Mon. 4/6/20: COVID-19 Daily Update
NEW RESOURCE: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER HOTLINE NUMBERS
We added domestic violence shelter hotline numbers to our Resources Page. All domestic violence shelters are open as usual during COVID-19. Domestic violence victims are NOT required to stay at home during COVID-19 if home is unsafe.
MESSAGE FROM OUR FINANCIAL SECRETARY-TREASURER ERIC GILL
Please watch this video message from our Financial Secretary-Treasurer Eric Gill, calling on the hotel industry to ensure that the health and safety of our hotel workers and their families are a top priority.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Unemployment office launches new call center to speed up processing of claims (Hawaii News Now, April 6, 2020)
The state’s unemployment office launched a phone bank Monday in an effort to speed up help for those who have already filed a claim. The phone bank is staffed with workers who can help those who want to track a current case.
Many people have called wondering why they didn’t receive an email confirmation. The call center’s number is (833) 901-2275.
A second call center will help those needing to reset passwords if they filed unemployment before and already have an account. That number is (808) 762-5751.
There is a third phone bank to assist newly out-of-work residents who do not have access to the online forms. To reach that phone bank, call (808) 762-5752.
Honolulu police pledge crackdown on those flouting stay-at-home rules (Hawaii News Now, April 6, 2020)
Starting Tuesday, Honolulu police will start to really crack down on stay-at-home violators. Police have already issued 4,660 warnings and 353 citations for violating the order. Those who violate the order face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
DOE announces 19 new school locations added to “Grab and Go” meal system (KITV, April 6th 2020)
19 more locations across the four major islands are offering free pickup meals for children and will start their programs between April 6 and and April 13th. You can view the full list and start dates of participating schools here.
Applications for food stamps, Medicaid soar as layoffs mount in Hawaii (Hawaii News Now, April 6, 2020)
As layoffs mount, the state is seeing hundreds more people submitting applications for food stamps or other benefit programs every day. The GOP passed a $2 trillion tax cut in 2017 that disproportionately benefited the wealthy and corporations. In December 2019, less than six months ago, the Trump administration proposed a rule change that would have cut 700,000 families from receiving help from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly known as food stamps).
World: Cases: Cases: 1.34M (+40k). Deaths: 74.8k (+5.8k). Recovered: 284K (+21k)
USA: Cases: 368k (+31k). Deaths: 11lk (+1.4k). Recovered: 19.8k (+2.3k)
Hawaii: Cases: 387 (+16). Deaths: 5 (+1). Hospitalized: 26 (+5). Recovered: 89 (+4)
