Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

Lava in the Lake Continues to Move

Despite several brief pauses over the past month, lava lake activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit

of Kīlauea. Lava is erupting from the west vent, which has built a steep spatter cone. The active lake is perched

slightly above the surrounding solidified lava. Jan. 10 USGS photo by M. Patrick

100 FREE COVID TEST KITS WILL BE GIVEN OUT IN PAHALA on Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to noon, sponsored by Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association. The free tests are for those who register to receive the vaccines at Ka'u Hospital & Rural Health Clinic, Bay Clinic, CVS Longs Pāhala or West Hawai'i Community Health Center.
    Registration will be available at the event at the Robert Herkes Gymnasium next to the Pāhala school campus. The community outreach is also sponsored by Kaʻū Hospital & Rural Health Clinic, Community First Kuleana Health, Papa Ola Lokahi: Ke Ko'oKo'o Project, Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, Hawai'i state Department of Health and Queen's Ulu Network.

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THREE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN NEW COVID CASES A DAY is the average over the last two weeks for this island, according to the state Department of Health. The active cases over the last 14 days in Na'alehu number 28, Pahala 20, Volcano 18 and Ocean View ten or under.

    Statewide, 3,857 new cases were reported on just Monday and 2,929 on Tuesday.  According to physician and Lt. Gov. Josh Green, statewide there are 325 hospitalized, with 133 of them vaccinated. Thirty-three are in the ICU.

    The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that "Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically. The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa."

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A COVID UPDATE ON KAʻŪ HOSPITAL'S SISTER FACILITY came Tuesday from Hilo Medical Center spokesperson Elena Cabatu. She said Hilo Medical Center is caring for 20 COVID patients, one in ICU who is unvaccinated. No patients are on ventilators. Eleven are unvaccinated and nine are vaccinated. "The hospital is currently very full with COVID and non-COVID patients. Long term care facilities are experiencing their own exposures and positives and thus are unable to accept hospital patients ready for discharge."

    Hilo Medical Center is preparing to increase its hospital and long term care bed capacity, said Cabatu.
Like many sectors in the community and in healthcare, staffing across facilities and clinics "are being affected by COVID positives and exposures, but we are managing and have protocols in place. We are operating under the contingency guidelines within the CDC’s guidance for healthcare workers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/images/hcp/WorkRestrictionsHCP.jpg. Fortunately, we are anticipating the arrival of FEMA-funded personnel next week."
     Hilo Medical Center visiting hours have been changed, due to the recent surge, increasing hospitalizations and increasing Emergency Department visits. One vaccinated visitor per day per patient is welcome from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. In the Emergency Department, no visitors are allowed with an exception for patients 17 years of age and under and end-of-life cases. For a short stay in the hospital, one vaccinated visitor may accompany a patient to short stay to help with check-in only and must leave after.
     View the full guidelines at: https://www.hilomedicalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Updated-Visitation-Policy-Jan-2022.pdf

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A COVID BOOSTER SHOT MAY SOON BE REQUIRED TO ENTER HAWAI'I, with the indication coming from Gov. David Ige, who spoke Tuesday on the Honolulu Star Advertiser Spotlight program.
   The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recently recommended that anyone 12 and older receive the booster to be considered fully vaccinated. The governor said his staff is considering adding the requirement to Hawai'i's Safe Travels Program and would give at least two weeks notice. Those without the booster or without a negative test would have to submit to home or hotel quarantine.
    The governor said he would leave it to the mayors in Hawai'i to decide whether boosters should be required for some businesses and activities. 

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HAWAI'I ISLAND POLICE ARRESTED 15 MOTORISTS, during the week of Jan. 3 through Jan. 9, for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Three drivers were involved in a traffic accident. None  were

under the age of 21.
    So far this year, there have been 24 DUI arrests compared with 43 during the same period last year, a decrease of 44.2 percent.
   There have been 18 major accidents so far this year compared with 16 during the same period last year, an increase of 12.5 percent. There were two fatal crashes, resulting in two fatalities, compared with pne fatal crash, resulting in one atality for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 100 percent for fatal crashes, and 100 percent for fatalities. The HPD statement promised that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.

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Kīlauea Visitor Center will be closed Jan. 19 and 20 for treatment to protect it from termite damage. NPS Photo

TERMITE TREATMENT WILL SHUT DOWN all of Kīlauea Visitor Center, including the restrooms, lānai, administrative space and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store,  on Wednesday, Jan. 19 and Thursday, Jan. 20. A statement from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park says, "During an inspection, the

A ranger gives assistance at Kilauea
Visitor Center. NPS Photo by Janice Wei

park’s facilities management crew noted significant termite damage and estimated that 25 percent of the attic framing in KVC had active termite nests. If not treated, the infestation will cause structural damage to the historic building and the park’s cultural resource collections."

