Issues & Advisories

Learn more and protect yourself

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Current Situation
Impact in Hawaii
What can I do?
Resources
Information for Clinicians

Last Updated on March 16, 2020

Current Situation

Update: As COVID-19 spreads globally and now nationally, we are detecting more cases introduced into our state by both visitors and residents alike. While we do not yet have an indication of community transmission, these introductions are concerning, and each represents an opportunity for COVID-19 to spread in our state. Now is the time for everyone in our community to practice social distancing (i.e., maintain at least 6 ft distance or 2 arm’s length, whichever is longer, from others) to protect especially those who are most vulnerable in our community. If you get sick, please stay home—get rest, drink plenty of fluids, and get better. If you are older or have an underlying medical condition and become ill, call your doctor.

An outbreak of a new coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) that began in Wuhan, China has been developing since December 2019. This outbreak now includes over 100,000 cases globally and has become widespread in a number of countries.

The virus is primarily spread by prolonged close contact when respiratory droplets from an infected person pass to an uninfected person. The symptoms of the disease can include fever, cough or shortness of breath. There is no vaccine for the disease and no specific treatment besides supportive care. The best way to prevent the disease from spreading is to practice good hygiene (e.g., washing your hands and covering your cough) and social distancing (i.e., reducing the potential for close contact between people who are sick and people who are healthy).

If you become ill with a fever or cough, and have recently left an area having widespread community transmission of COVID-19 or have had prolonged close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19:

Stay home and avoid contact with others.
If you think you may need medical care, try to call ahead to the doctor’s office or an emergency room and let them know about your symptoms and travel or contact history.
If you need immediate medical care, call 911.

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you prefer to speak to someone about COVID-19 you can call Aloha United Way at 2-1-1.

Trained operators are available from 7am – 10pm to answer all COVID-19 questions.

Cases in Hawaii:

There have been 10 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is urging all residents to prepare for the possibility that COVID-19 will spread in our communities (see ‘What Can I Do?’, below).

Cases in the US:

As of 9:30 AM, March 16, 2020 there have been 3,487 total cases detected in 49 of 50 states (and 4 other US jurisdictions) through public health surveillance systems. This represents an increase of 1,858 cases over a 3-day period.

(Note: Numbers are updated once daily Monday through Friday from official CDC counts and may differ from media counts as new cases are identified by local jurisdictions.)

Worldwide Cases:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in a number of other countries and the situation is changing rapidly.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is urging all residents to avoid travel to areas with a high burden of the disease and reconsider any travel if you are elderly or have underlying medical conditions.

If you are considering international travel, check CDC’s Travelers’ Health website for country-specific health information and alerts and the U.S. State Department Travel website for travel restrictions that may affect your itinerary.

Impact in Hawaii

HDOH is expanding existing statewide influenza surveillance to include testing for COVID-19 to identify cases of community spread of the new coronavirus. For more information see: COVID-19 Sentinel Surveillance.

Screening is being conducted at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) by federal authorities to identify travelers from countries with restrictions that require quarantine or public health supervision.

Anyone arriving in Hawaii after having having traveled to areas with widespread sustained community transmission is being asked to stay home and monitor their health for 14 days from the time they left the affected area.

What can I do?

Protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Prepare for what to do if COVID-19 becomes widespread in our communities.

Protect – Following everyday preventive actions can prevent or slow down the spread of respiratory illness in the community:

Stay home if you start to feel ill
Wash your hands often

- Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Cover your coughs and sneezes

- Use a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
- If you don’t have a tissue, use your elbow

Clean and disinfect

- Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household
  cleaning spray or wipe.
Get the flu shot
- People with seasonal influenza will exhibit similar signs and symptoms as COVID-19 (fever and cough). If more people are protected against influenza, this will reduce confusion and the burden on our healthcare system.

Prepare – You can prepare now for a potential outbreak of COVID-19 in Hawaii:

Stock up on all prescription medications and other basic household items like food and cleaning products so you can care for yourself and your family at home if someone becomes ill. Supplies of these items may be affected in the event of a pandemic. Anyone who becomes ill and who is a household contact of someone who is ill should stay home and avoid social contact as much as possible.
Plan for the possibility of school closures, cancelled events and activities.
Consider talking to your employer about your organization’s strategies for preventing the spread of illness in the workplace (e.g., alternative scheduling, telecommuting, online meetings).
Consider practicing basic social distancing measures like limiting your time spent around large groups and avoiding unnecessary close contact with people (e.g., handshakes, aloha kiss).

If you are planning on traveling, you should stay informed of the latest travel alerts and information related to COVID-19 for the area you are traveling to. Additionally, CDC recommends that all persons should defer any travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide because of the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission onboard ships.

Travelers from areas where there is confirmed widespread community transmission should:

Self-monitor their health for 14 days after they left that location
- Watch your health, and if you have a thermometer, take your temperature 2 times a day
Remain at home and practice social distancing
- Avoid large gatherings
- Maintain a distance of approximately 6 feet from others as much as possible

If you become ill with a fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or cough, and have recently left an area having widespread community transmission of COVID-19 or have had prolonged close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19:

Stay home and avoid contact with others except for seeking medical care.
If you need medical care, call ahead to your doctor’s office or an emergency room and let them know about your travel history. If you need emergent medical care, call 911.
If you have difficulty accessing medical care or have questions about how to care for yourself at home, call HDOH at (808) 586-4586.

What HDOH is doing

Vigilance and Monitoring

We are actively working to detect potential cases of COVID-19 as early as possible by monitoring our disease surveillance systems to identify persons that require investigation and testing and are reviewing internal protocols to ensure proper management of cases.
We are working with our federal airport partners (U.S. Customs and Border Protections and CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine) who are performing enhanced screening to identify travelers returning from China. Our disease investigation staff are actively monitoring these individuals with daily phone calls to record their temperature and confirm that they are avoiding contact with the public.
We are in constant communication with the CDC, public health partners in other jurisdictions, and our local legislators and state officials to ensure Hawaii is aware of new developments in the COVID-19 outbreak.
Over the past 15 years we have been developing and refining our respiratory disease surveillance systems following CDC guidelines. This system includes sentinel influenza-like illness surveillance sites, virologic surveillance, pneumonia and influenza associated mortality, and cluster/outbreak investigations. We are monitoring these systems on a daily basis looking for changes that might indicate the presence of COVID-19 in Hawaii.

Preparation and Prevention

We are working with the medical community to issue Medical Advisories and Alerts and to ensure that hospitals and providers are following infection control recommendations and are prepared to detect and treat any patient with symptoms and travel history consistent with COVID-19.
We are communicating regularly with our local partners in the travel industry and schools to address their concerns and ensure the latest and most accurate guidance and information are being shared with their staff (see Workplace Guidance and Guidance for Schools and Universities below).