Here’s a brief look at other coronavirus-related news from throughout Hawaii:
State paid more than $800M in benefits
The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on Wednesday announced that 88% of valid unemployment claims statewide since the start of the COVID-19 shutdown have been processed and paid.
The department also said the state has issued more than $803 million in benefits since March 1.
The DLIR said 228,367 claims were filed statewide, 130,536 of which have been paid.
More than 65,000 claims were deemed invalid and 17,652 claims were still awaiting action by the DLIR as of Tuesday.
“Our unemployment insurance operations continue to evolve as we work to address the remaining claims as well as the newly filed claims more strategically and quickly,” said DLIR Deputy Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio. “We are very grateful of all the state employees that have volunteered to help with this unprecedented situation as well as our hard-working DLIR staff.”
Contact tracing effort ramps up
Nearly 1,400 people have signed up for contact tracing training at the University of Hawaii, according to state Department of Health Director Bruce Anderson.
DOH currently has 60 full-time staff who work on contact tracing, and the target is to have an additional 320 health professionals trained by mid-July.
“Together, this will ensure surge capacity for the department in the event the number of cases increases beyond our staffing,” Anderson said. “We feel confident the state will have the capacity to manage any surge in COVID-19 cases, but also remind everyone that keeping the spread under control is critical.”
