Capitol Connection
In this pandemic, every milestone counts. For Hawai‘i, the good news is that we’ve opened vaccinations to anyone age 16 and up, we’re making it easier for fully vaccinated residents to travel intercounty if they received their shots in Hawai‘i and we’re laying the groundwork in communities statewide for more mindful tourism as summer approaches. ...
Read More Milestones for vaccines, intercounty travel and climate change
A new Vaccination Travel Protocol Program will launch Tuesday, May 11 to allow fully vaccinated individuals who received their shots in Hawai‘i to fly between the islands without pre-travel testing or quarantine. “Fully vaccinated” is defined as being beyond the two-week period from the completion of a shot series. If a traveler arrives before they ...
Read More New intercounty exception for fully vaccinated residents
In a series of high-profile U.S. Climate Action Week events viewed around the world last month, Governor Ige highlighted Hawai‘i’s leading role in addressing global warming and transition to renewable energy. The sessions focused on the United States’ renewed commitment under the Biden administration to take “bold action” on climate change and join with other ...
Read More Hawai‘i among global leaders in fighting climate change
More funds for affordable rental housing . . . modernization of the unemployment insurance system . . . major renovations for schools and UH system campuses . . . upgrades to public housing, airports, and emergency siren sites statewide — those are just some of the critical capital improvement projects (CIP) being funded with Governor ...
Read More Governor releases 3 million for CIP across the state
Rebuild. Redefine. Reset. Spend some time with John De Fries, new Hawai‘i Tourism Authority CEO, and it’s clear those are more than just words to him. “They reflect the shift in HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan that puts more emphasis on addressing tourism’s impacts in a sustainable way,” he explains. De Fries is well aware that ...
Read More HTA, communities work to redefine Hawai‘i 2.0 tourism
Childhood hunger isn’t a problem just for Third World countries. It’s a stark, new reality for many of Hawai‘i’s children in the wake of the pandemic. For the first time, Hawai‘i is among the top 10 states with the highest child food insecurity, according to Feeding America projections. One recent UH study reported that nearly ...
Read More Feeding Hawai‘i’s children and honoring moms
A commemorative “Go for Broke” U.S. postage stamp with special meaning for Hawai‘i will be issued nationwide June 3. The recognition is based on the “Go for Broke” motto of the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team who defied all odds during WWII to become the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. The stamp ...
Read More ‘Go for Broke’ stamp to honor WW II Nisei soldiers
“Congratulations, Hawai‘i! Together we’ve reached the million-shot milestone. Let’s keep the momentum going,” said state Department of Health director Dr. Libby Char when the state hit that milestone last month. With COVID-19 vaccine eligibility now expanded to all Hawai‘i residents ages 16 and older, 300,000 more people will be able to receive protection. The state ...
Read More One million . . . and counting