All Prior Cases of COVID-19 at Hale Makua are Now Negative

All prior cases of COVID-19 at Hale Makua Health Services are now negative as of today, May 18, 2020.

An asymptomatic resident who had tested positive has since received two consecutive test results showing they are negative for COVID-19.

As for the two home health cases, one client has been released from isolation and had recovered in April; and the other client has recently received two negative COVID-19 tests so has been released from quarantine as well.

Hale Makua has not had any further COVID-19 cases and do not have any tests pending at this time.

Hale Makua reports that it tested a total of 59 residents and 82 staff for COVID-19 and all have returned negative.

“Understanding that our kupuna residents are at the highest risk, our first priority has been, and will continue to be the safety of our residents and staff,” according to Hale Makua.  “For that reason, Hale Makua initiated screening, visitor restrictions and increased cleaning protocols in early March. These protocols are currently still in place and will continue. Hale Makua is closely following all Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi guidelines and will not reopen facilities to visitors until it is safe to do so.”

Precautions at Hale Makua continue for residents and the facility does not plan to reopen to visitors “until it is safe to do so.”

In the interim, precautions that remain in place include the following:

• Staff and vendors are screened for respiratory symptoms and/or fever prior to entering the campuses since early March.
• All new admissions have been admitted into an isolated wing in Kahului since March 23.
• All employees are required to wear face masks and appropriate PPE at all times.
• Visitors have been prohibited, except in certain circumstances deemed appropriate by an Administrator. Creative ways to keep residents in touch with loved ones have been implemented.
• Employees who work in other healthcare settings are temperature checked at the start and end of shift, in addition to wearing personal protective equipment throughout their shift.
• High touch surfaces are wiped down frequently.

In addition, we have a separate set of guidelines for our Home Health staff and clients.