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Health

Vaccine Mandate Concerns Voiced

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A few dozen residents took to sign-holding in Kaunakakai last week to air concerns about recent vaccine mandates imposed on state and county employees, which also includes Dept. of Education teachers, as well as students wanting to participate in school athletics.

The island and state are in the midst of the largest spike in COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, causing dire concern to health officials and leading to many workplace vaccine mandates in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. And though strongly urged by many community leaders and officials, getting vaccinated in still a personal choice, and some residents are standing up for the freedom to choose.…

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Residents Sought for Broadband Mapping Project

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

ʻAuamo Collaborative News Release

ʻAuamo Collaborative is hiring short-term data collectors to serve on a community outreach team for its Rural Broadband Mapping Project aimed at discovering broadband capabilities in the rural areas of Molokai, as well as Hawaii Island, Maui, Lanai and Kauai. Team members will be deployed in these regions to monitor quality of Internet coverage, ability to access broadband services, and gauge broadband utility.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed poor or non-existent broadband service in Hawaii’s rural areas and we need a better understanding of what connectivity exists in our communities,” said Brad Bennett, founder of ʻAuamo Collaborative. “The lack of access affects a families’ ability to obtain educational opportunities, telehealth services, and government assistance, made even more acute by pandemic restrictions that hinder people’s access to in-person services.”…

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Molokai Highest Per Capita COVID Rate in State

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Last Friday, Molokai logged 12 positive COVID-19 cases in one day – the highest single-day count for the island since the pandemic began – and had 31 cases in the last week alone. The total case count has alarmingly tripled in the last three weeks. The island is up to 154 total cases since the pandemic began, as of Sunday.

Molokai also currently has the most cases proportionate to the island’s population. The Dept. of Health reports cases per 100,000 people by island, and Molokai’s statistic at 803 cases per 100,000 population leads the state, with Hawaii Island coming in second at 799 per 100,000 people, and Oahu at 639.…

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Congressman Kahele Visits Molokai

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

Congressman Kahele Visits Molokai

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Congressman Kaiali’i Kahele spent four days Molokai last week to get a better understand of the challenges and strengths of the community, as the last stop in a district-wide tour. He spoke with sustainability leaders and fishpond restorers, large-scale farmers and backyard gardeners, as well as staff at a variety healthcare organizations on island.
U.S. Rep. Kahele took office on Jan. 3 of this year, representing the second Congressional district, which covers the whole state.

“My first six to nine months in office [I wanted to] get a chance to go to all the different islands to really start to hear what are the community’s concerns and how can my voice at the federal level help answer some of those things,” he said during his Molokai visit, which spanned Monday to Thursday last week.…

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Molokai Whippas Awards 3 Scholarships

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021

Molokai Whippas Awards 3 Scholarships

Molokai Whippas News Release

Another beautiful late spring day and the Molokai Whippas could only wonder what might have been. This year’s 44th annual Molokai Whippas Invitational Fishing Tournament became another victim to the COVID pandemic that has plagued the world for well over a year. Earlier this year, the Whippas made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.

Despite the cancellation, the Molokai Whippas ohana stepped up and really came through to help the Whippas attain their goal. A late decision was made to produce a limited edition commemorative shirt. Artist and designer Wayne Ng of Design Ng came through with a great design and collaborated with Guy Inocelda, who operates T’s On Me which screens the designs, to add masks to match the shirts.…

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Na Pu’uwai Fair Encourages Healthy Lifestyles

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021

Na Pu’uwai Fair Encourages Healthy Lifestyles

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Despite a last minute switch from a traditional event to drive-thru style, Na Pu’uwai’s Mauli Ola Health Fair went on last Saturday afternoon featuring free goodie bags, healthy food, COVID testing and vaccinations, raffle drawings and gym membership signups.

Due to last week’s spike in on-island cases, event organizers made changes for safety, with COVID testing also offered as a last minute addition. Participants could meet Na Pu’uwai healthcare providers, learn about healthy lifestyles – learn it from numan, integrative programs and take a fitness test. COVID Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine shots were offered, administered as participants remained in their vehicles.…

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Telehealth Support Services Coming

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021

DOH News Release

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has partnered with the Hawaii State Public Library System and the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to bring COVID-19 health and digital navigators and telehealth services to 15 libraries in underserved and rural areas statewide. The $3.7 million project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address COVID-19 health disparities as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The project will start by the end of this year and includes 15 state libraries, including the Molokai Public Library.…

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New Molokai COVID Cases, Vaccine Mandates

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021

New Molokai COVID Cases, Vaccine Mandates

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

While Hawaii saw between 400 and 650 new COVID cases per day last week, Molokai also had a spike in cases. Two new cases were reported by the Dept. of Health last Thursday and seven on Friday for Molokai, according to a DOH Sunday update. Though it was not reported how many of the Molokai cases have been from the Delta variant, the highly contagious variant is now accounting for a majority of cases in a massive COVID-19 spike in cases around the U.S. and the world.

Kualapu’u School had two students test positive for COVID-19, prompting some student quarantines while the school remained open.…

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Delta Variant Surge Causes Concern

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

While Molokai has not seen any new COVID-19 cases since one on July 14, across the state and country, COVID cases are soaring, which officials attribute to the Delta variant’s high rate of spread.

On July 31, Hawaii reported 485 new cases, and the day before that, a record 622 new infections, which the Dept. of Health says came from a combination of a backlog of uncounted cases earlier in the week and the Delta variant’s contagion. Lt. Gov. Josh Green said last Saturday, there were 129 virus patients hospitalized across the state, amidst the biggest COVID surge in the state so far this year.…

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Charity Walk Goes Virtual

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

MHLA News Release

The Maui Hotel and Lodging Association (MHLA) is pleased to announce that after having to cancel the 2020 Visitor Industry Charity Walk event due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 42nd annual event is back this year and completely online.

Instead of a physical event as has been held in the past, the 2021 Visitor Industry Charity Walk will be launched on a digital platform that participants and donors can download on their mobile device. Walkers will have a two week “Walk Window” to track their steps and keep connected to the event.

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 12, online “walkers” will be able to see their progress on a virtual map, as well as take part in fun challenges and be eligible to win prizes, including our grand prize trip to Anaheim, CA.…

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