Bill Text: HI HR171 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Strongly Urging The Governor Of The State Of Hawaii To Take Additional Precautions To Prevent A Coronavirus Outbreak In Hawaii.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-11 - Referred to HLT, FIN, referral sheet 40 [HR171 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-HR171-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

171

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

STRONGLY URGING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO TAKE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN HAWAII.

 


     WHEREAS, in December 2019, the world was stunned by an outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease in Wuhan, China; and

 

     WHEREAS, shortly thereafter on February 4, 2020 the United States government declared the novel coronavirus a public health emergency and suspended entry for any foreign nationals who visited China; and

 

     WHEREAS, in addition to impacting China, Japan and South Korea have been particularly hard hit by the virus causing Hawaiian Airlines to announce it will suspend all flights to and from South Korea from March 2nd to  April 1st, 2020; and

 

     WHEREAS, the family of coronaviruses is very large and causes illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome; however, the novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans; and

 

     WHEREAS, common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and death; and

 

     WHEREAS, standard recommendations to prevent spread of the virus include regular hand washing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing and sneezing; and

 

     WHEREAS, the disease has quickly spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world, with 95,333 confirmed cases worldwide in eighty-five countries and territories as of March 5, 2020; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United States has ninety-nine confirmed cases and ten deaths reported from the virus as of March 5, 2020; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii has had ninety individuals under self-monitoring as of March 1, 2020; Hawaii has experienced no coronavirus fatalities; and

 

     WHEREAS, a coronavirus outbreak in the state of Hawaii could be devastating to the state's economy and the health of our citizens due to Hawaii's geographic isolation and over-reliance on tourism, with over ten million visitors from all over the world, particularly large numbers from Asia; and

 

     WHEREAS, adding more stringent health measures and screening best practices at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport will provide the public with confidence and ensure that the state swiftly detects potential cases and takes immediate action to prevent the spread; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the Governor of the State of Hawaii is strongly urged to enact stricter precautionary measures at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport such as temperature monitoring of all overseas arrivals, including United States citizens, to prevent the Coronavirus from entering our state; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in addition to temperature screenings the Hawaii Department of Health and the Hawaii Department of Transportation are strongly urged to expand the current maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation of the airport facilities, and aircraft cleaning above and beyond the existing federal requirements. The departments should also consider emergency airport closures if necessary and develop plans to increase quarantine space in case the need arises; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Vice President of the United States, the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, the Director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation, the Director of the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, the Mayor of the County of Maui, the Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu, and the Mayor of the County of Kauai.

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

STRONGLY URGING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO TAKE ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN HAWAII.

 

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