Archive for category: Updates

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COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: 4.5M (+100k).  Deaths: 307k(+5k).

USA: Cases: 1.44M (+30k).  Deaths: 87.5k (+1.7k).  Total Tested: 10.7M (+400k).
Hawaii: Cases:  638 (+1).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+0). Recovered: 5645(+1).

 

Governor says he’ll extend ’safer-at-home’ order through June (Hawaii News Now, May 15. 2020)

Ige and Caldwell both will extend the stay at home order through June 30th.  But some lifting of restrictions will take place too.  “medium risk” activities like dine-in restaurant service and barbershops may open before June 30th.  Some malls will open on Friday as well as outdoor sports fields and courts to reopen for one-on-on activities, like tennis or yoga, as long as 6 feet of physical distance is maintained, also, drive-in religious, spiritual or entertainment activities are now permitted as long as attendees stay in their cars.

Hawaii to tap ‘Pandemic EBT’ program for an extra $25M in food aid (Star Advertiser, May 15 ,2020)

State officials plan to start a new program next month that will allow all families with children who receive free lunches at public schools to also get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps. Another roughly 20,000 households whose children receive subsidized school meals but do not now receive SNAP benefits also will be eligible for up to $10.7 million in benefits, Bhanot said. The SNAP application is here .

Honolulu officials look at allowing restaurants to reopen June 5 (Star Advertiser, May 14 2020)

Honolulu is looking for state approval to begin opening up restaurants for dine in service by June 5th.  The city is looking to open up beaches as well.

Oahu Malls and Retailers to reopen Friday (KHON, May 15 2020)

Major malls and retailers who decide to open can do so starting Friday May 15th.

Nearly 40% of low-income workers lost their jobs in March (KITV, May 15, 2020)

Nationwide, 40% of households with less than $40,000 of income reported a job loss in March.  In contrast 19% of households making $40k-$100k, and 13% making 100k or more saw job loss.

Antibody Testing For COVID-19 Now Available On Oahu (Civil Beat, May 15, 2020)

Dr. Miscovitch’s Premier Medical Group Hawaii is offering blood tests for anti-bodies to determine if you had COVID in the past.  The test is $40 unless a patient’s insurance covers it.  The bloods tests will be offered alongside the infection nose swab tests.  Testing at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex will be offered on Saturday, May 16. Testing at Kakaako Waterfront Park will be offered on Sunday, May 17. Testing at both locations will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The HEROES Act: Policy Overview and Political Prospects for the Latest COVID-19 Relief Bill (National Law Review, May 14, 2020)

There are a lot of components to the HEROES Act that was passed by the US House today, the US Senate will not pass it in its current form. However, one thing to note of the House version is that it will allow ALL non-profit types, of all sizes, to be eligible for PPP loans.

WATCH: FACEBOOK LIVE TOWN HALL – COVID-19 & THE BAILOUT OF CORPORATIONS

We hosted a Facebook Live Town Hall today on the government’s response to COVID-19, how it’s been benefiting corporations and the rich, and what working people need to do to push back. You can watch the recording here in case you missed it.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Majority of hotels agree to “one time use” key system for quarantined visitors in Hawaii (KITV May 13 2020)

90% of the 89 hotels still open agree to give quarantined visitors a one-time use key in order to help enforce the quarantine rules.

Kaua’i County beaches to reopen Friday under specific guidelines (KITV, May 13, 2020)

2 week pilot program begins on Friday.  The main aspect of the rules allows parties of 10 or less on the each if they are in the same household.

Hawaii vacation rentals use loopholes to skirt quarantine (Star Advertiser, May 13, 2020)

At least 14% of visitors arriving during lockdown admitted they were using vacation rental units. This article talks about how vacation rentals and the difficulty of enforcing the laws governing their use are problem, especially since all vacation rental units are considered non-essential and shouldn’t be operating at all right now.

Congressman Calls For Testing Hawaii-Bound Travelers (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

Ed Case wants the FAA to change rules to allow testing of visitors and crews before boarding an airplane to Hawaii.  It calls for fever testing and “as available”, rapid on-site COVID testing.  The costs would be borne by airlines according to his letter to the FAA.

Trimmed Budget Ready For Final Senate Vote (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

The legislature seems set to cut a $1 billion hole in the state budget. The bulk of the revised budget cuts comes from leaving vacant positions open, excluding nearly half a billion in Gov. Ige’s supplemental budget request, and tapping into rainy day funds and federal funding. Worker furloughs or pay cuts are not proposed. See article for links to the bill language.

Pandemic Forces Honolulu Council To Slash Budget (Civil Beat, May 13, 2020)

The city cut $130 million from its proposed $3 billion budget. The bulk of the cuts are from TheBus and HandiVan, vacant positions and rail’s HART operating budget. Honolulu will get about $387 million in funds from the CARES Act to help offset costs, of which $100 million are dedicated to help small businesses and another 30% to first responders.

