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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0843.233 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK COUNTY OF HAWAII RECEIVED Time 1:41-01A By Fri 3/20/2020 9:42 AM Date MAR 2 2020 Concerns over COVID-19 response in Hawaii County To: Council Testimony Aloha, I sent the following message to the Mayor's office yesterday,but in light of this emergency city council meeting, I would like to share my concerns with you as well: Mayor Kim and county officials, I am extremely concerned at the Mayor's response to the coronavirus outbreak. I am most concerned about the fact the Mayor's actions differ starkly from the prevention measures being taken on other islands and on the mainland. I believe we need to be united in our prevention measures and work together across all islands to prevent further spread of COVID-19. What also concerns me greatly is the very real possibility that, without more proactive prevention measures, this outbreak will quickly overwhelm our island's already very strained healthcare system resources. We are already in the midst of a physician shortage. If we do not stern the tide of this outbreak, and do our best to spread out the frequency of cases, we simply will not have the resources to provide care to everyone that needs it. And, for our island's kapuna, this is incredibly worrisome. Doctors in Italy, Europe and some areas on the mainland are already having to make very difficult decisions about who gets care - I would hate to see our island's physicians and healthcare workers faced with this type of harrowing challenge. Mayor Kim and City Council Members, please heed the warnings from the healthcare community. While the economy of our island is indeed a very big factor here, the health, wellness and lives of our kapuna and our residents matter more. Our economy will recover, but our citizens may not, if more decisive action to prevent the spread of the virus is not taken. Please follow in the footsteps of the mayors of Kauai and Oahu. Order the closure of non- ' essential businesses and encourage individuals to socially distance, shelter in place, or quarantine. The health and lives of our island's residents depend on it. I would like to add to the above letter that I have family in Illinois and have been anxiously watching as state officials there work to put increasingly strict shelter and lockdown orders in place. Bars and restaurants were sweepingly closed there last week, and now residents are being ordered to shelter in place as the number of cases continues to explode in that state. Southwest Airlines just announced that they will be ceasing all travel out of Midway airport, their main Chicago travel hub. This should be distressing, but should send a message of how serious the outbreak is getting in mainland areas - Hawaii is not far behind, especially as we continue to allow tourists from hotspot outbreak areas into our islands. Comm. N �o • `IM fi Ref. To: l Loud Ref. Date MAR 2 0 2020 • Our state needs to shore up its effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus before it is too late. Mayor Kim and our City Council Officials, please quell the rising concerns of residents in our communities, and send the message that our continued health is more important than 9 P tourist dollars. We are currently seeing on the mainland that it is not a matter of if more preventive measures, closures and lock down orders will be required - but when. Hawaii county needs to work quickly to protect its citizens and its already strained healthcare resources. Thank you for your consideration. - Jessica Wells Kona Resident