Second Member of Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s Security Detail Tests Positive for COVID-19

A second deputy sheriff assigned to Lieutenant Governor Josh Green’s security detail has tested positive for COVID-19. The deputy last worked on Sept. 10, 2020.

As of Sunday, Sept. 13, the two deputy sheriffs and Lt. Gov. Green are the only confirmed positive cases in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. All three are in isolation and following Hawaiʻi Department of Health guidance.

The lieutenant governor’s team received notification of the first deputy sheriff’s positive test result on Friday morning, Sept. 11 at 9 a.m. Employees were sent home, and Lt. Gov. Green was tested and received a positive COVID-19 result Friday evening. The team immediately began working with DOH for guidance.

The remaining 11 office employees have been contacted by DOH investigators, are following their guidance and quarantining. All employees have been tested. One test result was negative and the others are pending results.

Additionally, members of the media Lt. Gov. Green met with on the morning of Fri., Sept. 11, prior to notification of the first positive result, have been contacted by DOH investigators for guidance.

The Lieutenant Governor’s office was cleaned on Sat., Sept. 11. Cleaning services were coordinated by the Department of Accounting and General Services. The office is closed until further notice and no employees are allowed to enter the office until cleared by DOH investigators.

Office administrative functions, including name changes, apostilles, administrative rules and repository (sale of publications, session laws, etc.), will be suspended until administrative team members can return to the office. Phone calls to the office will be monitored remotely.

Executive functions for Lt. Gov. Green, including work surrounding his role in the COVID-19 pandemic response, will continue as team members telework. Lt. Gov. Green plans to continue his work duties while isolating in a bedroom in his home.

He has been posting daily updates to his Instagram account and said he feels tired and has a little bit of a cough on the third day after testing positive.  The isolation, he said, is the most challenging at this point so far, but he noted that everyone experiences the virus differently.  He said his family had been tested and was expected to get test results sometime today.