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Latest COVID-19 Data & Recommendations

May is Older Americans Month and we want to take this opportunity to thank, honor and amplify the voices of Hawaii’s kūpuna. Though kūpuna were among those threatened the most by the pandemic, kūpuna remained resilient and demonstrated their leadership by overcoming barriers and protecting their community by getting vaccinated.

Thank you to all of our partners and all who support the Kūpuna Vaccination Outreach Group (KVOG) in ensuring kūpuna have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and health services. According to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, nearly all kūpuna 65 years of age and older on O‘ahu have completed their initial series of COVID-19 vaccinations. Mayor Rick Blangiardi proclaimed May 6, 2022 to be “KVOG Day” in the City and County of Honolulu.

You may view all of the amazing accomplishments of KVOG as well as lessons learned and recommendations in the After Action Report. Want to get involved in serving kūpuna? Learn more about efforts you can support on hiphi.org/kupuna.

FEDERAL UPDATE

FDA Limits Use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to Certain Individuals

On May 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has limited the authorized use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to:

  • individuals 18 years of age and older for whom other authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate;
  • individuals 18 years of age and older who elect to receive the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA has determined that the rare risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets, warrants limiting the authorized use of the vaccine. This rare syndrome would occur one to two weeks following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, but the known and potential benefits of the vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risk.

STATE UPDATE

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Community Level: Medium 

The CDC COVID-19 Community Level Tool helps you understand the level of COVID-19 in your area and what prevention measures to take. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. All counties have had a rise in COVID-19 cases and community levels have moved from low to medium, yet we have not seen a spike in hospitalizations at this time. We will monitor hospitalizations, since other places in the country are starting to see an increase.

COUNTY UPDATES

Maui County

A three-day online County of Maui Government & Nonprofit Career Fair is set to connect prospective employees with employers. Opportunities are available today, May 10, through Thursday, May 12!

  • Resources to Move You Forward (virtual)
  • Employer and Job Seeking Training (virtual)
  • In-person Career Fair
    • Date: Thursday, May 12
    • Time: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Location: UH Maui College’s Pā’ina Building
    • Details: 17 Maui County departments will be collecting resumes for over 75 positions and 28 non-profits will be looking to hire for 119 job openings.

For more information, visit www.MCVJF.com or call 808-270-5777.

 

City & County of Honolulu

Resilience has been key to moving forward through the pandemic. The Oʻahu Community Resilience Hub Surveywill help the City and partners better understand how to tailor outreach and determine where resilience hubs are needed most. Resilience Hubs are facilities created to support communities, coordinate communication, and distribute needed resources. The survey takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and can be completed by clicking here.

 

Kaua‘i County

You can be part of Kaua‘i’s economic revival and help the county move forward. All residents are invited to the Island-Wide Job Fair:

  • Date: Friday, May 27, 2022
  • Time: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Location: Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center

There will be a variety of companies ready to hire and several companies may want to interview you on the spot. For more information, visit kedb.com/jobfair or call 808-245-6692.

STATEWIDE RESOURCES

 

Living Guide: WHO Therapeutics and COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides recommendations on the use of therapeutics in the treatment of COVID-19 in Therapeutics and COVID-19: living guideline. You can download the pdf which now contains 17 recommendations and is updated regularly as new evidence emerges.

Article: What we’ve learned about COVID-19, burnout and the doctor shortage

The article “What we’ve learned about COVID-19, burnout and the doctor shortage” from the American Medical Associationhighlights physician burnout due to the pandemic and offers helpful resources. AMA STEPS Forward is a resource of online toolkits to help physicians and medical teams make changes to their practices to better manage stress and prevent burnout to improve practice workflow.

Updated Guidelines: DOE Commencement and Transition Ceremony

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (DOE) updated their planning guidelines for in-person graduation and transition ceremonies for School Year 2021-22. The updated  guidance aims to provide flexibility for schools in safely bringing together graduates and families while continuing to monitor COVID-19 conditions.

Updated Guidelines: DOE Commencement and Transition Ceremony

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (DOE) updated their planning guidelines for in-person graduation and transition ceremonies for School Year 2021-22. The updated  guidance aims to provide flexibility for schools in safely bringing together graduates and families while continuing to monitor COVID-19 conditions.

 

PUBLIC HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK 

 

This graph illustrates COVID-NET hospitalizations data. Those who are 18 years and older who have received a COVID-19 booster are less likely to be hospitalized when getting COVID-19. In February 2022, people 18 years and older who were unvaccinated had a 7x higher risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 than people vaccinated with a booster. For the best level of protection from COVID-19, it is important to stay up-to-date on vaccinations. You may be eligible for a second booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (four months following your first booster dose) if you are:

  • 50 years of age or older,
  • 12 years of age and older who are immunocompromised,
  • 18-49 years old who received Johnson & Johnson as their initial COVID-19 vaccine.

Find a vaccination location at hawaiicovid19.com.

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