Police employee tests positive for COVID-19

HealthCARES Hui to offer jobs, meals, medical outreach

A Maui Police Department employee has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation, police said Thursday.

Police spokeswoman Lt. Audra Sellers said the department wasn't releasing information about where the employee works and whether the employee is a civilian or officer.

"We just got notified," she said Thursday afternoon. "We're working on making sure everyone's safe. It's a reminder you've got to wear your mask, wash your hands and socially distance."

Police were informed about the positive test at 12:50 p.m., according to a police news release.

Another county department, the Maui County Prosecutors Office in Wailuku, has shut down the felony screening section as a precaution Thursday because an employee may have had contact with someone who has COVID-19, Maui County Prosecuting Attorney Don Guzman said.

The employee was sent home to quarantine for 14 days while awaiting test results, Guzman said.

"It's just a precaution," he said. "I hope we don't have a COVID employee."

Unlike the police and fire departments, which have multiple stations, "we're all here in one building," Guzman said.

He said he spoke with 2nd Circuit Chief Judge Richard Bissen, who asked that deputies not go to the courthouse as a precaution. On Thursday afternoon, deputy prosecutors appeared by videoconference for hearings in Wailuku District Court.

Guzman said a similar situation occurred three weeks ago, with an employee testing negative for COVID-19.

On Thursday, Maui saw seven new COVID-19 cases, part of the state's 306 count. That brings Maui County's total to 315 reported cases, with 312 on Maui and three on Molokai. There have been no cases on Lanai.

Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino said at his Thursday news conference that he would like the numbers of new cases to come down further.

"I feel very comfortable what we are doing at this juncture is very sufficient," he said.

Still, the mayor said: "I have no qualms in pulling back if necessary."

At the news conference, the mayor announced a new countywide collaboration among various organizations to create health care jobs and to expand services for kupuna and families, using federal CARES Act funds.

The HealthCARES Hui is the first initiative that has emerged from Victorino's Economic Recovery Task Force, which is comprised of industry leaders to help identify opportunities for use of CARES Act funding, according to a news release.

The county is allocating $1.5 million for the program, which will be spent on hiring and training staff, expanded nutritious food delivery and providing resources and care management.

The program also will assist nurses and health care workers to earn certifications and licenses to allow them to begin working at local medical providers.

Administered by Hale Makua Health Services, the effort is a collaboration with Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Malama I Ke Ola Health Center, Habitat for Humanity, Hale Mahaolu, Kula Hospital, East Maui Kupuna Hui and Maui Medical Group.

"Through this new collaboration, we plan to create approximately 50 full-time positions for certified nurses, community health workers and other jobs for our displaced workers and school graduates," Victorino said. "The partnership also focuses on taking care of our kupuna, who are extremely vulnerable to this virus and are still in need of services."

The full-time positions to be created include certified nurse assistants, licensed practical nurses, community health workers and positions in housekeeping, nutrition, social work and resident aides. Workers would be trained and hired by agencies in the HealthCARES Hui.

More information on the job opportunities will be posted later, the news release said.

Meal delivery service expansion will focus on kupuna in Hawaiian Homes and families and kupuna in affordable housing developments, who may not be able to attend grab-and-go food pick-up events. Meal prep will be done by local chefs/restaurants and includes Maui ingredients and produce.

When doing meal delivery, workers also can use the time to conduct assessments, including living conditions and physical and mental health, said Hale Makua CEO Wes Lo at the news conference.

Also at the news conference, Joann Inamasu, director of the Office of Economic Development, announced that in the next week or so a program will be launched for small businesses to receive grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to help adapt to new requirements due to COVID-19. This includes modifying operations, physical space adaptations and investing in technology infrastructure.

Maui Economic Development Board will spearhead the program.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.