Showing posts with label Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Ige reinstates gathering restrictions, vows to prosecute forged vaccination records, state to get $2.8B in latest federal bailout, NPR's Neal Conan dies in Hawaii, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. David Ige announces new restrictions Aug. 10, 2021

Gov. David Ige reinstates restrictions in response to surge in COVID-19 cases. The new executive order, which took effect immediately, limits social gatherings to no more than 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Bars, restaurants, gyms, churches and other social establishments also must reduce their capacity by 50%. Patrons must remain seated, with 6 feet of distance maintained between parties, and cannot mingle. Masks are required at all times, except when eating or drinking. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now. Garden Island. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

State to prosecute traveler who forged vaccination records, warns others of tough penalties. Forging a vaccine card could land someone behind bars. It’s something officials say they’re seeing as travelers look to skirt the quarantine rules and costly tests. KHON2.

Hospitals Near A Breaking Point As Hawaii’s COVID Case Count Grows. Hawaii hospital resources and staff are more stretched than they’ve been at any other point in the pandemic, prompting Hawaii to bring in more medical staff from the mainland to handle the growing COVID-19 cases and other patients. Civil Beat. KHON2.

During first week, 105 COVID cases were tied to public schools. Parents are frustrated. After more than 100 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Hawaii public schools last week, some parents say they want more control and distancing in classrooms. Hawaii News Now.

Social gatherings limited, but ‘professionally organized’ events can still happen. There’s a caveat to Gov. Ige’s latest restrictions on social gatherings: Professionally organized events can still happen with the proper safeguards in place. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Hawaii will get a $2.8 billion chunk of the $1.2 trillion in federal investments, which was made possible by today’s passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Hawaii’s senators announced. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii to receive $2.8B with passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Neal Conan, Longtime Host Of NPR's 'Talk Of The Nation,' Dies At 71.
  Neal Conan, who spent 36 years with National Public Radio and 11 years as the host of the network's Talk of the Nation died Tuesday in Hawaii of glioblastoma at the age of 71. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii sees 436 new coronavirus cases, bringing statewide total to 47,376. Today’s new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 292 new cases on Oahu, 33 on Maui, 76 on Hawaii Island, 15 on Kauai, three on Molokai and 17 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Meeting with federal prosecutors could mean public corruption probe nearly finished. Assistant United States Attorneys and an FBI agent paid a visit to the Honolulu Prosecutor’s office last month for a meeting that lasted about an hour, sources said. Hawaii News Now.

‘The tensions are very high’: Latest COVID-19 outbreak forces lockdown at Hawaii’s largest prison. The Halawa Correctional Facility has been on lockdown for the past week due a new COVID-19 outbreak at the prison. A total of 48 Halawa inmates have recently tested positive and another 147 have been placed in quarantine because they are suspected of being in contact with other infected inmates. Hawaii News Now.

City to accept 5,000 new rent relief applications from Honolulu residents. The city will accept 5,000 new applications starting at noon Thursday from renters who need relief and are struggling from the COVID- 19 pandemic. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

TheBus Spent $3M on Sanitization Efforts. The City and County of Honolulu has used $3 million of federal funding to sanitize TheBus during the pandemic. Hawaii Public Radio.

Army shifts scoping meetings on Oahu training ranges to online format after Gov. Ige’s executive order. In light of new COVID-19 restrictions announced today by Gov. David Ige, the U.S. Army is shifting its in-person scoping meetings scheduled for today and Wednesday on its plans to retain leased state-owned land on Oahu for military training to an online-only format. Star-Advertiser.

USS Arizona Memorial superintendent position has high turnover. The USS Arizona Memorial, overseen by the National Park Service at the site of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and one of the state’s most visited attractions, has its fifth superintendent in less than 1-1/2 years’ time. Star-Advertiser.

Hanauma Bay reopens for visits as usual Wednesday. The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve will be open as usual Wednesday following Sunday’s sudden closure due to a water outage caused by a broken water main on Kamehameha Highway. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Hilo Medical Center full amid latest COVID-19 surge. Two active and three long-term patients occupied five of the hospital’s 11 ICU beds Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

Help is on the way: 50 frontline caregivers from the mainland to arrive on Hawaii Island this weekend. Hawaii’s hospitals are being pushed closer to their breaking point. Triage tents have started popping up at some facilities across the state, while the surge in admissions is leaving frontline caregivers exhausted. Hawaii News Now.

No COVID cases at HCCC — for now.
Hawaii Community Correctional Center is free of active COVID-19 cases for now, according to a statement Tuesday by the state Department of Public Safety. Tribune-Herald.

DLNR eyes ‘Love Island’ for impact on wildlife.
Department of Land and Natural Resources investigators will observe the set of “Love Island” this week to determine if the production is having a negative effect on local wildlife. Tribune-Herald.

Groups irked by agricultural theft. Farmers and law enforcement officials expressed their frustrations Monday evening in a community meeting about agricultural theft in Honomu. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Meetings for Office of Hawaiian Affairs Now Virtual on Aug. 11 and 12. This week’s two meetings of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs scheduled to be in person in Kahului now will be hosted virtually for safety reasons due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in HawaiĘ»i. Maui Now.

DOE: Shots avoid virtual, canceled athletics season. In the wake of Maui and Oahu rallies against state and county vaccination mandates, state Department of Education officials on Monday afternoon said that requiring vaccinations for student athletes is the best way to avoid a virtual or canceled season. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai Jail Latest Facility With COVID Outbreak. Widespread testing reveals 31 Kauai Community Correctional Center inmates have the coronavirus. Civil Beat. Garden Island.

State releases $3.18M for sports facilities on Kaua‘i. Over $3 million in state capital improvement project funds has been released to upgrade three sports facilities on Kaua‘i. Garden Island.

Triple certification for nation’s largest coffee farm. The Kaua‘i Coffee Company, the nation’s largest coffee farm, has earned three certifications guaranteeing increased worker and environmental protections. Garden Island.