Question: Some restaurants that receive a red placard from the Department of Health seem to reopen very quickly and I am wondering what the process is to reopen after an infraction so serious that the restaurant had to close down? Can it really be fixed in a day or two?
Answer: Yes, depending on the violation. Food establishments are issued a red placard and closed immediately when a Department of Health inspector observes an “imminent health hazard,” such as no operable hand- washing sink, failure to refrigerate food properly or a pest infestation, which prompted recent restaurant closures on Oahu and Maui. DOH rules call for a follow-up inspection within two business days, which doesn’t include weekends or holidays, said Shawn Hamamoto, a spokesperson for the department. Reinspection “can’t be the same day as the closure day but it can be the next day if the reason for closure can be corrected in one business day,” he said in an email. “Once the first follow-up is conducted, the inspector determines the next follow-up date to allow sufficient time to accomplish the requirements for reopening (it can be moved up if they complete all the requirements).”
Upon initial reinspection, the restaurant is cleared to reopen without conditions (green placard) if critical problems have been corrected. If significant progress has been made but some problems remain the eatery may receive conditional approval to reopen (yellow placard), or if the situation has not improved the restaurant would remain closed (red placard). Those issued green placards would revert to the state’s routine inspection schedule, while those issued yellow or red placards would have timely follow- up inspections.
Of seven restaurants on Oahu and Maui issued red placards since October, one reopened the next day, six reopened within a few days (three initially with yellow placards) and one did not have updated information available, according to inspection reports posted on the DOH website.
According to the reports, the restaurant that reopened in one day had been shut down for inadequate hand- washing facilities and immediately corrected the violation. Restaurants with cockroach infestations took longer to reopen, but worked quickly to resume business within a few or several days, after they had exterminated pests, cleaned up kitchen grease (a food source that attracts pests) and removed clutter (which can harbor pests) to the inspector’s satisfaction. Some also had to fill gaps in walls or doorways where pests were getting in.
To read inspection reports on Hawaii restaurants, go to hi.healthinspections.us/ hawaii/. Hawaii has used the color-coded inspection reporting system since 2014.
Q: You mentioned that seniors 80 years and older can renew their gold-star state ID by mail rather than in person. Could you give me the mailing address? I am not on the internet.
A: Yes. This service is available only to kupuna who are U.S citizens or have permanent residence status and who have previously submitted REAL ID-required documentation in person. For those eligible, here are the instructions, from Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services:
>> Send a signed and dated letter requesting to renew your state identification card. The letter must include the following information: Name as it appears on the ID; mailing address; last four digits of your Social Security number or your state ID number; date of birth; email address (to notify you of any problems with the application); and signature, which will be compared to your signature on file.
>> Mail the letter to Driver’s License Section, P.O. Box 30340, Honolulu, HI 96820-0340. Or you can email your signed and dated letter to dl@honolulu.gov or fax it to 808-768-9096.
Assuming that you are eligible and provide the required information, your renewed ID will be sent to your mailing address on record. It cannot be forwarded to a different Hawaii address or mailed out of state, according to the city.
Mahalo
A big mahalo to a Black Friday shopper at Ben Franklin Crafts! After paying for her substantial purchase, she gave away her free sewing machine rolling tote bag to a complete stranger. Bless her heart! Only in Hawaii! — J.F.
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.
