Gabbard to Host Dengue-Related Roundtable Disscussions

Representative Tulsi Gabbard meets with Hawai’i County officials to discuss the dengue outbreak on the Big Island on Jan. 22. File photo courtesy of the Office of Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

Representative Tulsi Gabbard will host a series of roundtable events this week on Oahu.

Two of the events will include discussions with Big Island lawmakers and local and national academic experts on the elimination and prevention of dengue fever and protection from the Zika virus.

As of Monday, 256 cases of dengue fever had been confirmed on the Big Island.

On Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., the Hawai’i State Legislature will meet with Representative Gabbard to discuss response efforts and Zika prevention. The meeting will be closed to the public and media.

At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Representative Gabbard will host a roundtable discussion with national and Hawai’i academic experts on elimination and prevention of dengue fever and protection from the Zika virus at the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine. This meeting will also be closed to the public and media.

On Friday, Feb. 12, Governor David Ige signed an emergency proclamation as a preventative measure against mosquito borne illnesses, including both dengue fever and zika.

The Governor said the decision followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to open its emergency operations center at Level 1 to prepare for and mitigate the zika risk.

It also followed Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi’s decision to issue a county-wide emergency proclamation on Feb. 8.

Representative Gabbard will host four additional roundtable discussions, which will include travel to various on-site locations for learning experiences with an organization focusing on incarceration alternatives for juveniles; a program to help job seekers gain education, training, and career mentoring; and a local entrepreneur that supports farmers, sustainability, and providing health food for local communities.