In coming weeks, hundreds of out-of-state health care personnel will be deployed to 19 hospitals across Hawaii to provide eight weeks of staff support as facilities contend with the surge in COVID-19 cases. Hawaii is slated to pay for the assistance, coordinated by Prolink Healthcare, with Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

The welcome move marks the second round of surge support the state has received. In the initial one last fall, more than 200 nurses and other specialists were here for several months.

You, too, can help support our health care system by getting vaccinated and adhering to protections such as masking up and social distancing.

Vaccinations high for Asians

Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking how various racial and ethnic groups have been taking the COVID-19 shots in comparison with their relative numbers. On Tuesday KFF published an update: In nearly all reporting states, those of Asian ancestry disproportionately have accepted vaccination.

In Hawaii, 52% of the vaccinations have been received by Asian people, who comprise only 40% of the population.