Live Stream: Gov. Ige Outlines How COVID-19 Has Impacted the State’s Finances

https://www.facebook.com/GovernorDavidIge/videos/292230325457418/

Governor David Ige today outlines how COVID-19 has impacted the state’s finances.  Joining him are Lieutenant Governor Josh Green with an update on the state’s healthcare system capacity and Dr. Bruce Anderson from the state Department of Health with an update on the latest case numbers.

Hawai‘i Hits Milestone of Three Months Living with Restrictions

The State recently marked a milestone of living with restrictions for over three months. At the briefing During a press briefing this afternoon, Gov. Ige said, “Your commitment has made Hawai‘i the national leader in controlling COVID-19.” However, with the recent spike in cases the governor is urging people to continue safe practices to remain the lowest in the nation for per capita transmission and the fewest fatalities. 

Hawai‘i’s Financial Report

Gov. Ige also provided updates on the state’s financial picture. During the pandemic more than 200,000 residents lost their jobs and filed for unemployment. While the state was able to keep afloat by an infusion of more than $4 billion in federal funds, he pointed out the money is drying up. The Payroll Protection Program funds, that supported thousands of Hawai‘i businesses and kept many employed, started to run out at the end of June. Additionally, those who filed for unemployment who received an additional $600 per week from the federal government will no longer receive the bonus after July 31. 

A look at the state’s finances show Hawai‘i collected $644 million in taxes in June 2019. However, in June 2020, the State will collect $483 million, a 25-percent decrease. Last fiscal year the State collected $7 billion. This year, the State is expected to collect $6.5 billion, a 7-percent drop. Gov. Ige said, “This is especially bad because as you remember, things were looking great for most of the year before the COVID-19 crisis. We went from what looked like a record year to a significant loss because of the virus.” For fiscal years 2020-21, the Council of Revenues also reduced the estimate of what the State would bring in by $2.3 billion. The governor said the challenge is now to figure out how to make up the loss. Gov. Ige said, “For that big of a loss, we are looking at all of our options. Everything is on the table. This includes trying to find more money, and, unfortunately, considering potential cuts. Our planning and decisions will be based on facts and numbers. We are facing a challenging future.” The governor said he would keepHawai‘i residents updated and that it was important to remember that this is temporary, adding, “In the short term, tourism may start to recover and help our financial situation. Looking further out, we are hopeful that a vaccine will be developed that will reduce the impact of the virus. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have faced difficult times in the past. But together we have prevailed and emerged stronger as a community.” 

Lieutenant Governor’s Office

Healthcare Capacity Still in Good Shape

Lt. Governor Josh Green gave an update on Hawai‘i’s healthcare capacity Monday, saying the State has the capacity to handle the uptick in cases it’s seen over the last few days. If we approach crisis levels, there are alert systems in place that will indicate when Hawai‘i needs to make changes. Lt. Governor Green said, “While I know everyone is focused on the increase in daily case numbers, I want to reassure everyone that we’re in good shape from a healthcare perspective. However, this is about teamwork. We absolutely need the participation of our community members to keep us in a good spot. Please wear your masks, physically distance, wash your hands, and stay home when you’re sick. Thank you for your efforts and let’s continue to keep Hawai‘i safe.” Lt. Governor Green also shared the following hospital numbers and statistics:

• 115 COVID-19 related hospitalizations (32 in June and early July)
• With 19 fatalities, Hawai‘i continues to have lowest mortality rate per 100k in the U.S.
• Hawai‘i’s recovery rate at 77%
• 85,673 people tested; 100,888 tests conducted to-date

Department of Health:

7 New Cases of COVID-19 Reported

Seven (7) new cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday by DOH. The cases include six (6) cases from O‘ahu and one (1) case on Hawai‘i Island. The DOH is also monitoring a cluster of COVID-19 cases associated with a gym in Honolulu. DOH found the gym did not have the space to properly physical distance, had poor ventilation, and lacked masks for those not exercising. The gym is now closed, and community outreach and testing activities are ongoing. 

Over the 4^th of July holiday weekend the DOH reported a total of 78 new cases: 29 cases on Friday, including one death, 24 cases on Saturday, and 25 cases on Sunday. One case was removed from Honolulu as a result of updated testing information.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 12:00 noon, July 6, 2020

* Includes cases that meet isolation release criteria.

Laboratory* Testing Data

There were 4,055 additional COVID-19 tests reported via electronic laboratory reporting since Thursday.

*Electronic Laboratory Reporting **15 test results were inconclusive

Community Spread of COVID-19 Cases Prompts Reminder About Staying Vigilant

After Hawai‘i saw an increase in cases over the past few days, the DOH is once again reminding the public to remain on guard. While some of the reported cases were identified through contact tracing, many of the newly reported lab results were not associated with known cases – meaning the virus is actively circulating in our communities and spreading. At a news briefing Monday, DOH Director Dr. Bruce Anderson said, “The rise in cases is alarming as we continue to reopen businesses and get closer to welcoming more visitors from states with higher rates of infection and large outbreaks. The single most important thing that we can all do today is wear a mask when we are outside our homes. The risk of infection at this time is particularly high on O‘ahu and we all need to be more vigilant in our daily routines to include wearing a cloth mask, practice physical distancing, and wash our hands often.” He also added, “You’ve heard us talk about ‘clusters’ and these are groups of multiple cases that have a common source. All of the recent clusters have been associated with people not wearing masks and not practicing social distancing. They have occurred in workplaces, gyms, and during social gatherings both inside and outdoors.” Dr. Anderson says DOH has more than 100 contact tracers available for surge capacity but needs the community’s support and cooperation to prevent the spread of disease.  

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority:

2,066 Passengers Arrive on Sunday

Yesterday a total of 2,066 people arrived in Hawai‘i including 580 visitors and 558 returning residents. There was a total of 27 arriving flights. During the same time last year, approximately 35,000 people arrived in Hawai‘i daily. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday but does not show interisland travel.

AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2020