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COUNTY COUNCIL OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK
Arryl Kaneshiro, Chair
Ross Kagawa, Vice Chair Jade K. Fountain-Tanigawa, County Clerk
Arthur Brun Scott K. Sato, Deputy County Clerk
Mason K. Chock
Felicia Cowden
Luke A. Evslin Telephone: (808) 241-4188
KipuKai Kuali‘i Facsimile: (808) 241-6349
E-mail: cokcouncil@kauai.gov
Council Services Division
4396 Rice Street, Suite 209
Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i 96766
October 9, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Arryl Kaneshiro, Council Chair
Phone: (808) 241-4188
KAUA‘I COUNTY COUNCIL UNIFIED IN SUPPORT OF MAYOR KAWAKAMI
AND URGES GOVERNOR IGE TO RECONSIDER A TWO-TEST PLAN FOR THE
REOPENING OF THE COUNTY OF KAUA‘I, STATE OF HAWAI‘I
LĪHU‘E, HAWAI‘I: The Kaua‘i County Council stands in support of Mayor Derek S.K.
Kawakami’s request to Governor David Y. Ige to reconsider a two-test plan for
transpacific travelers for the scheduled reopening of the County of Kaua‘i on
October 15, 2020. Public health officials have expressed alarm that a single test will
miss at least 30% of travelers infected with COVID-19, which could result in three
positive cases per 1,000 visitors. The addition of a second test after a shortened
quarantine would help pick up many of the positive cases that were too early in their
incubation period to be detected under the first test.
On October 5, 2020, Governor Ige denied Mayor Kawakami’s request for a
two-test plan for all incoming transpacific and interisland travelers to the County of
Kaua‘i. This request would have allowed all travelers to forgo the 14-day mandatory
quarantine if the two tests yielded a negative COVID-19 result.
State officials announced yesterday that they are committing instead to a
“surveillance testing program,” which would randomly select 10% of travelers to take a
State-funded second test, four days upon arrival.
The Council sees the importance of administering a two -test plan for incoming
travelers to keep COVID-19 case counts low and minimize the chances for another
economic shut down, and shares the views stated by Dr. Libby Char, Director of the
Hawai‘i Department of Health: “The science currently dictates that more layers of
protection, such as more testing, is safer than less testing. While the Safe Travels
program adds a greater layer of safety, DOH supports additional testing for travelers
entering our state and a second test should be added as soon as testing supplies and
logistics make this feasible. The Department of Health will continue to advocate for this
additional layer of protection as the situation evolves in Hawai‘i and new tests and new
information become available.”
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The Kaua‘i County Council stands united in support of Mayor Kawakami and
urges Governor Ige to reconsider Mayor Kawakami’s request for a two -test plan for
reopening the County of Kaua‘i.
For more information, contact the Office of the County Clerk, Council Services
Division, at (808) 241-4188.
-pau-