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Health

COVID Cases on the Rise

Thursday, May 19th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai logged 40 new COVID-19 cases in the week between Wednesday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 11, bringing the island total to 1,017 since the pandemic began. However, that number may be significantly lower than the actual number of recent positive cases because of the increased accessibility to home tests, the results of which aren’t reported to the state, according to health officials. 

Dr. Libby Char, Hawaii Dept. of Health director, said with the rise in prevalence of home COVID tests, it’s likely that more people are taking tests at home than at testing facilities.…

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Health Center Grant to Expand Dental Care

Thursday, May 19th, 2022

Health Center Grant to Expand Dental Care

MCHC News Release

Molokai Community Health Center has received a generous grant totaling $149,988 from the Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) Foundation for the expansion of its dental services to improve the oral health of Molokai families.

Funds will be used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment including an intraoral scanner, computed tomography x-ray and motorized dental handpieces that will provide advanced dental care access to underserved residents on Molokai, while addressing the overwhelming increase in demand for oral hygiene and dentistry services island wide.

“We are grateful to HDS Foundation for supporting our efforts to expand advanced dental care for the people of Molokai,” said Helen Kekalia, CEO of Molokai Community Health Center.…

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COVID Surge Causes School Cancellations

Wednesday, May 11th, 2022

COVID Surge Causes School Cancellations

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A recent surge in COVID cases on Molokai has caused a disruption to some school classes and sports competitions. The Dept. of Health now only provides reporting on COVID case counts weekly on Wednesdays, with nine new cases reported for Molokai between Wednesday, April 17 and Wednesday, May 4, community reports suggest last week’s case numbers on Molokai were much higher. DOH officials did not respond to requests for updated Molokai counts. 

Last Sunday night, Molokai Middle School announced school closure this week, with cancellation of classes on Monday, May 10, followed by distance learning the rest of the week due to “the high number of cases among staff and students.”…

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Inspected Meat Remains Safe as bTB Outbreak Continues

Thursday, May 5th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

With concern about bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which has rapidly spread across livestock herds in central and west Molokai this year, some residents have wondered, is it safe to eat meat slaughtered on Molokai? The answer is yes. 

“The Molokai Livestock Cooperative would like to assure you, our community, that the procedures of how we handle every single animal, whether it be cattle, hogs, deer or sheep, must go through a stringent inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA,” wrote Randy Cabreros, interim manager of Molokai’s slaughterhouse, in a social media post last week.…

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Molokai TB Crisis Causes Statewide Concern

Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in decades, according to officials, and they’re worried it could spread across the state, causing a massive hit to the ranching industry. 

It has already had a huge impact on Molokai’s cattle and pig populations, and officials are still trying to determine how far it’s spread. Of four infected herds from west and central Molokai, more than 100 pigs and 60 cattle have already been depopulated, and testing is ongoing, according to the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture. More than 400 more cattle have been exposed, Jason Moniz, veterinary program manager for the animal disease control branch of the state DOA, told KHON2 last week.…

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COVID Still Circulating

Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

COVID Still Circulating

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

After a couple of months with few COVID cases, the Department of Health reported five new COVID cases on Molokai in the week between Wednesday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 13.  There have been 955 cases on Molokai since the pandemic began. Case statistics are now only available on a weekly basis from the DOH. Statewide, there were 1327 new cases during the same period. 

Masks are no longer required indoors by state mandate, though most stores on Molokai continue to recommend them. It is the decision of private businesses whether or not to continue a policy of asking customers to wear masks on premises.…

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Health Center Gets $1M

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022

Sen. Schatz News Release

Fourteen community health centers across Hawaii will receive $23,749,447 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue providing health care services to underserved communities, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced last week.

Molokai ‘Ohana Health Care, also known as the Molokai Community Health Center, will receive $1,005,059. 

“Community health centers provide quality, affordable health care to Hawaii families every day,” said Sen. Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. “This federal funding will give our health centers the resources they need to continue providing care and keep people healthy.”…

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Indoor Mask Mandate Ending

Friday, March 18th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Hawaii becomes the last state in the U.S. to lift its indoor mask mandate on March 25. Gov. David Ige announced the statewide mask requirement for inside settings will end this month. It will be the first time masks won’t be required indoors since April 2020. 

“Together, we have reduced COVID-19 in Hawaii to the point where most of us will be safe without masks indoors,” said Ige last week. “Right now, hospitalizations are trending down. Case counts are falling. We are better at treating people who are infected. Booster shots are saving lives. And the CDC has rated the state’s COVID-19 community level as ‘low.’…

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Safe Travels to End, Indoor Masks Stay

Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

The State of Hawaii took some big steps to continue ending COVID mandates last week. Gov. Ige announced the Safe Travels program, which requires vaccination proof, negative COVID test results or quarantine options upon entering the state, will end on March 25. Additionally, state and county employees will no longer be required to show vaccination status or negative test results. However, masks will continue to be required indoors, Ige said. 

The state’s current emergency period is set to end on March 25, sunsetting many of the remaining COVID requirements. Beginning at 12:01 am, Mar. 26, passengers arriving from domestic points of origin will not have to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-travel negative test result.…

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COVID Mandates, Cases Drop

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

As COVID cases have sharply declined in recent weeks, so have Maui County’s mandates surrounding the virus. The state has yet to drop indoor masking and Safe Travels requirements but Maui County lifted its requirement to show proof of vaccination or testing for indoor service at restaurants, bars and gyms as of Feb. 21. Additionally, the county reopened two of its camping sites on Molokai as well as community centers for public events as of March 1. 

Dept. of Health data reports Molokai had five positive COVID cases between Friday, Feb. 18 and Friday, Feb. 25. The previous week logged 14 new cases. …

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