LIHU‘E — The County of Kaua‘i has secured 15,000 rapid, same-day COVID-19 tests to implement a second-test program for trans-Pacific and interisland travelers when the state reopens to visitors Oct. 15.
However, the county is still awaiting approval for this program from the state.
On Sept. 24, the county asked for Gov. David Ige’s approval to require travelers to take a rapid COVID-19 test “no sooner than 72 hours after arrival.”
The state will allow mainland travelers to avoid the 14-day quarantine by providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival, beginning Oct. 15. This plan neglects interisland travelers, and does not allow those residents or visitors to shorten or avoid the two-week quarantine, which Mayor Derek Kawakami said appears to “prioritize our visitors first.”
“We are not convinced that this program will provide enough protection given Kaua‘i’s unique health capacity needs,”Kawakami said Friday.
The county has a “limited medical capacity,” Kawakami said, which includes just nine intensive-care-unit beds. Often, medical needs need to be met by utilizing neighbor island facilities.
The county’s plan puts travelers, residents and tourists on the same field by offering the rapid test on Kaua‘i.
“Upon a negative test result, these travelers would be released from quarantine,” he said.
Kawakami said that since the county bought these tests outright, it will not take away testing from local capacity.
“The County of Kaua‘i is committed to ensuring the adequate rapid-testing capacity is in place for the first few weeks of the program, to get it up and running,” he said. “But we anticipate that this additional requirement will open a new market on Kaua‘i for rapid-testing mechanisms.”
The county still has two active cases, with a cumulative case count of 59.
The Kaua‘i Police Department is monitoring about 1,800 people, most being residents who traveled off-island.
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
For 7 months the state has required travelers to quarantine for 14 days. Now the mayor wants to require travelers to quarantine for just 3 days then get a negative rapid COVID test. Why 3 days and not 2, 5 or ??? Actually sounds like a good idea if it had been implemented back in March instead of the 14 day quarantine it would have saved the state much economic and societal damage. But now is not the time. The mayor’s plan would destroy the uniformity of the states plan to go into effect on October 15. Clearly the mayor’s plan flows from the irrational mind set that we must stop coronavirus on the island at ANY cost, a mind set that thinks even one case is too many.
According to the mayor’s video update on Friday there are approximately 1800 people in quarantine being watched by KPD. And we only have 2 positives, that we know of because they exhibit symptoms which are mild enough to not require hospitalization. Why hasn’t the mayor been willing to offer his stash of 15,000 rapid tests for those returning and are in quarantine? Why hasn’t he offered the test to long term health facilities? Why hasn’t he offered them to schools?
Considering we have 1,800 residents in quarantine already how long does he think the 15,000 tests will last?
Perhaps Kawanazi is too concerned about offering Kauai to the elite, “We don’t want to be a budget destination,”- TGI 9.20.20
Why hasn’t the mayor set up more intensive care hospital beds in the last 6 months? How much of our tax dollars got spent on 15,000 covid tests? How much money is our Mayor planning to make off completely destroying our local economy? It’s the local wealthy families like his that are fitting to profit from economic collapse here. The mayor and his rich mainland business associates plan to buy up all your homes and businesses on the cheap and turn around and sell them for profit to mainlanders. End this travel ban , we need jobs, we need money , we need food. This isn’t sustainable , we can’t hide forever? How long will we live like this. Give us freedom! Our mayor and governor aren’t protecting us they are destroying our future. End this criminal quarantine. End this non sensical mandate. Give us freedom. There’s nothing to fear except these crooked politicians.
Fear does not stop death. It stops life. And worrying does not take away tomorrows troubles. It takes away today’s peace.
So it follows that J.D. believes no one should ever buy insurance or make plans for life’s eventualities.
Hopefully the Governor listens to this 2 test request from Mayer Kawakami. It could save us many new cases and even some lives.
The mayors second test BS will surely drive away tourists. There are plenty of vacation places throughout the world that don’t require double tests and the hassles you create for tourists will surely drive them elsewhere. You can give people fifty tests and there is still the chance someone will have COVID-19 to spread across the entire island. Stop the fearmongering and biting the hands that feed us. Nothing proposed is going to be a for sure solution so stop the guessing about what works and what won’t work.
If it is a choice between a 14 day quarantine and a second test after only 3 days, you still prefer the 14 day quarantine?
How about some CLARIFICATION? Do some digging and provide real honest and complete answers.
Are you saying that those traveling inter-island will NOT be required to take a pre-flight test?
Are you implying that ALL arrivals to Kauai might be required to take a rapid Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arrival to Kauai?
Will all arrivals to Kauai be required to stay in quarantine until the second test results are received?
Will arrivals be limited to WHERE they can quarantine until the secondary test results are in?
How long does the County feel that these 15,000 tests will last?
Is there a plan to supplement these tests when the first 15,000 run out?
Why is the County paying for these tests, and at what cost? Is there no plan to charge the test recipients for the secondary test and, if so, why not?
