#Bruce Anderson

To date, 18 people on the Big Island are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 infection.

Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson and Department of Public Safety Director Nolan Espinda will retire in September, Gov. David Ige’s office announced this morning.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across Hawai‘i, contact tracing is becoming increasingly important to curb the surge and avoid the reappearance of social restrictions on neighbor islands in the same way they’ve returned to O‘ahu. 

Gov. David Ige convened a press conference Thursday to address Hawai‘i’s single worst day in its fight against the coronavirus, which saw 355 new cases identified statewide. But there were two notable absences from the podium.

Tuesday marked the most infectious day of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hawai‘i since it initially struck, with the state Department of Health reporting 41 positive test results statewide.  

State health officials are not surprised by the spike in COVID-19 cases over the past two days, saying they are seeing what they expected to see.

It would likely be weeks before any restrictions would be reapplied to travel between islands, but circumstances that could cause such a disruption do exist.

Arrivals will be submitted to at least one health screening and must confirm their destination by telephone and address, after which they must sign a form acknowledging the travel quarantine and that any violation of it is a criminal offense punishable by law.

Despite favorable terms for reopening, the state’s stance continues to be one of caution and pragmatism. 

The state has counted 34 positive cases on the Big Island.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday said heads should roll at the top of Hawai‘i Department of Health. 

Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson described recent issues with turnaround times for COVID-19 tests as a “temporary situation.”

The fewer people who heed health advice means more strain on the hospital system, which Park said is already reporting burn rates that will see some hospitals run out of personal protective equipment (PPEs) within two weeks to one month. 

Epidemiologists aren’t the only scientists that see potential problems with Kim’s plan, and humans aren’t the only living species that could be negatively impacted by it. 

There will likely be people at testing sites who are positive for COVID-19, meaning residents taking it upon themselves to walk into a testing site will not only fail to achieve their objectives, but they will put themselves and other members of the public at risk. 

The president advised people to also avoid non-essential travel and social groupings of more than 10.

The suddenness of the decision shows just how fluid government action is in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which the number of confirmed cases in Hawai‘i jumped 300% on Saturday alone. 

Gov. David Ige will hold a press conference Sunday to provide more details about the fifth case,

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

This means there remain zero confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the state as of March 3, 2020.