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Now hiring: Employers struggle to find new workers because unemployed not required to look
HTH: … Despite Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate hovering at 9% in March, employers are struggling to bring on new hires.
“It’s a major problem,” said Eric von Platen Luder, owner of multiple restaurants including Huggo’s, Lava Lava Beach Club and Kai, which is set to open next month. “We’re experiencing it with all of our locations … . Right now, we’re getting maybe half a dozen applications a week, if we’re lucky. Before, we would put an ad in Facebook and Craigslist and we would get 10, 15 applicants within a day or two.”
“It’s been unbelievable,” added Poi Dog Deli’s owner Taylor Cline. “I’ve never seen a hiring drought like this before.”
Early on during the pandemic, Gov. David Ige waived the work search requirements to qualify for unemployment benefits. In April 2020, less than 5,000 visitors arrived in the Aloha State and the unemployment rate soared to over 21%. As many as 53,113 initial unemployment claims were made in a single week, and it was under these conditions — when few places remained open and even less were hiring new workers — when waiving that requirement made sense. A year later, business owners are now calling for work search requirements to be reinstated….
KITV: It's much tougher for restaurant owners to bring on or bring back employees because for many of them, federal stimulus checks and other benefits are worth more than their wages
PBN: BACK TO THE BAR
read … Now hiring: Employers struggle to find new workers
Some Native Hawaiian leaders trying to stop lawmakers from making certain cuts to HTA
KITV: … A bill in the final stages of session awaiting a final conference vote would take away the HTA's ability to invest in Hawaiian culture natural resources and the community.
"We are doing exactly what our kama'aina are telling us we don't want, we're being responsive and responsible," Kekoa McClellan of the American Hotel and Lodging Association said.
The bill would transfer Hawaiian culture duties to the state foundation on Culture and the Arts.
Both House and Senate committee members are expected to cast their final votes on Thursday…..
NR: HTA Responds to Latest Version of HB862
read … Some Native Hawaiian leaders trying to stop lawmakers from making certain cuts to HTA
Travel demand for Hawaii is continuing to rise among U.S. visitors
SA: … Occupancy at Hawaii hotels rose to 43% in March, up from about 31% in February and 23% in January, according to data from Nashville-based STR released Wednesday. It was Hawaii’s highest statewide occupancy in the last 11 months of the COVID-19 pandemic….
…Safe Travels Hawaii, the state’s traveler entry program, which started Oct. 15, as of Tuesday had screened nearly 2.67 million travelers, including nearly 2.01 million visitors. As many as 485,021, including 396,949 visitors, came during the first 20 days of April. As of Tuesday, the seven day average of travelers screened by Safe Travels Hawaii was at 22,815.
read … Travel demand for Hawaii is continuing to rise among U.S. visitors
Hawaii has nation’s lowest COVID-19 case rate, CDC data shows
SA: … Hawaii has the lowest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the nation, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state’s rate of new cases over the past seven days — 39.1 cases per 100,000 population — edged California’s at 40.4 and was far lower than the nationwide rate of 135.3. Michigan fared the worst at 483 cases per 100,000 residents, the CDC data showed.
Hawaii Department of Health officials on Wednesday reported 73 new coronavirus infections statewide, bringing the state’s total since the start of the pandemic to 31,561 cases. There were no new coronavirus- related deaths, keeping the death toll at 474….
read … Hawaii has nation’s lowest COVID-19 case rate, CDC data shows
As state prepares to roll out inter-island vaccine passport, some learn they won’t qualify
HNN: … people like Maui resident Sandra Dockins, who got vaccinated on the mainland, don’t qualify.
“We did what we were asked to do,” Dockins said. “Get a vaccination anywhere, get whatever one you can get. We did that. And it still doesn’t count.”
The state said that’s because their system can only verify vaccinations given in Hawaii ― at least for now.
