HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.089 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
RECEIVED
Fri 3/20/2020 9:32 AM Time '1:0 61011 By d
Corona virus testimony Date MAR 2 0 2020
To: Council Testimony
Aloha County Council,
I implore you to immediately halt all travel Ito the state of Hawaii. I have been a registered nurse for 16
years. I worked as a critical nurse in Hilo Medical ICU from 2013-2019&was the nurse educator there
for one year. Our healthcare on the islands is grossly underprepared to handle the influx of patients that
wouldkoccur if coronavirus becomes more prevalent.This would not only mean lives lost of people
infected with the virus, but our kupuna would not be able to get the care they need.
We are extremely limited in resources, including physicians, nurses, hospital beds, ICU beds,ventilators,
personal protective equipment, and all of the other personnel&equipment necessary to provide care.
On the Big Island we have 24 ICU beds and 39 ventilators. Most&sometimes all of our ICU beds are
already full with the island's sickest people!
Approximately 15%of Covid cases are severe.This means that once we have a few hundred cases on
island our hospitals will be overwhelmed. In Italy they are having to ration ventilators, picking who will
live&who will die. We want to avoid that tragedy on BigIsland. We need our leaders toprotect us,to
g Y
protect our kupuna, and to protect our sick and our weak.
If we do not shut down travel to Hawaii,the corona virus WILL occur in larger numbers.The question is
not if but when. It's not too late to protect this island, but action needs to be taken now. Everything
needs to be canceled, everyone needs to stay home, and tourism needs to stop.The virus can't spread if
everyone is at home-it will die out. Lockdown is coming one way or another.The question is how many
people have to get sick before we go to lockdown? Do you want to have a functioning medical system
when we do?We are all in this together. Let's take action now we can be proud of later.
Mahalo for your time,
Lauren Kish, RN
•
ISComm. No. M'14
Ref. To: V I aM.
Ref. Date MAR 2 0 2020