Tiare Lando already has stockpiled 14 days of food, medicine and supplies for her family of six but is still unsure how to prepare for the increased likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak in the islands.
“As a family it’s just been a really huge concern for us. It doesn’t really seem clear how we can prepare besides food rations and those kinds of things. This pandemic is something at a whole ’nother level,” said the 37-year-old Kailua resident. “We don’t have a global awareness about something biological or something that is on the cellular level that can affect all of us. We don’t know how to protect and brace ourselves for that. We never, as a state, have been properly educated on how to prepare for this.”
Hawaii health officials are urging the public to prepare for a future outbreak of COVID-19, which has infected nearly 80,000 people across the globe and killed at least 2,700. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning Americans that the virus likely will start spreading in the United States, though the severity and intensity of an outbreak is unknown.
The Department of Health is advising residents to start immediately preparing a family plan, particularly in large households to prevent the spread of illness, as well as 14-day supplies of food, water and medications for both people and pets.
“While no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Hawaii at this time, we do expect to eventually identify cases here because it is a global threat to our entire nation,” said DOH Deputy Director Danette Tomiyasu. “While an imminent threat to Hawaii is low, our state, local and county agencies are intensifying our preparations, and we are asking the community to take steps now should the risk of community spread increase. We really are shifting from a containment posture to mitigation because we will likely see it in our community.”
House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke announced Tuesday that lawmakers are positioning a bill to help finance “certain quarantine methods” and the purchase of additional thermal scanners to assist the Health Department in identifying coronavirus cases.
“We currently do not know the extent of the impact of the virus in the state,” and lawmakers want to have a vehicle ready to respond quickly to any unmet needs, said Luke (D, Punchbowl-Pauoa-Nuuanu). “We’re not here to cause any kind of concern, but it’s always better to be prepared and have a bill moving. The members are very concerned (about) the fact that the state and the federal government are not well equipped to have test kits, and the fact that there’s slowness in the response.”
Lt. Gov. Josh Green added, “Our hope remains that we do all that we can to prevent any cases of coronavirus in Hawaii. As the pandemic has spread, the probability’s higher that it will manifest in some cases in faraway places like Hawaii, so we want people to be prepared in case that happens. We are having discussions about what to do should this become a global pandemic. These discussions include what large events would be safe to have, how we would deal with large groups of people gathering together, school programs and school schedules. The risks remains that it could spread everywhere because it’s already in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”
The U.S. State Department is urging people not to travel to China and is recommending Americans “exercise increased caution” — especially older adults and those with medical conditions — when traveling to South Korea and Japan. Hawaiian Airlines has issued a travel waiver for connecting flights or those departing to and from South Korea from Feb. 24 to April 30 and from China from Jan. 27 to March 31.
Meanwhile, the DOH is monitoring 61 people who traveled to China in the past 14 days — 55 on Oahu, four on Hawaii island, one on Maui and one on Kauai — for any symptoms of the virus.
“The greatest concern for me as a parent … is that we don’t even know where we would call for help,” Lando said. “It doesn’t seem that our health care system is prepared to help us, and that’s the greatest concern that I have. It seems that ‘bunker down and weather this out on your own’ is kind of the best policy. That’s the most unsettling thing. We are the perfect petri dish for something like this, to be in the middle of the ocean. We’ve been an open door up until now … for anybody to come through. It’s not even if, it’s when it takes place here, what will even our national government do for us?”
BE PREPARED
>> Prepare a family plan. If you have a large family in one home, consider what measures you can take to prevent the spread of illness.
>> Prepare a kit similar to those used during hurricane seasons. These should include a 14-day supply of food, water and other necessities.
>> Set aside a three-month emergency supply of any needed medication, and keep a copy of your prescriptions in case you run out of medication.
>> Don’t forget supplies for your pets.
>> Sign up for daily public notifications at health. hawaii.gov/news/covid-19-updates.
>> For more information, go to health.hawaii.gov/ prepare/protect-your-family/prepare-an- emergency-kit.
>> Call 211 if seeking help regarding the virus.
Source: State Department of Health
HOW TO STAY HEALTHY
>> Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
>> Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
>> Keep away from sick people.
>> Stay home when ill.
>> Cover coughs and sneezes with tissue, then throw in the trash.
>> Disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Star-Advertiser staff writer Kevin Dayton contributed to this report.
