Editorial: Remain vigilant as COVID evolves
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
Coronavirus Outbreak in Hawaii
Empty shelves for kids’ medicines continue
A months-long cold medicine shortage continues to persist in Hawaii — part of an ongoing national trend. Read more
Off The News: No back pay for vaccine refusers
There’s good news here: House Bill 52 and its twin, Senate Bill 111, have little chance of getting a hearing. Read more
Bills call for rehiring state workers who defied vaccine mandate
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
Average COVID positivity rate on continued decline in Hawaii
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
Hawaii COVID-19 positivity rate at 4.7%; 11 more deaths recorded
The state’s average positivity rate declined to 4.7% compared with 6.0% the previous week. Read more
Deadline approaches for nonprofits to apply for pandemic relief
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
Hawaii visitors in 2022 down 11% from pre-pandemic level
U.S. arrivals reached more than 7.76 million, a gain of 12.9% over 2019, which offset a decline in international visitors, especially from Japan. Read more
Hawaii COVID-19 positivity rate at 6.0%; 11 more deaths recorded
The deaths were among kupuna ages 60 and above on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island. Read more
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Chief justice cites innovations born from COVID restrictions
Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald outlined recent and upcoming judicial innovations — often prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic — before a joint session of the state Senate and House on Wednesday before asking for a “modest” budget increase that included a request to restore 30 COVID-era Judiciary job cuts across the islands. Read more
Hawaii’s COVID variant report detects ‘Kraken’ in 3 counties
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients are ticking up following the holidays, with an average of 94 per day over the past week, according to data from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii. Read more
Ex-airline worker indicted in business fraud
A former United Airlines employee was indicted by the federal government for allegedly taking nearly $150,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans provided by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic by making up a fake limousine business. Read more
Hawaii COVID-19 positivity rate at 6.8%; 5 more deaths recorded
The state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases was 162 compared with 170 on Jan. 11. Read more
Lunar New Year rush starts in China after virus rules lifted
Hairdresser Wang Lidan is making an emotional Lunar New Year journey from Beijing to her hometown in northeastern China — her first in three years after the government lifted its strict “zero-COVID” policy that kept millions of people at home and sparked protests. Read more
Kauai closing county-run COVID testing sites
The county said its testing centers at Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall and mobile van sites will offer their last COVID tests on Feb. 28. Read more
Omicron subvariant, the ‘Kraken,’ now on Hawaii’s radar
A new omicron subvariant — XBB.1.5 — is on Hawaii’s radar as the new year gets underway. Read more
Hawaii COVID-19 positivity rate at 7.5%, 5 more deaths recorded
The state’s average positivity rate declined slightly to 7.5% compared with 7.9% the previous week. Read more
Honolulu to distribute $10M to small businesses hit by pandemic
The city, partnering with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, plans to award a total of $10 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to qualifying small businesses on Oahu that suffered economic impacts to their livelihoods due to the pandemic. Read more
Off The News: The latest trend in COVID-19 arrives
The state’s COVID-19 variant report last week showed the first presence of the new variant of concern, XBB.1.5, in Honolulu County wastewater samples. Read more
Hilo Medical Center awaits $50M expansion OK
It’s about time. That’s what Dan Brinkman, CEO of Hilo Medical Center, believes regarding the proposed expansion of Hawaii island’s largest hospital serving the East Hawaii community. Read more
Editorial: Open DOE books on pandemic funds
Hawaii had been making progress in improving its funding commitment to education, but as the COVID-19 pandemic approached, the state lost ground in comparison to others in the U.S. Read more
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