Surge testing offered in Hanapepe

HANAPEPE — Malama Pono Health Services technicins Bianka Tasaka and Sherry Oyamot have both taken the test themselves.

“Keep going back,” Tasaka said Tuesday at Westside Pharmacy in Hanapepe, which is offering free drive-thru COVID-19 testing by appointment through Sept. 2. “And twist.”

The swab goes in about three-quarters of an inch up each nostril, but it’s the three-second twist that can catch you off guard.

“You might feel some irritation and sneeze,” Tasaka said. “Go deeper.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services started surge testing across the state Wednesday.

The federal government made 60,000 free coronavirus tests available across the state, and the only location on Kaua‘i is in Hanapepe. Federal, state and county partners aim to test 5,000 people daily across the state, with 15 test sites on O‘ahu and one on Hawai‘i Island.

Surge testing helps identify new cases at a rapid rate to potentially flag asymptomatic virus carriers.

The self-swab test takes only a few minutes. After arriving at Westside Pharmacy, people are directed to wait in their cars and call the pharmacy for their appointed time slot. It’s advised people watch a short video on how to self-swab, but technicians will guide them through the process of sampling and bagging the specimen.

Swabs are sent to U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved labs in California, and results should be available between three to five days.

Thursday, the state announced four additional COVID-19-related deaths in Honolulu and 306 new cases statewide. That’s from a batch of 2,478 tests, indicating a 12.35% positivity rate.

Earlier this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome Adams advised that the state was entering the “yellow zone” of 5% to 10% positivity rates. This is “at a turning point,” he said, where things could quickly improve or tip into the red zone of exponential community spread.

The state currently has 5,140 active cases of 7,566 total cases, for a 32% recovery rate.

Oyamot said testing has gone “pretty smoothly” the first two days, with about 10 to 12 people scheduled each day.

This surge testing opportunity is available to those who are asymptomatic, those who have symptoms or who would just like to know. Participants must be at least 5 years old, and minors must have a parent or legal guardian present to provide consent.

Those experiencing severe symptoms — like difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion or bluish lips — are advised to seek immediate medical attention.

To sign up for an appointment, visit doineedacovid19test.com.

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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.