Sat. 3/21/20: COVID-19 Daily Update
We will be posting COVID-19 daily updates on our website every evening. The fastest way to get these updates is by signing up to receive texts. Sign up here.
We know people are having issues applying online for unemployment. We have been in communication with DLIR. Look out for our text tomorrow for updates.
VIDEO: Gov. David Ige mandates 14-day quarantine for visitors to Hawaii, returning residents (Star Advertiser, March 21 2020)
Gov. David Ige is mandating a 14-day quarantine for returning residents and visitors to Hawaii. It goes into effect March 26th, Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Returning residents are to quarantine at their residences and visitors at their hotels. Violation of the quarantine is a misdemeanor and subject to a $5,000 fine and jail time. The quarantine mandate will continue indefinitely. Visitors are responsible for quarantine costs.
Mandatory sheltering in place (requiring all residents to stay in their homes) is not yet in place, but may be implemented.
Oahu residents whose jobs put them at risk of contracting coronavirus can get tested free (Star Advertiser, March 21, 2020)
This was a one-time event that happened today in Kakaako, but more may be set up. Drive-thru testing will take place on Maui on Monday, March 23 at the War Memorial Gym and on Kona on Monday, March 23 at Old Kona Airport Park.
This includes hotel and hospitality workers. It is a free drive-through testing site in Kakaako that will test people if you meet certain criteria, which includes being an employee in the tourism industry who is showing symptoms. Applicants will be screened prior to being allowed to test. Those who do get tested are required to self-quarantine for 3-5 days or until their test results are returned.
What Cities Are Doing to Stall Evictions and Foreclosures (City Lab, March 17, 2020)
Many cities and states are looking to stop evictions, utility shut-offs, and foreclosures. Over the past few days, the states of California and New York, and cities including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Seattle, and Philadelphia have taken up a range of housing security strategies. The Guardian reports that almost 90 cities and states have stopped shutting off people’s water utilities, even if they can’t afford to pay their bills. There is no such program in place in Hawaii at this time, but we will continue to monitor the latest developments.
Airlines are begging for a bailout, but they’ve used 96% of their cash flow on buybacks over the past 10 years (Business Insider, Mar. 17, 2020)
Airlines now asking for a $50 billion bailout after they spent the Trump tax cut enriching their billionaire shareholders with record level stock buybacks. Working families are expected to have 3 months of savings in case of emergencies. But when multi-billion dollar companies run trouble, they get taxpayer-funded handouts.
Hawaii hotel industry seeking assistance amid shutdowns caused by coronavirus (Star Advertiser, March 21, 2020)
As hotel and hotel-supported jobs are lost, Hawaii hotel companies met with the government on Friday and are asking the government for real property tax payments due in August and for a tax freeze on real property tax rates and tax credits for those hotels still paying for employees’ medical. Meanwhile, hotel workers are losing their jobs and hours and haven’t received any government assistance on taxes, mortgages, rent, or utilities.
11 new coronavirus cases in Hawaii; total infections climb to 48 (Star Advertiser, March 21, 2020)
Oahu = 35, Maui = 7, Kauai = 3, Hawaii = 3. Total = 48. 3 are hospitalized.