“At this moment, the state is unable to verify vaccinations for individuals vaccinated outside of the state,” said Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency….
Dockins questions the legality of the state limiting its vaccine exemption to those who got the shot in Hawaii.
According to the state’s Attorney General’s Office, though, the program is lawful because it is “carefully designed to match the state’s ability to confirm the legitimacy of the vaccine information presented by the traveler.”
The office said that there is significant concern about the widespread, fraudulent use of vaccine cards and information.
And because of the likelihood of fraud and public health consequences, it said, the state has a legitimate basis to allow a vaccine exception that matches its ability to verify vaccine information.
The country does not have a national vaccine registry but is working toward a system that will eventually allow for verification of vaccine data for those who were vaccinated on the mainland….
read … As state prepares to roll out inter-island vaccine passport, some learn they won’t qualify
Pentagon expected to deny funding for Hawaii radar
SA: … For the second year in a row, the Defense Department is reportedly planning to zero out funding for the $1.9 billion Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii — a move that could represent a death knell for the costly radar that’s now seen as less of a priority among evolving missile threats and competing demands….
read … Pentagon expected to deny funding for Hawaii radar
HPD May yet release Bodycam Footage
HNN: … Commissioners also questioned why HPD is not releasing police body camera footage in the Sykap shooting. Takasaki-Young said it’s because three surviving juveniles are still being investigated for crimes that led up to the shooting.
If they are not charged, the department may consider releasing the body cam footage….
read … HPD says ‘replica’ weapon was seen in police shooting that left 16-year-old dead
SB765: Tougher penalties could be on the way for extreme DUI convictions
HNN: … “There’s a number of people who are arrested every year who are above 0.15, which is basically more than twice what should be legal,” Lee said.
Senate Bill 765, which is hearing its final vote in the house and senate, would increase penalties for drivers testing for nearly double the legal limit.
After a first offense, they could have their licenses revoked for up to two years. The current penalty is about half that.
A second offense would mean a three-year suspension; three or more extreme DUI’s, and that goes up to six years.
“Believe me, there are people who get very much higher than that,” said McNamee. “Just incredible that they are still able to drive, but there are people out there who need to be identified.”
“When people have blood alcohol concentrations above 0.15, they have had way too much, and anybody who gets behind the wheel at that point clearly knows there’s a risk there,” said Lee.
The deadline on finalizing bills for this year’s legislative session is Friday….
read … Tougher penalties could be on the way for extreme DUI convictions
City Council Considering Handi-Van Fare Increase
HPR: … The City Council’s budget committee passed Bill 87 (2020) Wednesday with some modifications. It proposes raising the fare by 25 cents to $2.25 starting next year.
The city expects an additional $300,000 in revenue from the increase to help with a $58 million taxpayer subsidy to operate the Handi-Van.
Opponents argue it is not a good time to raise the fare because most Handi-Van riders are on a fixed income….
read … City Council Considering Handi-Van Fare Increase
Hawaii Health Department Orders Hauula Assisted Living Facility To Close
CB: … The state Department of Health has revoked the license of a Hauula assisted living facility, informing the facility that it must shut down by the end of the month — a move that left the fate of dozens of residents in limbo.
The Office of Health Care Assurance sent a letter dated April 12 to Dignity Senior Living at Oceanside Hawaii and wrote that it must discharge or transfer all residents by April 30. Dignity received the letter on April 16 and notified its elderly residents this week that they would likely need to vacate the facility by the end of the month.
Keith Ridley, who leads the Office of Health Care Assurance, said it’s the first time he knows of that the state has sought to shut down an assisted living facility. He said the decision was made after his office learned Adult Protective Services had concluded there was caregiver neglect at the facility.
“Once APS issued that finding we really had no choice but to revoke their license,” he said Wednesday. “By law, we don’t have a choice. The facility cannot continue to operate.”…
read … Hawaii Health Department Orders Hauula Assisted Living Facility To Close
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