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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2020-57, Draft 1COUNTY COUNCIL COUNTY OF KAUA'I l\,esolution No. 2020-57, Draft 1 RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE OF HAWAI'I TO ADOPT A REVISED SAFE REOPENING PLAN FOR KAUA'I COUNTY DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) PANDEMIC WHEREAS, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is threatening the health and economic well-being of Hawai'i in ways unimagined; and WHEREAS, science-based public health policies and virus-proof implementation of those policies by government, as well as community adherence to those policies related to individual and group behavior, provide the safest and quickest path to controlling the spread of COVID-19, which will assist in economic revitalization for all; and WHEREAS, the single pre-test currently used to screen arrivals to Kaua'i has allowed undetected infected people onto the island at numbers far exceeding the State's projections; and WHEREAS, the single pre-test plan has resulted in a more rapid rise in cases on Kaua'i in just the past 30 days than we have had since the pandemic began; and WHEREAS, the following incoming travelers are entering the State of Hawai'i infected, but not detected under the 1-test plan: 1. Infected travelers who are infected at the time of the test, but whose viral levels are not yet high enough to register positive on a test; 2. Travelers who get infected between the test and time of boarding the plane; 3. Travelers who become infected on the plane; and 4. Infected travelers who did not take a test, and would be subject to the quarantine, but intended to break the quarantine; and WHEREAS, projections published are estimating that 1% of the United States' population may now be in the pre-infectious stage and it is known that virtually all of those persons in the pre-infectious stage will be missed by a single pre-test; and WHEREAS, those additional cases, when added to infections already in the community, will cause untold harm to the people and economy of Hawai'i, potentially overwhelming the State's already challenged health care resources, especially on the neighbor islands, and leading to ill health, loss of life, suppression of the non-tourism economy, disruption of every aspect of life in Hawai'i, another shutdown and economic disaster; and 1 WHEREAS, opening schools is vital to the economy and the well-being of our students and parents, it is clear that a surge in cases will force us to close schools again; and WHEREAS, the World Health Organization's guidelines for resuming travel states, that when a departure location "is experiencing a more intense transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus than the country of arrival, the risk of adversely affecting the epidemiological situation in the country of arrival is higher;" and WHEREAS, the mainland United States has among the world's highest transmission rates of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the County of Kaua'i has among the lowest; and WHEREAS, the World Health Organization's guidelines for resuming travel urges governments to consider whether the health system is able to cope with a resurgence of SARS-CoV-2; and WHEREAS, the County of Kaua'i has 9 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 15 ventilators; and WHEREAS, a 2-test plan with a shortened quarantine will dramatically reduce infection rates; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA'I, STATE OF HAWAI'I, that the Kaua'i County Council strongly and respectfully urges Governor David Y. Ige and Lieutenant Governor Josh Green to abandon the 1-test plan as it is unsafe and damaging to Hawai'i's economy. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kaua'i County Council strongly urges Governor David Y. Ige to adopt the proposed science-based 2-test polymerase chain reaction (PCR) plan or a proven science-based multi-test antigen plan and take the time to develop a comprehensive defense against entry of COVID-19 into the State. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kaua'i County Council requests and supports Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami's advocacy for a 2-test plan, where visitors pay for the second test at their own expense, with an enforced quarantine before they take the second test, regardless of what opening strategy the rest of the State employs. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County of Kaua'i supports Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami in completely opting out of the State's single pre-test requirement and return to the 14-day quarantine for all arrivals until a science-based 2-test PCR plan or a proven science-based multi-test antigen plan is adopted. 2 BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the County Clerk shall forward a copy of this Resolution to Governor David Y. Ige, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi, House Speaker Scott K. Saiki, Representative Nadine K. Nakamura, Representative Daynette "Dee" Morikawa, Representative James Kunane Tokioka, County of Kaua'i Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami; City and County of Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell; County of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino; County of Hawai'i Mayor Harry Kim; and all Council Chairpersons and Councilmembers in the State of Hawai'i. Introduced by: /s/ MASON K. CHOCK /s/ LUKE A. EVSLIN V:\RESOLUTIONS\2018-2020 TERM\Resolution No. 2020-57 Draft 1 MC_LE_AAO_ks.doc ~ve jjlav ~run QCbock X QColtlben X QEl:J.slin X Jkagaltla X Jkane.sbiro X Jkuali'i X 'Q]';otal 6 0 Ql::xcu5eb l\ecu5eb X* 1* 0 QCertffftate c9f aboptfon We berebp certifp tbat l\e.solution .1llo. 2020-57, Draft 1 was abopteb bp tbe QCouncil of tbe QCountp of Jkaua'i, $tate of Ti)altlai'i, J!Tbu'e, Jkaua'i, Ti)altlai'i, on November 25. 2020. Ccii--- QCountp QCler k lJ.Bateb November 25, 2020 3 *Beginning with the March 11, 2020 Council Meeting and until further notice, Councilmember Arthur Brun will not be present due to U.S. v. Arthur Brun et al., Cr. No. 20-00024-DKW (United States District Court), and therefore will be noted as excused (i.e., not present).