Hawaii’s unemployed workers will receive an extra $600 a week in federally promised benefits because they still haven’t been able to automate the state system to add the extra money to unemployment checks for workers who lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers were told Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

As Hawaii jobless claims soar, state labor official admits system overloaded. The official in charge of the department responsible for processing and paying unemployment claims told a state Senate committee Thursday that an obsolete computer system unable to deal with a crush of claims and calls because of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing delays in many claimants getting paid. Tribune-Herald.

Problems for thousands of newly unemployed shift from filing claims to getting paid. The number of new unemployment claims has dropped for several days in a row, in a sign that layoffs in Hawaii may be stabilizing. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii to use idle state workers to process unemployment claims. The state has received 201,836 unemployment claims since the beginning of March through Tuesday, when 6,903 claims were filed. KITV4.

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Hawaii visitors slip in despite COVID-19 crackdowns. Tens of thousands of visitors are no longer coming to Hawaii each day, but hundreds are — and even that’s too many for some residents and government officials who are working to stem the spread of COVID-19. Tens of thousands of visitors are no longer coming to Hawaii each day, but hundreds are — and even that’s too many for some residents and government officials who are working to stem the spread of COVID-19. Star-Advertiser.

Residents and Lawmakers Decry Lack of 14-Day Quarantine Monitoring. The normally rapid flow of travelers to Hawai‘i has dropped to a comparative trickle in the wake of the state’s 14-day, mandatory self-quarantine, enacted March 26. Big Island Now.

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Hawaii public schools to remain closed until state goes 4 weeks without new COVID-19 cases. Hawaii’s public schools are expected to stay shut until COVID-19 is no longer spreading in the community, defined as four weeks with no new cases, according to the Department of Education. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Public Schools Unlikely To Open Again This School Year. State education officials want to see a lengthy period without any new coronavirus cases reported before they’ll feel comfortable bringing kids and teachers back together. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Reports 7 New COVID-19 Cases, Taking The Total To 442. Hawaii verified seven new coronavirus cases on Thursday. Civil Beat.

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Report recommends case-by-case decisions on release of Hawaii inmates. The independent special master assigned to study overcrowding at state correctional facilities in the face of the coronavirus pandemic is recommending that each case needs to be considered individually on who should be released — angering critics who say the process will be too slow. Star-Advertiser.

Special Master Recommends No Blanket Release Of Hawaii Inmates. Special Master Dan Foley filed an interim report with the Supreme Court Thursday saying the process should involve judges. Civil Beat.

Inmate release is ‘a work in progress’. Testifying before the Senate Special Committee on COVID-19, Daniel R. Foley said the process, ordered by the high court following a petition by the Office of the Public Defender, is going more smoothly on the neighbor islands than on Oahu. Tribune-Herald.

Lt. Gov. Green Shares Thoughts On Prison Inmate Releases. The day after Lt. Gov. Green spoke to the Senate Committee on COVID-19, the state announced 85 inmates in Hilo are under quarantine as a precaution. Big Island Video News.

Jail populations decline statewide, in part due to coronavirus. Hawaii’s jail inmate population is on the way down, but not because of a mass release that had been requested by the state Office of the Public Defender. Instead, it’s because fewer people are getting arrested. Hawaii News Now.

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Hawaii’s Senior Care Facilities Scramble To Prepare For COVID-19 Spread. Protective gear is in short supply and in-house testing is rare for caretakers and the elderly in nursing homes, adult residential homes and assisted living homes. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Mayor Kirk Caldwell rejects planned pay raises, opposite of what cabinet members said a week ago. Mayor Kirk Caldwell today asked the Honolulu Salary Commission to not recommend pay raises for himself or other top city officials, a 180-degree switch from comments three of his cabinet members made a week ago. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor declining pay raise for City officials. Mayor Kirk Caldwell is asking the Salary Commission to not recommend any pay raises for City officials and department heads this year, due to the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. KHON2.

Coronavirus pandemic threatens to delay opening date for Honolulu rail line. The opening date for Honolulu’s rail line from Kapolei to Ala Moana that is planned for December 2025 might now be delayed in a new bit of fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Star-Advertiser.

Organizations assemble 4,000 face masks for essential workers. Dozens of volunteers converged in conference rooms at the Neal Blaisdell Center to assemble personal protective equipment for Hawaii’s medical professionals and others on the front lines to aid in the battle to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Star-Advertiser.

Magic Island parking lot to undergo extensive reconstruction. With City parks closed and essential construction activity continuing amidst the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the City will begin an extensive reconstruction project to revitalize the badly degraded parking lot at ‘Ä€ina Moana (Magic Island) on Monday, April 13. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Mayor: Hawaii County parks to remain closed. Mayor Harry Kim acknowledged earlier this week that the county’s handling of its parks has led to mixed messages during the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. Tribune-Herald.

County Council fast-tracks food money to community nonprofits. County Council members are fast-tracking money to two local nonprofits to combat hunger on the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

Police Say Man Threatened Them With COVID-19, Coughed In Their Face. Police arrested and charged a 53 year-old Hilo man for several offenses including allegedly threatening police with the COVID-19 virus. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Ripple effects among community after coronavirus cluster at Maui hospital. There is rising anxiety on Maui as the island's largest hospital deals with a cluster of coronavirus cases. Hawaii News Now.

Maui Health CEO Explains Mask Policy at Hospital and Efforts to Ensure Safety at the Facility. We ask about the hospital’s policy on masks for health care workers, as well as the current state of supplies and equipment for the Maui facility. Maui Now.

Hospital policies questioned after employees are infected. Staff wonder if wearing masks and changing policy sooner could’ve reduced exposure. Maui News.

Changes implemented at a Maui hospital after coronavirus cluster. Maui Memorial Medical Center is now screening and requiring masks for everyone who enters the building after a cluster of 15 coronavirus cases — which is blamed partly on a lack of protective equipment. Hawaii News Now.

Another Maui resident violates emergency rules. A Haiku man was sentenced to a two-day jail term Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to violating public health emergency rules and drunken driving. Maui News.

Kauai

Domestic violence calls up. Domestic-violence-related calls are up about 15%, according to the Kaua‘i Police Department. Garden Island.

Lihu‘e food pickup a success. There is a need for food,” said Wes Perreira, manager of the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i branch Thursday during the free food drive-through pickup at Lili‘uokalani Trust in Lihu‘e. Garden Island.

Path closed for repairs. County workers are making moves to clean up Lydgate Park after recent rains caused sewage spills and added runoff to increasing coastal erosion problems in the area, triggering major instabilities in the walking path that goes through the park. Garden Island.