Question: Can COVID-19 test kits be packed in suitcases, either checked-in or carry-on luggage? My wife and I will be going to Europe in late September, and I’d like to have tests readily available just in case.
Answer: Yes, if the tests are unused, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “Unused COVID-19 test kits do not contain dangerous goods and are typically allowed in both carry-on and checked baggage,” it says; check with your airline to confirm.
By contrast, COVID-19 test kits that have been used and contain diagnostic samples, such as nasal swabs or vials of sputum, are not allowed in carry- on baggage and must be properly packaged, handled and identified as infectious material during transport, the department says on its website. “Passengers should check with their carrier before packing COVID-19 test kits containing diagnostic samples in checked baggage or shipping as cargo. Individual carriers and international requirements may be more restrictive than domestic regulations.”
Q: Regarding the monkeypox vaccine, how late are we supposed to be able to call to make an appointment?
A: Calls to 808-586-4462 are answered Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the state Department of Health says.
The appointment line began taking calls Wednesday. “As in many other cities and states, there was a robust response from people seeking vaccination. We have several people answering multiple phone lines and expect to add more. While there may be a short wait, we thank the community for its understanding as we prioritize Hawaii’s limited vaccine allocation for those at risk for monkeypox infection or severe illness,” said spokesperson Kaitlin Arita-Chang.
For now, appointments are limited to Hawaii residents 18 and older who also have at least one of the following risk factors:
>> Have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of monkeypox within the past 14 days.
>> Are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, or transgender people with high-risk intimate contact in venues or areas where monkeypox is known to have spread in the past 14 days.
Q: Will the Pali be done this month? I am thinking about school traffic.
A: No. Two-lane closures on Pali Highway in both directions will continue weekdays through August, according to the state Department of Transportation.
>> Two lanes will be closed in the Honolulu-bound direction between Waokanaka Street and the Wylie Street overpass, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
>> Two lanes will be closed in the Kailua-bound direction between the Wylie Street overpass and Nuuanu Pali Drive, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Overall, the Pali Highway resurfacing project is expected to wrap up in May.
Mahalo
Our family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific, who assisted us with the planning and preparation of our parents’ joint ceremony July 22. There was a burial service for our mother, who died April 10, and a Medal of Honor ceremony for our father, Army Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro, who was awarded this medal posthumously July 5. A special thanks to Gene Maestas and Glenn Takamine, who honored our parents by presiding over both ceremonies, and to the groundskeepers (regretfully, we did not get their names) who handled our parents’ grave site with the utmost respect and care. — With gratitude, family of Edward and Mitsuko Kaneshiro
(Editor’s note: The Medal of Honor is the highest medal for valor in combat awarded to U.S. armed forces. Staff Sgt. Kaneshiro was honored for his actions on Dec. 1, 1966, in the Vietnam War. Three months later he was killed in action at age 38, leaving behind his wife, Mitsuko, and five young children. Mitsuko lived to 90. To read more, see army.mil/medalofhonor/kaneshiro.)
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
