HONOLULU (Eagle News) – The City and County of Honolulu teamed up with the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii Consortium in hosting an event to offer free COVID-19 testing to restaurant workers and food service industry workers throughout Oahu.
The event took place on Tuesday, March 9, both at the city government’s mobile laboratory at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and at the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel in Waikīkī. Upwards of 15,000 test kits were made available.
Testing officials used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mid-turbinate test, which they considered as an industry “gold-standard” that provided results to participants within six hours.
“Our restaurant industry has been really hammered but was there for us throughout this pandemic, transitioning to delivery and curbside or contactless pickup,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “This is an easy way we can be there for them, by providing free COVID-19 testing.”
Mayor Blangiardi added, “With the detection of new COVID-19 variants here on Oahu, and until enough of our island is vaccinated, keeping everyone in the City and County of Honolulu safe is our top priority. Testing plays a big role in that effort. Continuing to prevent the spread of this virus is one of the best ways we can get more of this industry back to work and flourishing again.”
“This partnership between our local restaurant and food service industries, the City and County of Honolulu, and the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii Consortium will provide another layer of protection from the spread of COVID-19,” said Sherry Menor-McNamara, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. “We want our economy to continue to recover and eventually thrive, and this partnership will help continue the local economy’s forward momentum.”
Beginning this week, kūpuna (senior citizens) aged 70 and above can sign up to receive free COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH).
“We are excited to be ahead of schedule and pleased that we can now provide another layer of protection to this vulnerable population,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char.
Previously, the vaccines were reserved for healthcare workers, those in long-term care facilities, frontline essential workers, and kūpuna aged 75 and older.
“We have vaccinated enough people in those groups that we are able to open eligibility to everyone 70 and above. We will closely monitor how quickly vaccines are used and may open to people age 65 and up and those in phase 1c in a couple of weeks,” Char said.
Meanwhile, weekly vaccine allotments to the Aloha State have increased from about 40,000 doses a month ago to this week’s allotment of more than 67,000 doses. The said increase and the recent federal government’s authorization allowing use of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to accelerate the vaccination schedule statewide.
“We must still wait our turn as our elders and frontline essential workers continue to be vaccinated, but we are thrilled others in our community will soon have access to these life-saving vaccines,” Char concluded.
Eligible residents can register online at the DOH website https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccination-registration/.
(Eagle News Service)