(BIVN) – There are no identified cases of COVID-19 on Hawaiʻi Island as of Monday morning, officials say.

(UPDATED) – New Proclamation Signed, Incident Commander Appointed 

Governor Ige today signed a supplemental emergency proclamation, and appointed Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency director Ken Hara to be the incident commander.

(UPDATED) – Hawaiʻi State Legislature Goes Into Recess

Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi and House Speaker Scott K. Saiki held a press conference on Monday afternoon to discuss the suspension of the 2020 Legislative Session due to COVID-19 concerns immediately following today’s floor sessions in Room 309.

(UPDATED) – Three New Cases Identified

As of March 16, 2020, as of 3:30 pm, there are a total of 10 confirmed or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. Three new positive results were announced today for two O‘ahu residents, and one visitor on Maui. The Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring all of these individuals and supervising their isolation as well as the self-quarantine of their family members.

On National Policy

“There is no action nor declaration by federal, state, or county authorities for mass quarantine,” stated the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense.

This afternoon, President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued new guidelines to help protect Americans during the global Coronavirus outbreak. The guidelines can be downloaded here. 

COVID-19 Testing

COVID-19 testing is not for individuals who are well or experiencing mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, state health officials say.

A current list of Hawai‘i healthcare facilities offering screening for potential candidates for COVID-19 testing is now available on the DOH website at health.hawaii.gov/updates, state health officials say. “A screening determines if a person meets the criteria for a COVID-19 test. The actual test involves taking a swab from the back a person’s nose and throat to test for the virus,” DOH wrote.

From the North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital:

For the protection of our patients, staff, and community, starting on Monday, March 16 at 5 am, all staff and visitors will be screened for fever and exposure risk in the main entrance lobby prior to entering the hospital. This will be the only entry point to the hospital and clinics apart from the emergency room. After successful screening, visitors and employees will be issued a “day pass” sticker and allowed to enter the hospital.

To further protect our patients, only one visitor will be allowed in the hospital per patient and no children under the age of 12 will be allowed in the hospital unless they are receiving care.

Effective Monday, March 16, testing for COVID-19 will be available WITH DOCTOR’S ORDERS Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 am – 2 pm outside the Lucy Henriques building.

For more information, visit coronavirus.org or call the Queen’s COVID-19 Information Line at 691-2619.

On March 13, Hilo Medical Center reported on Facebook:

Here are the details for our testing center:

Location: Across Hilo Medical Center in the parking lot next to the Cancer Center at 1285 Waianuenue Avenue. Look for a big tent in the visitors parking lot.

Testing Requirements

Patients need to go to their primary care physician to be evaluated for COVID-19.

If the primary care physician determines the patient needs to be tested for COVID-19, the physician will need to submit the lab order Clinical Labs.

The patient will be sent to Hilo Medical Center’s testing site, stay inside car, have the lab ordered verified, and present identification and insurance card.

Once the sample is taken, it will be transferred to Clinical Labs that will send the sample away for testing with an estimated 2-3 day turn-around for results.

After samples taken, patients will be given be given self-care information at home.

Results will be sent to the primary care physician, who will inform the patient.

Patients without a Primary Care Provider

Patients wanting to be tested for COVID-19 who do not have a physician, must go to the Emergency Department for evaluation.

If the Emergency physicians, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner deems COVID-19 testing appropriate for the patient, a test will be ordered.

Update on Cargo and Shipping from Civil Defense

As for the supply of goods into the State of Hawaii, the Department of Transportation and our shipping companies confirm transportation operations from the west coast and inter-island will remain as scheduled and there is no need to hoard food.

To avoid shortages and assure supplies of sanitation and cleaning products are available for all, we ask that you limit your purchases to your immediate needs.

Grand Princess milestone date passes (from HCCD)

On February 29th, the Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Port of Hilo. The CDC 14-day quarantine period for persons presenting with symptoms related to Grand Princess exposure ended on March 14th. No persons on Hawaii Island have been identified with coronavirus related to the Grand Princess.

Community Advisory on Keeping Hawaii Safe

As a reminder, the community must come together and take action to prevent the spread of coronavirus to our Island. You can make a difference right now by staying informed, following health advisories, and taking action to protect yourself and your family.

Please continue following general hygiene practices, such as using soap and water when available, to help curb shortages.

The County of Hawaiʻi says for more information regarding Coronavirus, Hawaii County has opened a call center to answer any of your questions concerning coronavirus in operation daily at 935-0031.

This page will be updated with more information throughout the day.