Sandee Oshiro

Mainland travelers may be able to avoid quarantine if they get a negative COVID-19 test before arriving in Hawaii starting October 15th. But some say the one-test plan is unsafe for Hawaii.

A Honolulu City Council committee got its first look at just how the city is spending $387 million in federal COVID-19 assistance funds. One concern: the millions that have gone to the Honolulu Police Department.

Updated: 8/13/2020, 10:33 a.m.

COVID-19 cases are surging among prison inmates and expanding among the homeless, both of whose living conditions make spread of the virus especially difficult to control. According to the state Department of Health today, cases at the Oahu Community Correctional Center now number 92 inmates and 24 adult correctional officers who have tested positive. Nineteen homeless in Oahu shelters and related programs have done so as well. The OCCC numbers helped push the state daily total today to a record 355 cases. Two Oahu men also died, health officials said. That brought Hawaii's coronavirus death count to 40.

Updated: 7/27/2020, 12:17 p.m.

The Hawaii Department of Health reported 28 new COVID-19 cases today, all on Oahu. The daily count is far fewer than have been reported in recent record-setting days but also comes after a weekend when Hurricane Douglas stopped regular activity.

A vacation rental association and four homeowners have filed a federal lawsuit against the county of Maui claiming their rights have been violated by restrictions placed on short-term vacation rentals on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

Updated: 7/1/2020, 11:51 a.m.

The Hawaii Health Department announced 9 new cases of COVID-19 today. Seven cases are on Oahu and two on Maui. Oahu's case count stands at 659, Maui County's at 125, Hawaii County's at 87 and Kauai's at 38. A total of 17 residents were diagnosed outside of Hawaii.

The state Department of Education is expected to issue its plans on how classes will run for the new school year on Thursday. But lawmakers say they are deeply concerned about the DOE’s lack of a clear financial proposal for the fall reopening.

Updated: 6/26/2020, 7:38 p.m.

Where we stand

The Hawaii Department of Health reports that Hawaii recorded its 18th death from COVID-19 today. An elderly Honolulu man died from the virus, the first coronavirus death in the islands since May 3. The state also reported 17 new cases today, the second daily jump as the state plans for a partial lifting of the visitor quarantine on Aug. 1.

Updated: 6/25/2020, 2:12 p.m.

Where we stand

Hawaii lawmakers have agreed to a plan to set aside millions in CARES Act funds to cover some of the benefits that unemployed workers will lose at the end of July. It's just one item in a budget proposal to use $635 million in federal assistance to address a range of coronavirus-related issues, and jump start the economy.

The Department of Justice is backing a lawsuit filed by Mainland residents who are challenging the constitutionality of Gov. David Ige's mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Updated: 6/18/2020, 7:58 p.m.

The Hawaii Department of Health reported 27 new cases of COVID-19 today, the largest single-day spike since early April. Twenty-five are on Oahu and one each on Maui and Kauai. State officials sought to ease worries brought on by the high numbers.

Updated 06/16/20, 12:48 p.m.

Starting today, residents of Hawaii will be able to travel between islands without a mandatory 14-day quarantine. But when it comes to longer-distance travel, the timeline is much less certain.

Politico and CNN are reporting that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to meet with China officials at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu early this week.

Updated: 6/4/2020,12:50 p.m.

Where we stand

Hawaii recorded two new coronavirus cases today. The state health department reports the number of recorded cases now stands at 655; deaths remain at 17.

Native Hawaiian Community Coverage

The U.S. Navy has started planning the construction of the first new dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard since World War II, officials said.

The Navy is also considering the creation of a floating dry dock to help maintain its Pacific-based submarine fleet, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

The University of Hawaiʻi and at least two dozen other universities have been targeted by Chinese hackers as part of an effort to steal military maritime technology research, The Wall Street Journal reported today.

Officials at the University of Hawaii at Hilo expect freshman enrollment to increase this fall after seeing growth in the number of student applicants and acceptances.

The Hawaii Supreme Court today ordered Honolulu City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro to respond to a petition filed by the state attorney general seeking to suspend the prosecutor while a federal corruption probe moves forward.

Attorney Ted Tsukiyama, a U.S. Army military intelligence translator during World War II who returned to Hawaii with other Japanese-American veterans to transform the political landscape of the islands, died Wednesday.

He was 98 years old.

Tsukiyama, whose fair and civil demeanor won him trust and respect in Hawaii's legal and political circles, is widely credited for his trailblazing work in establishing legal arbitration in the state.