Culinary Union planning ‘transparency’ car caravan on Las Vegas Strip tomorrow (Las Vegas Sun, May 13, 2020)

Local 226, a UNITE HERE local in Las Vegas, holds a car caravan rally to demand public release of Las Vegas hotels’ reopening plan and also demands more safety measures to protect workers who go back to work.

MGM Resorts released a 19-page, 7-point plan that you can view here. It provides details on major issues like: screening, PPE, distancing, sanitation, HVAC control and incidence control.

Paul Manafort Just Got Out of Prison Years Early Because of Coronavirus (Vice, May 13, 2020)

Manafort was Trump’s campaign manager who was convicted of bank fraud and plead guilty to defrauding the US and witness tampering. He is now under house arrest.

Employers can let workers change health plans without waiting (Pacific Business news, May 13, 2020)

The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday made it easier for employers to allow workers to make adjustments to their health insurance plans and flexible spending accounts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Employers can let their workers drop out of their health insurance if they have another option, or sign up if they failed to earlier in the year.

Workers could also be allowed to add more family members to their plan or switch from one workplace plan to another.

The change doesn’t require employers to offer these options; they must opt in if they want to give their employees the added flexibility. The changes could make it easier for workers who are furloughed to drop benefits temporarily and resume them when they return to work. They may also be attractive to workers who decided against buying health insurance earlier in the year but feel different now that they are worried about their risk of catching the coronavirus.

COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: 4.3M (+100k).  Deaths: 297k(+6k).
USA: Cases: 1.39M (+20k).  Deaths: 84.1k (+1.8k).  Total Tested: 9.9M (+300k).
Hawaii: Cases:  638 (+3).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+0). Recovered: 563 (+0).

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

State Lawmakers reach tentative agreement on CARES Act spending bill (Hawaii News Now, May 11, 2020)

Hawaii lawmakers acted to distribute 862M in CARES Act money to the neighbor islands.  The bill gives $180 million dollars for the neighbor islands for coronavirus testing and contact tracing, and to pay for services such as police and firefighters. Another $100 million goes to the Hawaii Department of Defense while the largest amount ― about $550 million ― will go into the rainy day fund. Honolulu already got $250 million directly from the feds.

Lack of clear plan to replace tourism leaves Hawaii’s economic future in doubt (Star Advertiser, May 11, 2020)

The most important point being made in these conversations about diversifying and altering Hawaii’s tourism economy is that studies have shown Hawaii is not getting the same amount of returns on tourism as it used to. Adjusted for inflation, it took 10.4 million visitors in 2019 to reach $17.75 billion in spending, which was lower than the $18.3 billion (2019 dollars) that 6.5 million visitors brought to Hawaii in 1989. Perhaps setting the minimum wage at living wage levels would help limit tourist numbers, prevent environmental degradation, increase wealth of local working families, and improve residents’ quality of life.

Hawaii COVID-19 incident commander says ‘rioting’ a possibility if economy falters (Star Advertiser, May 11, 2020)

Quote from Major General Kenneth Hara: “If we let the economy go the way it’s going, I feel there will be significant civil unrest that could lead to civil disobedience and, worst case, civil disturbance and rioting.”

Hawaii to receive more than $5M for emergency rent payments, food assistance (Pacific Business Journal, 5/11/2020)

The funding will be dispersed to the counties for purposes such as rental and food assistance, grants and loans to small businesses, providing financial support to nonprofits that fall under essential services, and workforce development and training for displaced workers, among other uses.  Honolulu: $3,081,677.  Hawaii County: $975,815.   Maui County: $698,280.   Kauai County: $261,137.

DHHL announces new rental relief program for those affected by COVID-19 (KITV, May 11, 2020)

Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who are on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) applicant waiting list can now participate in the organization’s new program providing rental relief DHHL, potential applicants can contacts DHHL’s partner organization Aloha United Way for more information.

McConnell brushes off Pelosi as she finalizes relief package (Politico, May 11, 2020)

The US House is drafting another stimulus package bill, but it is already being dismissed by the Republican US Senate as a “messaging document.” It appears there is no sense of urgency to get another bill passed and a bill likely won’t be passed until some time in June.

COVID Cases Today

World: Cases: 4.1M (+100k).  Deaths: 286k(+3.3k).
USA: Cases: 1.34M (+10k).  Deaths: 80.3k (+800).  Total Tested: 9.38M (+380k).
Hawaii: Cases:  634 (+2).  Deaths: 17 (+0).  Hospitalized: 81 (+0). Recovered: 561 (+0).