Fri. 4/17 COVID-19 Daily Update
Local 5 Financial Secretary-Treasurer Eric Gill has an important update on health & welfare benefits.
Watch the video here (Click CC for subtitles)
BEWARE OF COVID-19 SCAMS!
No, there is no cure. No, the IRS will not ask you for money or personal info. No, you should never send money to someone you don’t know. And no, you do not have to “act immediately” to keep your lights on or your Wi-Fi connected. Click here for a flyer with more for info on how to report these and other common scams.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
The Mayor is indicating the island’s stay at home order will likely take a while to slowly unwind. The criteria for lifting restrictions include: the total number of cases must decline and stay down for 14 days, medical providers must have a good supply of PPE, robust contact-tracing mechanism, testing and non-hospital quarantine facilities for mild symptom positive cases, and continued social distancing and face mask wearing.
READ: White House Guidelines for ‘Opening Up America Again’ (CNN, April 16, 2020)
This is the White House’s three-phase plan for localities coming out of lock down. It’s useful to read to understand how stay at home orders might be eased and lifted (under White House suggested guidelines). This is not the same plan as the CDC and FEMA guide to reopening the U.S. that is reportedly still being drafted according to a Washington Post article that provides one part of the CDC/FEMA plan. State governors or city mayors ultimately will decide how easing will take place in their jurisdictions.
In the White House guide, “Gating” is about number of COVID cases and medical capacity criteria being met before lock downs can be eased up in phases. Before phase one can begin, gating criteria must be met in the region first, then the phases start:
Phase 1 people: less than 10 social gatherings, practice social distancing vulnerable people continue to shelter in place,
Phase 1 employers: return to work in phases or telework, close common areas or enforce SD,
Specific Employers: school stay closed, no senior home visits, large venues can operate under strict social distance protocols (restaurants, movies, sporting, churches), some elective surgeries resume, gyms open under social distancing and cleaning guides, bars stay closed.
Phase 2: for regions with no evidence of rebound and met Gating criteria during Phase 1
Phase 2 People: non essential travel can resume
Phase 2 Employers: encourage telework where feasible, close common areas or enforce SD.
Specific Employers: schools open, no visits to senior cares centers and hospital, large venues operate under moderate social distancing protocols, most elective surgeries resume, bars open with standing room protocols
Phase 3: after regions in phase 2 meet Gating criteria during Phase 2: pretty much back to normal.
More testing will be available at following locations over next few days on Oahu. Testing is available for those with or without insurance. For more information, contact Kalihi Kai Urgent Care at 841-2273 or Premier Medical Group Hawaii at 304-8816 or 367-6020.
Provided by Kalihi Kai Urgent Care
>> 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Geiger Community Park, Ewa Beach
Provided by Premier Medical Group Hawaii
>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie
>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Kakaako Waterfront Park
>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Koko Head District Park
>> 9 a.m.-1 p.m Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, Wahiawa
Unemployment in Hawaii tops 37% as coronavirus shutdown continues (Hawaii News Now, April 16, 2020)
From March 1st to April 16th, 244,330 people in Hawaii have filed for unemployment.
A Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation released an analysis showing how a CARES Act tax provision will benefit the rich:
- 43,000 people making $1M/year or more would owe $70.3B less in taxes.
- Less than 3% of this tax cut benefit will go to American’s making less than $100,000/year.
- The law allows owners of businesses known as pass-through entities to lower their taxes by deducting as much as they want against income unrelated to the business. Before, owners of pass-through entities could deduct a maximum of $250,000 in losses from non-business income such as stocks and bonds.
If capitalism is so great, why does it need to be bailed out by socialism every ten years? Questions arise as to why big businesses can do whatever they want and redistribute profits to the already-wealthy in good times, then get bailed out at taxpayers’ expense during bad times. Why would corporations, as institutions, ever behave responsibly if they know they are too big to fail and will get bailed out as necessary? And if executives and politicians who manipulate the system never go to prison for their actions, what incentives are there to behave responsibly?
Extra $600 to appear on unemployment deposits (KHON, Apri 16, 2020)
The extra $600 of unemployment benefit from federal government is supposed to start for Hawaii claimants on April 21st.
$2.1 billion secured from paycheck loans, benefits 11,400 local companies (KHON, April 17 2020)
Some good news as $2.1B in payroll support should benefit local businesses and cover about 170,000 jobs statewide.
It appears the quarantine orders that were initially set to end by April 30th will likely be extended. The guidelines of 14 days of lowered cases hasn’t been met in Hawaii.
The ban on evictions is in effect until April 30th for now (courts have been closed until April 30th anyway, creating a de-facto ban on evictions)
Everyone in Hawaii now required to wear a mask at essential businesses (KITV, April 17, 2020)
In addition to Honolulu’s order, Ige issued new order for entire state, anyone using or working in an essential businesses must wear masks at all times.
Governor Ige closes all beaches , people can only transit cross the sand to to the ocean for exercise in the ocean water. No loitering or sitting on the sand.
Governor Ige’s Fifth Proclamation (State of Hawaii, April 17, 2020)
You can read Ige’s proclamation order here. The order includes: requiring all public and workers at essential busineses to wear masks, no staying still on any state beach (users only allowed to walk across the sand to access the ocean for allowed exercises), two people or a family unit max on hiking trails/boats/fishing, a moratorium on eviction until April 30th, and some other directives. This order will last until the emergency declaration is over, which is currently set until April 30th.
World: Cases: Cases: 2.15M (+90k). Deaths: 144k (+7k)
USA: Cases: 670k (+31k). Deaths: 33k (+2k). Total Tested: 3.4M (+200k)
Hawaii: Cases: 541(+11). Deaths: 9 (+0). Hospitalized: 45 (+0). Recovered: 374 (+15)
