Showing posts with label maps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maps. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Hawaii map shows COVID-19 cases by ZIP approximation, inter-island travelers face 14-day quarantine, public defender wants 426 inmates released, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Department of Health
Hawaii COVID-19 map, week 1. Hawaii Department of Health
Hawaii Department of Health creates COVID-19 confirmed cases map.

New Island Maps Plot Location Of COVID-19 Cases In Hawaii. A new set of maps showing the confirmed coronavirus cases by zip code will be updated once a week, the state health website says. Big Island Video News.

DOH Releases Hawai‘i COVID-19 Virus Map. The Hawai‘i Department of Health on Monday evening released a map of COVID-19 infections across all four major Hawaiian Islands, which tracks where cases are most heavily concentrated. Big Island Now.

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Interisland quarantine starts Wednesday. A mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for interisland travelers starting Wednesday comes as Hawaii begins to address a shift in COVID-19 cases from mostly out-of-state travel-related to more in-state. Star-Advertiser.

Interisland Travelers Ordered To Quarantine; Case Total Now At 204. Hawaii Gov. David Ige is imposing a fourteen-day mandatory quarantine on interisland travelers starting on Wednesday. The emergency order will close a gap in the state safety net aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Hawaii Public Radio.

Governor expands state’s mandatory quarantine to include inter-island travelers, too. The governor is expanding a mandatory, 14-day quarantine for air travel to include all inter-island passengers as part of a push to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state. Hawaii News Now.

Governor Ige puts 14-day quarantine on inter-island travelers. With 204 cases of COVID-19 in Hawaii, Governor Ige announced Monday that the mandatory two-week quarantine for all incoming passengers will now include those who fly inter-island. KHON2.

Interisland travelers face quarantine. After midnight tonight, anyone taking an interisland flight who is not an essential worker traveling for legitimate work purposes will be subjected to “a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine,” Gov. David Ige said Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Gov Signs New Order, Inter-island Quarantine Starts April 1. Governor David Ige made some COVID-19 related announcements on Monday, while Lt. Gov. Josh Green gave a situational update. Big Island Video News.

Inter-Island Travelers to Face Mandatory Quarantine, Hawai‘i Gets $4 Billion in Aid. Anyone in Hawai‘i who wants to island-hop during the month of April will have to pay with 14 days of mandatory quarantine — on top of the cost of airfare. Big Island Now.

Gov. Ige Calls for Mandatory 14-Day Quarantine on Interisland Travel for Month of April. During an afternoon press conference, Governor David Ige announced a mandatory self quarantine for inter-island travel beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Maui Now.

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Hawaii COVID-19 Count Exceeds 200. The number of new cases has more than doubled since last Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Child is among 204 cases in Hawaii. At least two people, including a 37-year-old Waikiki bartender, are on life support and ventilators in Hawaii hospitals due to the new coronavirus. Star-Advertiser.

Ahead of the Curve. Lieutenant Governor Josh Green played a high stakes round of the “on the other hand” game at a press conference Monday — encouraging Hawai‘i residents that the state could see low COVID-19 mortality rates if people follow the rules, but warning that a failure to do so would still lead to a public health catastrophe. Big Island Now.

Hawaii blood samples caught in pandemic’s disruption of air travel. The precipitous drop in airlift to and from Hawaii is having hidden consequences that could affect precious cargo including the supply of blood for patients in the islands. Star-Advertiser.

COVID-19 Is Taking A Big Toll On Other Types Of Health Care. Many hospitals are canceling elective procedures, while dwindling numbers of patients are threatening the bottom line of community and rural clinics. Civil Beat.

Some Hawaii hospitals accept homemade masks as experts urge public to wear them. The coronavirus pandemic is prompting Hawaii’s health care system to change some of its old rules. Some hospitals are now accepting donations of homemade masks as the CDC considers guidelines that would recommend everyone to wear them in public. Hawaii News Now.

More schools will hand out grab-and-go meals, according to the Hawaii Department of Education. 46 public schools statewide will serve breakfast and lunch to children 18 years old or younger by Wednesday, April 1. Prior to this, only 38 campuses were serving meals. Hawaii News Now.

