HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.208 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RECEMED
Time 1:55 001 BY erg
Fri 3/20/2020 7:53 AM Date VAR 2 0 2020
Hawai'i County COVID-19 Response
To: Council Testimony
Aloha,
Thank you for calling this meeting and for considering public testimony.
I send this email to ask that you please reconsider the Mayor's guidance and response to the COVID-
19 outbreak.
The County's willingness to put workers' lives and the public at risk by not following state or federal
guidance is difficult to understand. Schools are closed. The Universities have gone to predominantly
telework.Federal offices have gone to telework. City and county offices on other islands have gone
to predominantly telework. Bars and restaurants have closed to takeout only. A curfew has been
implemented. These things are happening all across the state to protect the folks who live and work
here.
The fact that Hawai`i Island appears to be the only island whose leadership does not seem to
understand the risk puts all of us,but most especially the vulnerable--our kupuna and others with
compromised immune systems--at risk.
My son is 9 and has a compromised immune system and other health needs that impact his breathing.
My husband works for the county and intends to continue to go.to the office on a daily basis as a
result of the statement that all county workers are essential employees. Every day I worry that his
going to work will make our son sick and perhaps cost his life.
People don't want to stop working. We simply ask that you treat the people who live and work here
as valuable as tourists—don't put other peoples' lives at risk simply to make tourists have easy access
to restaurants and entertainment. Our health care system on this island simply does not have the
capacity to handle a widespread outbreak. I have read that we only have 24 ICU beds and 39
ventilators on Island. That will be woefully inadequate in the event of an outbreak.
PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. PLEASE follow the lead of our colleagues across the state, and
look to those across the country who are taking bold moves to limit and stop the spread. Stop tourism
•or quarantine visitors first. Close restaurants and bars other than for takeout. Limit the hours other
businesses are open. Require telework except for truly essential/critical employees.
The number of cases will only increase as our capacity to test for the virus increases. Why wait? To
borrow from Civil Defense, "Turn around. Don't drown." This can be turned around now. Thank
you for taking the time to read this, and I thank you in advance for choosing to listen to the people
and make the right decision.
Sincerely,
Jennifer L Stotter, PhD
Comm. Not ULteb 1015
Ref. To: p1
Ref. Dote MAR 2 0 2020