HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1050.006 2018-2020 cow, ly,)o
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September 1 2020 �� CLERK .
COUNTY OF I
RECEIVED
Office of the County Clerk Title From: Shana W. Logan
25 Au uni streetDate SEP 0 2 2020
Hilo, Hawaii
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Hilo, HI 96720
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TO: Senator,Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelderand the
Governmental Relations and Economic Development Committee
RE: Testimony Regarding Hawaii County's Response to the Covid 19 Pandemic and
Community Engagement in Stopping the spread; Resolution 710-20
Aloha Honorable County Councilmembers,
As a residents of Hawai'i Island, my family and I are concerned about the recent surge
in Covid 19 cases here and in particular, the Hilo district, which has been identified as a
"hotspot." To this end, we fully support a voluntary tracking app as proposed in
Resolution 710-20. Another solution could be a voluntary website set up to track.
While we greatly appreciate the time and effort you have spent discussing and passing
important measures that will help stop the spread, we are concerned that not enough is
being done with regards to surge testing, contact tracing, and enforcement of mandates
meant to lower our case numbers. We are here to offer our kokua and support.
Recently, there have been exposures in public places such as the Hilo, bona and South
Kohala courthouse. In the Hilo incident, a private security guard tested positive and
court employees were notified. In the other cases, it was judiciary employees. The
courthouses were closed and cleaned and the workers sent home to quarantine, while
other employees were said to have been alerted. However, the public was not informed
of this until days later, in the news, leaving many with questions of possible exposure by
going to a county courthouse and not being properly contacted in time to mitigate their
exposure to the rest of the community. Now, there is a surge in South Hilo, in particular
Keaukaha, a place that should already have been given free community wide testing
and more enforcement of large gatherings since there are many elderly kupuna and
vulnerable keiki who live there and who's `ohana have been for generations.
In conclusion, while law enforcement is part of prevention, there should be room for the
practice of common sense and aloha in all police interactions with the public during this
health crisis. Your support and dedication to Our community is appreciated. Mahalo.
Comm.
1
Ref. Date SEP 2020