Kokua Line: When will hospitals stop COVID testing?
Question: Will Hawaii hospitals continue to test every patient for COVID-19 after the federal emergency ends on May 11? Read more
Question: Will Hawaii hospitals continue to test every patient for COVID-19 after the federal emergency ends on May 11? Read more
Eight current and former Hawaiian Airlines employees suing the company for allegedly violating their right to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons were given a trial date Tuesday and asked to organize with related cases making similar claims. Read more
The state Department of Budget and Finance is advising the Legislature that $675 million in spending appropriations last year should be delayed in order to avoid triggering a requirement to return $412 million in coronavirus pandemic aid to the federal government. Read more
The average number of patients with COVID-19 dropped to a new low over the past week, but hospitals in Hawaii are still bursting at the seams. Read more
The data will be provided next Wednesday, the department said. Read more
Hawaii’s daily average of new COVID-19 cases fell into the two-digit range for the first time in nearly a year, according to the latest statistics from the state Health Department. Read more
The deaths include a range of ages — from a man in his 40s who died on Molokai to a man in his 80s who died on Oahu. Read more
A 25-year-old Waikiki man in federal custody for allegedly selling a fatal dose of cocaine to a Kaneohe Marine reportedly received more than $20,000 in loans from a COVID-19 relief program for what he claimed was his taxi business. Read more
Too many school-aged youth in Hawaii are not up to date on their vaccinations for serious and potentially fatal diseases such as measles, meningitis and even tetanus, and that cannot be allowed to continue. Read more
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The percentage of Hawaii children not vaccinated for illnesses such as mumps and measles, or not receiving the full roster of shots required for school, has jumped since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data released by the state Department of Health, augmenting concerns that there will be new outbreaks of long-controlled diseases. Read more
The child was hospitalized at the time of death, the department said, but due to medical privacy laws, no further information will be released. The age of the child was not released. Read more
Nearly 40% of Americans surveyed said the so-called tripledemic had an impact on their household over the past month or so, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation. Read more
The state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases, meanwhile, fell to 100 compared with 109 on Feb. 1. Read more
The county is offering the free test kits on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of five per individual or household, on a first-come, first-served basis. Read more
Last Monday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration would end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, giving a promised 60-day notice. Read more
A months-long cold medicine shortage continues to persist in Hawaii — part of an ongoing national trend. Read more
There’s good news here: House Bill 52 and its twin, Senate Bill 111, have little chance of getting a hearing. Read more
Two bills introduced by Republican legislators would require state agencies to rehire and give back pay to employees who resigned or were terminated for refusing to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing for COVID-19. Read more
The average COVID-19 positivity rate and hospitalizations for Hawaii continued to decline on the first of February, according to statistics from the state Department of Health. Read more
The state’s average positivity rate declined to 4.7% compared with 6.0% the previous week. Read more
Submissions for a relief program for nonprofit organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will end next week, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced. Read more