COVID-19

... 16,000 people in Hawaii quit their jobs in November 2021, the most recent month of available data - a 45.5% increase from one year earlier ....

... you can't let your guard down when our esteemed legislators get together ....

... OHA’s Ka Wailele Emergency Financial Assistance Program is being administered by Hawaiʻi Community Lending ....

... HB1585 needs greater clarity about the role of the Legislature and stronger statements about protecting transparency and individual rights ....

... States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most ....

... The Kokua Fund Bill Credit Program will automatically provide a one-time credit of $90 to past-due balances for about 22,000 residential and business customers by Jan. 31 ....

... The revised rules require proof of a booster shot to confirm patrons are “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccinations if they want to dine indoors at a restaurant or bar, or exercise inside of a gym ....

... This revision results in the current percentage of the population that has received a booster dose increasing from 31.4% last Friday to 33.1% today ....

... The word now is that leaders are reconsidering ....

... on the Opening Day of the 30th Session of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Kahele implores state leaders to act decisively and execute a multi-year statewide strategy to mitigate the pandemic and save lives ....

... 60 percent of businesses have been devastated by the pandemic ....

... Ige today said the State of Hawaiʻi allocated all the $1.6 billion received last May ....

... Insights From Fiscal 50’s Key Measures of State Fiscal Health ....

... The HSTA hears that others were being told by the DOH that adults can return after five days “to sustain the workforce” ....

... the trade-off in temporary losses during the adjustment period is met with significant gains in public health ....

... The study showed a statistically significant correlation between how severe state governmental actions were in shutting down their economies and negative impacts on employment more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began ....

... The incentive is in addition to the $50 inmates can receive if they are fully vaccinated ....

... caps large indoor gatherings of more than 1,000 people at 50% capacity ....

... the State of Hawaii will be requiring participation in the State’s Safe Travels digital platform to upload proof of vaccination or negative test results for cruise lines arriving in Hawaii from outside the state ....

... Hawaii’s website falls short of breaking down what money was spent on beyond the vague spending category descriptions, which leave a lot of gray area ....

... Ige has signed an emergency proclamation temporarily suspending an upcoming provision in Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law that would have mandated at least one in-person location be held for public meetings ....

... “fully vaccinated” to include getting a booster shot ....

... HSTA encourages all of our members to ensure they stay home from work if they have mild symptoms, notify their health care provider, and get tested right away. HSTA members should know they have the right to request quarantine leave benefits ....

... With the continued support and guidance from the state Department of Health, the Department remains committed to full in-person learning during the second semester that begins next week ....

... Isolate for at least 5 days and until symptoms are gone.  Continue to wear a mask for five days after isolation ....

... only courses that can be “effectively taught online” will be impacted ....

... Personnel at COVID-19 test sites are reporting that many individuals who made appointments are failing to show up as scheduled ....

... If Hawaii follows the same pattern as South Africa, we should experience increasing COVID cases until around New Year’s, followed by a sharp decline .... 

... 12,777 cases are considered to be active as of Dec 26 ....

"“Take credit for it. Take credit for it. You’re playing right into their hands [when you doubt the vaccine].” -- Donald J Trump

... States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most from COVID ....

... ACP provides up to $30 a month off internet service bills ....

... The Delta and Omicron variants are highly transmissible. It is likely anyone who tests positive will have infected household members by the time they get test results. Therefore, they are advised to self-isolate at home ....

...  Ige said there were no backlog cases in the 797 infections reported today ....

... Economic recovery resumed with the end of Hawaii’s COVID-19 wave. Now Omicron is a new threat .... 

... 2,439,075 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Hawai‘i. DOH estimates 73.2% of the state’s population has received either two doses ....

... In Hawaii, the median amount of debt in collections fell from $1,999 to $1,926 between February and October, 2020 ....

... a small apartment complex for low to moderate income renters being managed by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement ....

... we can grab for 21 hours of 'professional development' or college loan relief or something ....

... HSTA, employer file arguments on HSTA’s prohibited practice complaint decision pending by the Hawaii Labor Relations Board ....

... Teleworking UH Faculty will be exempt from requirements to submit work plans through June 30, 2022 ....

... Hawaii colleges and universities saw a 3.3% increase in students transferring to their institutions amid the pandemic ....

... All patrons who visited Scarlet Honolulu since December 3 are advised to get tested ....

... 38 states had unemployment claims last week that were lower than before the pandemic -- Hawaii isn't one of them ....

... WHO says no deaths reported from Omicron yet as Covid variant spreads ....

... a “state of emergency,” which causes the Governor’s powers to kick in, is supposed to terminate automatically after sixty days ....

... Road Map to Prosperity ....

... DBEDT revised its economic growth projection for 2021 to 3.9 percent, up from the 2.7 percent projected in August  ....

... Zip codes with a high concentration of Native Hawaiian residents became “hot zones” ....

... While this slightly lowers Hawai‘i’s percentage of completed vaccinations from 72.5% to 71.1%, it provides a more accurate picture of the state’s vaccination effort ....