LIHU‘E — Members of the Kaua‘i District Health Office and other related agencies are loosening the COVID-19 protocols, as the Department of Health updates indicates that Kaua‘i’s case counts continue to decline.
“We now have one of the lowest rates of COVID in the state,” Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami reported in his weekly video update on Thursday. “Our seven-day case average is now four cases per day with a test positivity rate of 3.4%.”
This loosening of COVID protocol allows people like the KDHO to return to more traditional pathways, including observing April as National Alcohol Awareness, Child Abuse Prevention, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Blanca Gil, one of the public health nurses at the KDHO, said they are working on other programs beside COVID response and prevention measures. The specific names of these activities leading away from the pandemic are yet to be named, but allows the team an opportunity to plant the traditional blue pinwheels and signage observing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“This month, we emphasize the importance of understanding the devastating problems of alcohol addiction, child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and violence, and commit to form partnerships and work together on the challenges our families face and collaboratively look for opportunities to make positive changes to social conditions that influence those challenges,” Kawakami said in announcing the event. “The collaboration and coordination of prevention agencies and coalitions increase the public awareness of violence and addiction occurring in our community.”
Representatives from the American Medical Response Kaua‘i’s first responder ambulance service, silently agreed with the Mayor’s remarks while they planted their blue pinwheels for child abuse prevention between signs for suicide prevention.
“We’ll be working with the Kaua‘i Police Department when they go out to do sign-waving and other awareness events for suicide prevention,” said an AMR representative.
Participating in the April observance, the county recently hosted a proclamation announcing the month’s observances before representatives from the Kaua‘i County Council, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Kaua‘i Police Department, the Department of Liquor Control, the YWCA of Kaua‘i, the Judiciary Department, Fifth Circuit Court, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Child Welfare Service, and the Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i.
“Wear blue,” said Pua Kaohelauli‘i. “It’s for child abuse prevention.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
