As Hawaii coronavirus case numbers climb and complex new restrictions attempt to balance COVID-19 containment with bolstering businesses, there’s a lot of frustration over our government’s handling of the pandemic.
As in every crisis, however, I continue to be inspired by the ways the community itself rises to the challenge. Lots of people have lots of ideas about what could be done. The people I admire most are the ones who buckle down and build something that can help.
I’ve previously written about the ResilientHawaii.org resource directory, and my friends’ Kahanu open-source ventilator (now pending Food and Drug Administration approval). Despite the limited data being provided by the state Department of Health, many independent efforts continue to gather, verify, present and analyze it in useful ways, from independent geeks to the University of Hawaii mathematics department to the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.
Contact tracing remains an important tool in the public health arsenal to track and limit the spread of COVID-19. And several other states have launched mobile apps that work with the universal, privacy-focused and free platform that both Apple and Google worked together to build.
Hawaii is not one of those states.
Fortunately, there are at least a couple of independent projects working to fill this gap. One is already running, and can be adopted today by any business — no government required.
As the headlines have shown, one of the most important things to do when someone tests positive at a business or other facility is to notify all employees and customers who may have been in contact so they can self-quarantine, get tested and reduce further transmission.
The state is expected to do this, but often seems backlogged and overwhelmed. Businesses, then, should take a more active role.
Local telecom company Aloha Tone, headed by former Lava.Net president Aryn Nakaoka, has built a system for companies to quickly link up with people who visit their offices, or ride their buses, or shop at their stores. And the system is based on SMS text messages, meaning people can use even basic cellular phones.
To get started, a business posts a sign on its door, encouraging everyone to check in by text message. A QR code makes generating this message instant and easy. This text message links visitors to the business based on its phone number.
If the business determines that it has been exposed to COVID-19, it notifies Aloha Tone and the system will send a text message to everyone who checked in. It’s as simple as that.
The database of check-ins lasts only two weeks, so only recent visitors can be messaged. And visitor phone numbers are collected only in case a notification needs to be sent. They are not exposed to the business.
Nakaoka and his team are offering this service for free, and have plans to add more features, and yes, build an app. But I love the simplicity.
For details, and to get started immediately, visit COVIDTrackingHawaii.com.
At the other end of the spectrum is an end-to-end solution being developed by Sustain Hawaii, a Native Hawaiian-led nonprofit that’s worked on a dizzying array of projects since 2003.
With most of its projects derailed by the pandemic, founder Kevin Vacarello redirected resources to build Safe Travels. It’s a mobile app, and includes a wide variety of features.
There’s a contact tracing component and a notification component, for example. More notably, it incorporates the COVID-19 test itself, and will work with the testing lab to ensure that reported results are accurate.
The goal is an ambitious one: to help safely restart travel and reopen local economies (including Hawaii’s). And the testing piece requires funding. But a pilot is already underway on Kauai, and Vacarello hopes enough funds can be raised to ensure that the cost for individuals is minimal.
For more information, visit Safe-Travels.org Opens in a new tab.
Mahalo and imua to those who ask not what Hawaii can do for them, but do what they can for Hawaii.
Ryan Ozawa is the communications director for local tech company Hawaii Information Service. Join his open tech chatroom at HawaiiSlack.com Opens in a new tab.