    During the treatment, portable restrooms will be available for visitors in the Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot. All other restroom facilities will remain open, including Uēkahuna, Kīlauea Iki, Devastation Trail, Nāhuku and more. Park rangers will be available to assist visitors near the hula platform not far from the Volcano Art Center Gallery. Visitors are reminded to keep everyone safe by maintaining social distance and to wear a mask.
    The Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association will set up a temporary retail area beneath a tent near park rangers, and its online store will continue to be available.

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www.kaucalendar.com and find the
monthly print copy in mailboxes from 
Volcano through Ocean View.

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022

The swim team, comprised of Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences students, traveled to Hawai'i Preparatory Academy in Waimea last Saturday. See more below. Photo by Swim Coach Doreen Fisher

COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM HAWAI'I WERE RECENTLY CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE WHITE HOUSE Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.They are:

Dr. Amefil Agbayai

    Dr. Amefil (Amy) Agbayani, an Emeritus Assistant Vice Chancellor for student diversity and equity, University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Agbayani was born in the Philippines and received her education from the University of the Philippines, East West Center and the University of Hawai’i. She is a former chair of the Hawai’i Civil Rights Commission, conducts research on AANHPI in higher education, member of the Patsy T.Mink PAC and The Legal Clinic for immigrant justice Hawai’i.
    Kimberly Seu Gin Chang, MD, MPH, born and raised in Hawai`i in a six generation kama`āina family, is a board-certified family physician in Oakland, California, at Asian Health Services, a federally qualified community health center. She has dedicated her 20+ year career to focusing on the health of the underserved AANHPI community, including people vulnerable to and

Dr. Kimberly Chang

affected by human trafficking and exploitation, developing national clinical and health policy recommendations for this issue. She has received numerous awards, most recently the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 2020 Emerging Public Health Professional Award.
    Kerry Doi is a fourth generation Japanese-American born on a Hawaiian plantation, who has spent his life combatting hate and solidifying his commitment to social and economic justice. For over 46 years, He has dedicated his work to the cause and the community development space through his leadership at Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) – one of the nation’s largest Asian-led community development 

Kerry Doi

organizations serving 40,000 minority, low income individuals annually through workforce, small business, environmental justice, affordable housing, and early childhood education. He has served on numerous local, state, and national boards including his current appointments as Chair of the CA Community Economic Development Association, Vice Chair and Treasurer of the LA Housing Partnership, and member of the LA County Small Business Commission.

    Michelle Kauhane is the Senior Vice President of Community Grants & Initiatives at Hawai'i Community Foundation. Previously, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement where she engaged in lending and investment services deploying capital in underserved native Hawaiian

Michelle Kauhane

communities statewide. She has a background in non-profit management, organizational leadership, community based economic development and public policy advocacy. She has served on numerous local and national boards and currently sits on the Community Advisory Council at the Federal Reserve of San Francisco to offer perspectives on the economic and financial service needs of low- and moderate- income populations in Hawai'i. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University.

    

Daniel Day Kim

Daniel Dae Kim is an award-winning actor, director and producer. In addition to his series regular roles on TV’s Lost and The Hot Zone: Anthrax, Kim starred as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s Broadway production of The King & I. In addition, he is developing both film and television projects as a producer with his company, 3AD. His current projects include The Good Doctor, airing on ABC.
    Recently, he also turned to advocacy, joining the Asian American Foundation, where he serves a Co-Chair of the Advisory Council. Kim can next be seen as an actor in the live action adaptation of Avator: The Last Airbender. He lives in Hawai'i with his family.

 

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THE FIRST GIRLS MEDLEY SWIM COMPETITION BY KAʻŪ HIGH & VOLCANO SCHOOL OF 

Alden Wells, of Volcano School 
competes in Backstroke.
Photo by Doreen Fisher

THE ARTS & SCIENCES combo team happened over the weekend. The girls in the medley also competed in individual events, along with two additional team members.
    The swim meet was held Saturday at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy in Waimea. Coach Doreen Fisher said, "We had six swimmers, three from Kaʻū and three from Volcano. I was proud of all of them. Most have not participated in high school swim meets and had great beginning swims. Our goal it to improve our individual times throughout the swim season."
    Mardani Sugai swam the 50 meter Freestyle in 48.33. 

    Adison Wells swam the 100 meter Freestyle in :18:78. 

    Kaitlyn Fisher swam the 100 meter Butterfly in 1:28:28. 

    Madison Fisher swam the 100 meter Backstroke in 1:22:95. 

    Tayler Rasmussen swam the 100 meter Breaststroke in 1:41:98.          

    Cheska Aurelio swam the 100 meter Breaststroke in 1:54:26.
    Sugai, Wells and Aurelio attend Volcano School. The Fishers and Rasmussen attend Kaʻū High. The coach teaches fifth and sixth grade English as a Second Language and Social Studies at Pahala Elementary.

    Fisher said she is videoing all of the swimmers to help them see and improve their strokes. When she lived in Colorado, she volunteered for many swim team jobs. Her daughters participated from age six, on a neighborhood team, a club town team and a high school team.

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See archives of The Ka`u Calendar at
www.kaucalendar.com and find the
monthly print copy in mailboxes from 
Volcano through Ocean View.