WHEN WILL YOU KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS? PLEASE PROVIDE REAL ANSWERS TO REAL QUESTIONS. THIS AFFECTS US ALL.
15,000?
That is laughable!
That won’t be enough for half a day!
This is good so now what bubble will they be in while they wait? If you let people leave the airport this is still not good enough unless we have the manpower to track these folks and I don’t think that is the case.
What’s the back-up plan for hospital needs once we open & have reached capacity? KPD monitoring 1800 people currently & we’re not even open yet?
The President has proven that we can test negative one day & positive the next.
What is the master plan for mass casualty incidents? It’s not IF but WHEN & KI residents deserve better than “fingers crossed” management.
Clearly the Mayor has demonstrated that he has little understanding about the travel industry. If he did, he would realize how ill conceived this idea is. We should have known when he made the comments about Kauai, that it should not be a “budget traveler destination”. At best, it is economic discrimination to make those type of statements. There is also a certain amount arrogance and elitism as well.
As I have said many times, I feel safer being around a visitor who has been tested, than around all my fellow residents who have not. I also feel safer with a traveler from the mainland, at the moment, than a traveler from Oahu.
The Mayor should take his cue from the Lt Governor, who all along has led with common sense solutions. Many people in Kauai need to go back to work, because living on unemployment is not going to make it. It is shameful that thousands of people, who are out of work, have not even received their unemployment checks. There are a lot of better ideas for those 15,000 tests. Protect our children so they can get back to safe, in class education. Provide teachers with the testing they deserve.There is no substitute for that.
The Mayor needs to get his priorities straight, and another test is no one of them.
Our lieutenant governor Doctor Josh Green has said multiple times that a second test is not necessary yet mayor Kawakami who is not a doctor insists on a second test. I think our mayor has alterior motives. $$$
John. Forrest. My wife and I have been coming to Kauai for 23 years spending at least$200,000 to support your economy. We have a 15 day trip planned for October 18, however we will change our trip to Maui or Hawaii if the 3 day quarantine and test is implemented.
We love coming to Kauai, and have been vacationing here for 25 years. I used to want to live here but no more.
This year we have already had to reschedule our trip 3 times. We have been very careful to avoid sick people and remain virus free.
We are willing to get a Covid test within 3 days of coming to the island, but now having to quarantine for another 3 or more days after we arrive is too much! Where we stay? Will we be able to stay in the resort we have already paid for? Can we go to any beach? This is ridiculous!!!
I guess we will just have to go somewhere else. Somewhere that is not paranoid. Your county mayor is being overly protective! I want to make sure my tourist dollars do not fund him. And I want to make sure my federal tax dollars aren’t used to bail out Kauai due to their exclusionist policy against their major revenue source, tourists!
So confusing! I almost booked a flight to Kauai to visit family there – now will maybe have to isolate somewhere else for 3 days??? And where would that be – a hotel at my expense? This is nonsense – like others said, it would have been a good idea 5 months ago, but not now.
How is a person in quarantine supposed to get a second test? Will a lab technologist come to each home or hotel? Or will the person in quarantine be allowed “out” for the purpose of the test?
Which lab is performing this test, please provide details of their CLIA status, unless it’s a public health lab.
The close minded elitism of the mayor is surreal. First of all he never explains how the statewide program of pre-flight testing for mainlanders is inadequate. Second he totally ignores the draconian effect his “add on” scheme will have on potential tourists. Who the hell is going to come here for a week if they have spend the first three days of their “vacation” in isolation. How are they going to get tested when the 15,000 rapid tests run out; where are they going to go to do so? He’s giving a big middle finger to the tourism industry as if his ethnic and geographic purity is all that counts. This is disgusting. If Kauai wants to go back t the island it was 100 years ago the mayor should just so so that visitors never come again the resorts and shops and restaurants and tour companies can close forever. He’s already halfway there. IDIOT.
How will a resort bubble or quarantine help the local family owned shops?
Really, any one thing has to solve all of your problems at once?
People get to stay employed at the resorts, they and their families then spend money elsewhere on the island. Is it a return to what things were a year ago? Of course not. Will it help? Even a little?
Mayor Kawakami wants us to open, and stay open.
He knows if we completely open up with a single test and no quarantine, we’ll likely soon be locking back down. The science and math are clear.
By being careful and proactive, he has gotten us to a point where, here on Kauai, we are the only island that can safely send our kids back to school.
So now there remains one question. On what day do we do the 2nd test?
If we do the 2nd test on day 3, the science is clear we’ll miss almost all infected in transit here. If we do the test on day 7, we’ll catch almost all of them.
If we’re wise, on October 15 we will open and cut our quarantine in half. It is a prudent first step. With this step, we get our sea-legs, we see what works, we get data and learn how to proceed.
Then, we can slowly reduce quarantine further and more will come.
Dancing Derek is completely out of touch with people that actually work for a living.
If only his brain was as large as his ego.