Jail time for crimes increased during emergency proclamation. The state is under an emergency proclamation, so certain crimes committed during this time will carry enhanced penalties. KHON2.

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Public Defender’s Office Wants Hundreds More Hawaii Inmates Released. That includes 137 inmates from the Oahu Community Correctional Center, 44 from Kauai, 45 from Maui, 197 from Hilo, and three from the women’s facility on Oahu. Civil Beat.

Public Defender’s Office Wants Hundreds More Hawaii Inmates Released. Public defender recommends up to 426 inmates be released. The Office of the Public Defender late Monday submitted to the Hawaii Supreme Court a list with the names of 426 inmates that it believes may be released from incarceration to help ease Oahu’s overpopulated jails in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. Star-Advertiser.

Balance COVID Restrictions With Freedoms, ACLU Tells Police. The letter offers guidance on COVID-19-related movement restrictions, and cautions against arrests "due to the risks of COVID-19 exposure for people in custody and people working in jails. Big Island Video News.

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Hawaii’s Economic Downturn Will Be ‘Sharp And Painful’. A new University of Hawaii report paints a grim picture for Hawaii’s economic outlook. Civil Beat.

Economist: Recession in Hawaii will surpass anything we’ve seen ‘in our lifetimes’. Carl Bonham, director of the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii, made the dire economic prediction in a legislative meeting on the coronavirus pandemic Monday. Hawaii News Now.

Economist: Hawaii in recession as virus shuts down tourism. The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the state’s economy into a recession that’s unprecedented for people alive in Hawaii today, a University of Hawaii economist told lawmakers Monday. Associated Press.

State lawmakers, meeting over Zoom, discussed a new UHERO forecast update that addresses the economic impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is taking heavy toll on the economy, and Hawaiʻi is already in a deep recession that will surpass anything that we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Big Island Video News.

“This is a song and dance!” Senators accuse Governor’s office of poor leadership in COVID-19 crisis. Senator Kidani tells Governor’s Chief of Staff, the Senate committee was “dismayed” at information getting “circumvented.”  Strong words flying between state Senators and the Governor’s office on Monday. KITV4.

Hawaii unemployment could soar to 25% before recovery begins. Hawaii’s unemployment rate is projected to soar to 25% later this year in the economic free fall triggered by the coronavirus disaster, but the state is also in line to receive at least $4 billion in federal aid from the new federal relief bill approved Friday, according to testimony before a select state House committee Monday morning. Star-Advertiser.

COVID-19 Might be an Act of God That Voids Business Contracts. It’s possible that some businesses in Hawai‘i will try to claim that circumstances surrounding COVID-19 absolve them of obligations under a business contract. Hawaii Business.

Hawaii to get at least $4B in federal coronavirus aid. The federal government will send at least $4 billion in coronavirus funding to Hawaii in the form of direct payments to the state and county governments, individuals and businesses, which are also eligible for millions in loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Hiking trails may be open but off-limits in closed parks. When Hawaii Kai resident Lisa Westly checked the Na Ala Hele hiking trails website of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife on Thursday, she was happy to see the Hawaii Loa Ridge trail, a nearby favorite, was open, despite the closure of several city and state parks to counter the coronavirus’ spread. Star-Advertiser.

Giant Tesla batteries proposed for Oahu power. Hawaiian Electric is proposing to plug Oahu’s power grid into an enormous battery pack. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

County announces online appointment request form. The County of Hawaii now has an appointment request form available online for those needing access to county services. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the county is no longer taking face-to-face appointments. West Hawaii Today.

Hilo Intermediate School to serve ‘grab-and-go’ meals starting April 6. The state Department of Education said Monday that Hilo Union Elementary School on April 6 will become one of the Big Island public schools where parents, guardians or caregivers can pick up a “grab-and-go” meal for all public and charter school students.  Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Island Humane Society introduces way to ‘foster to adopt’ animals online. The Hawaii Island Humane Society animal shelters are closed on the Big Island, but adoption and fostering demands remain high during the COVID-19 outbreak. Tribune-Herald.

