HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.077 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
RECEIVED
Time 7% O.TR By _
Date
Hawaii County Council
. EMERGENCY MEETING
Hawaii County Building •
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii
March 20, 2020
1:00 P.M.
Aloha Chair Chung, Vice Chair Eoff and Honorable Council Members
My name is Jacqui Hoover and while I have the privilege of serving concurrently as President
and COO of the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference (HLPC) and as Executive Director and
COO of the Hawai'i Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB), today I submit these remarks
as a concerned private citizen and resident of Hawai'i County.
On Thursday, March 19th 2020, Hawaii Island had one (1) confirmed case of COVID-19 with the
patient being a visitor to the island who fell ill after arrival and after diagnosis, reported to be in
quarantine in her hotel room in Hilo.
One case—not community spread but rather inadvertently brought to our island by an
unsuspecting asymptomatic visitor.
One case which means if we take all the necessary precautions, we can perhaps exclude a
second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. case from developing.
One case which also means we have the opportunity to flatten the curve, and possibly stomp it
out before a curve is formed.
On that same day,Thursday, March 19th 2020, I received a telephone call from a visitor on Oahu
who asked "Is it true that bars and restaurants are open on your island?" and continued by
saying that if true "my friends and I are coming there for some fun, because everything's closed
here and it's no fun at all." During our conversation, it was revealed that she and nine of her
friends all from New York and New Jersey had taken advantage of some "dirt cheap" airfares to
come to Hawai'i.
I advised that while decision as to whether to alter service and/or close was left to the
discretion of the proprietors of restaurants and bars, many had opted to close in response to
the current Coronavirus crisis.
Following our conversation, I could not help but think that these ten potential visitors from an
area that is currently a Hot Zone for Covid-19 represent ten potential opportunities for this
Novel Coronavirus to also visit our island.
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Hawaii Island, the Big Island—population approximately 200,000 with 295 certified hospital
beds, 24 Intensive Care Unit beds, 39 ventilators (source: Lt Governor Josh Green, M.D.).
The art of arithmetic reveals that we don't have the infrastructure and resources necessary to
provide care to one percent (1%) or 2,000 residents if th+ number were to be exposed to and
become critically ill with COVID-19. For that matter we don't have the infrastructure and
resources necessary if even %2%or 1,000 residents were xposed and become severely ill.
Eight thousand (8,000) visitors on any given day on our islandlIaccording to our Mayor as quoted
in an article published in the Hawaii Tribune Herald on tl.at now familiar day,Thursday, March
19th 2020. If one tenth of one percent (800) of those 8,000 visitors- in effect, eight (8) visitors
inadvertently carry COVID-19 to our island is that not eight (8)times too many opportunities for
our community to be exposed? And it wouldn't just be eight opportunities but rather a number
exponentially derived after contact with car rental agent, hotel valet/bellman, front desk
associate, restaurant hostess, bartender, food server, housekeeper, gift shop associate,
activities associate, concierge, etc.
The economics of doing what needs to be done do not paint a pretty picture but nor does the
potential outcome should COVID-19 be allowed to establish a foothold on our island.
Right now, there is one confirmed case, i.e. a single toe in the pool and I implore you to please
advocate, demand, mandate, do whatever can be done to prevent a foothold from being
established.
Respectfully submitted,
Jacqui Hoover
Wage
Statement of Jacqui Hoover
20 March 2020
. ::4 RE:COVID-19