State briefs for April 19
Agencies monitoring wastewater for COVID-19
HONOLULU (AP) — Federal authorities have begun monitoring Hawaii wastewater for COVID-19, while the state expects its own monitoring program to be fully operational this summer, officials said.
ADVERTISING
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been testing in the islands as part of its National Wastewater Surveillance System.
The agency posts wastewater data on its COVID Data Tracker website, denoted by dots on a U.S. map. Data from Hawaii hasn’t been included yet due to “a technical glitch being resolved with how the points are displayed on the map,” said CDC spokesperson Nick Spinelli.
The agency said it would also display data from the Hawaii Department of Health once the state is able to submit its own figures.
More than 30 states have been funded to participate in the CDC program, but some are still getting their collection efforts up and running.
Several issues delayed Hawaii’s early plans to set up its own statewide monitoring program.
The state faced a six-month wait for shipment of sample-collection machines, which were back-ordered due to high demand.
Federal funds paid for the monitoring equipment at a cost of about $100,000. The equipment is now in place, as are protocols.
The CDC says many people infected with COVID-19 shed viral ribonucleic acid or RNA in their feces even if they are asymptomatic. This means wastewater provides a collective snapshot of what’s going on in a community, regardless of whether people have developed symptoms or been tested.
US territory Guam lifts outdoor mask mandate
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Masks are no longer required outdoors in Guam, a U.S. territory.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced by video Monday that starting Tuesday, the outdoor mask mandate would be lifted, along with size limits on social gatherings and requirements for social distancing.
Masks were still required indoors, but the governor said she hopes to lift that mandate on May 3 if low rates of transmission and hospitalizations continue.
Lifting restrictions doesn’t mean the coronavirus pandemic is over, she said.
“To those of you who wish to continue the practice of wearing masks outdoors, and observe your own social gathering and social distancing preferences, whether in your businesses or your homes, I encourage you to do so, based on your circumstances and comfort level,” the governor said.