Maui


MEDB Gets $100K for Local Manufacturing of Ventilators During COVID-19 Response. Mayor Michael Victorino announced today, $100,000 in grant funds to Maui Economic Development Board Inc. for local production of emergency ventilators to treat COVID-19. Maui Now.

Maui Health Foundation Coordinating PPE Donations. Maui Health is partnering with the Maui Health Foundation to serve as a community drop-off site for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donations. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi gun shop see “sizeable uptick” in sales. Bryant’s store is open six days a week and follows island-wide measures in line with Mayor Derek Kawakami’s curfew. Garden Island.

Virtual screenings. Kaua‘i nurse practitioner Marghee Maupin is offering COVID-19 screenings to patients with or without insurance, and is conducting virutal exams via online video platforms to consult with her patients. Garden Island.

Molokai

Coronavirus-Free Moloka'i Wants To Keep It That Way. A coronavirus outbreak on Molokaʻi could severely strain the island’s health care system with just one hospital - Molokaʻi General Hospital -  serving its more than 7,000 residents. Hawaii Public Radio.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Commentary: The public has a right to tsunami inundation maps

wikipedia commons
1946 Hilo Bay tsunami PC: Wikipedia Commons
Tsunami maps drawn by scientists or tsunami maps drawn by the government?

I chose the former. And you should, too.

I am almost at the end of a more than four-year wait for copies of Hawaii Island's tsunami inundation maps, after the state Office of Information practices on May 10 overturned the then state Department of Defense's denial of the records. The opinion, No. 18-02, has not yet been posted online.

UPDATED June 10, 2018: Opinion No. 18-02 can be found here.

Almost at the end of the wait, that is, unless the state Emergency Management Agency decides to request reconsideration or appeal. The agency has until May 24 to ask OIP for reconsideration; it has until June 9 to appeal to circuit court.

The state argued an exemption under the state Uniform Information Practices Act that the records must be confidential in order to avoid the frustration of a legitimate government function. Releasing the maps, state officials said, would only "confuse" people. I argued there is no confusion exemption in the UIPA, and the public has the right to see maps purchased with their tax dollars.

The county uses the scientists' inundation maps to create evacuation maps, which are made public.

"The requested documents are used for the development of emergency management and/or emergency response plans, which include instructions to help ensure the safety of the public. The disclosure of the tsunami inundation maps, which are not disclosed to the public, but are used to help establish tsunami evacuation zones, would endanger the life and/or physical safety of members of the public who may be confused by the difference between the inundation limits and the tsunami evacuation Lines developed by the county," the state argued.

OIP said that's not enough reason to withhold the maps. All of the other states bordering the Pacific Ocean publish the maps online, OIP said in its opinion.

Here's how California does it. The state even allows the public to download the spatial data, so they can make their own maps.

"OIP understands the tsunami inundation maps to be essentially factual, representing the current scientific understanding of how a tsunami would affect the area mapped, whereas the tsunami evacuation zone maps represent a governmental policy decision as to what portions of the area mapped should be evacuated in the face of a tsunami warning," OIP said in its opinion.

"CDD's argument that, in essence, the public cannot safely possess such factual information about the likely horizontal measurement of the path of a tsunami, contradicts the purposes of the UIPA," the opinion added.

I wanted the maps in order to compare what scientists thought were critical inundation areas to what the government ultimately created as evacuation zones.

I'm not saying our own government would do this, but I can imagine a scenario where an important official or major campaign donor could be left out of a zone. A slight wiggle of the map lines here or there could translate into millions more dollars in property resale value or thousands less in property insurance.

The most common conflicts of interest in local government happen when officeholders face a vote on real property/land use issues that affect their own holdings, according to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics program in Government Ethics at Santa Clara University.

Bottom line, the public has the right to compare the two maps. With the current volcano and earthquake emergency on the Big Island, it's more important now than ever that we know where inundation zones are.

Major mahalos to the nonprofit Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest and its director, Brian Black, for helping me with this appeal. The Law Center, incidentally, is the 2018 winner of the Big Island Press Club's Torch of Light award, given to an individual or entity who brightens the public’s right to know.

Government records belong to the public, not the government. We have a right to know.