(BIVN) – There were 3 newly reported cases of COVID-19 in the State of Hawaiʻi at noon on Saturday, bringing the cumulative total statewide to 604.

On Hawaiʻi island, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health reported no new cases of COVID-19, where the cumulative total remains 69. Of that number, 47 individuals have been released from isolation, and there has been one hospitalization.

Testing Set For Sunday In Hilo

From the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense:

On Sunday, April 26th, testing will be conducted in Hilo at the Hilo Civil Center from 9:00 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon. Thank you, Premier Medical Group, Hawaii National Guard, and the County Task Force for doing this for the community.

$68 Million in Unemployment Insurance Benefits

From the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations:

DLIR announces that between April 17-23 it distributed $68,097,470 in unemployment insurance benefits. $44,848,600 of that total includes the $600-a-week bonus made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27th. DLIR Director Scott Murakami said, “The department was able to deliver a record level of benefits in a week and for that I am tremendously grateful for our workers. We know that there are still many in our community who are suffering and with the help of our sister departments, the Legislature, private sector partners and non-profits, we are resolute in providing a greater level of relief as soon as possible.”

May Waimea Food Drop Location Changed

From the Waimea Community Association:

This is good news but an important change: We just learned today that the May Food Drop for Waimea has been shifted from Wed., May 6 to Thurs., May 7, 2020 (10 am to Noon) and relocated from Church Row Park to the new Waimea District Park. This is a good thing – to better manage the lineup of cars anticipated! It’s good to come early.

County Says Mahalo For Face Masks

From the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense:

A gracious mahalo to all who contributed to the availability of 200,000 surgical facemasks free to those most in need on Hawaii Island. Everyone Hawaii, a non-profit founded by Duane Kurisu, for the purchase of the masks; Hawaiian Airlines for transporting the masks from China to Hawaii State; The National Guard for distributing to all the islands; and Vibrant Hawaii for circulating the masks to more than 50 charitable organizations on this island.

Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers

From the State of Hawaiʻi:

It’s been nearly a week and a half since the Hawai‘i Healthcare Association (HAH) and DOH put out a call for volunteer medical professionals to join the Hawai‘i Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Since then, HAH has recruited 226 people. The volunteers, who are not currently working in clinical roles, are sought in case of a potential surge in COVID-19 patients. Non-medical volunteers are also needed. To access the registry and sign up [here].

Improved Verification Process For Passengers

From the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation:

DOT has implemented improved measures to verify incoming passenger information before they leave the airport to help ensure people are abiding by the travel quarantine order. The enhanced process is underway at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and will begin statewide in the coming days.

Hawai‘i was the first state in the country to implement a travel order and the process is evolving and improving every day. Arriving passengers on trans-Pacific flights will continue to fill out the Department of Agriculture declaration form. After landing they will have their temperatures taken by members of the Hawai‘i National Guard. Anyone with a high temperature will receive a medical assessment by paramedics stationed at the airport. There are numerous additional steps for both visitors and returning residents to ensure compliance with the traveler quarantine. Read the full DOT news release for more details, here.

Hawaiʻi Passenger Arrivals By Air (HTA)

Yesterday, 467 people arrived in Hawaii including 118 visitors and 155 residents. During this same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. The state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel.