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How prepared is Hawaiʻi’s health-care system for the rising number of cases in the Islands? Are there enough hospital beds, ventilators and protective equipment? How do we cope with the stress this crisis has created? Where do thousands of unemployed workers find resources to pay rent, utilities and other bills that are due?
With the Islands’ #1 goal to slow the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAIʻI continued our coverage of COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi. Residents of the state have mostly settled into a stay-home “lockdown,” and visitor traffic is mostly kapu.
It has been less than three months since reports of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China first made international headlines. With worldwide cases growing significantly every day, the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Why is Domestic Violence still taking place, in staggering numbers, and how do we stop it? At least one in three women and one in four men nationwide are victims of violence at the hands of their partner during their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
What do parents of schoolchildren need to know about the new vaccination requirements? These new rules apply in the next school year to Hawaiʻi students heading into childcare or preschool, kindergarten, seventh grade and college. Also, any student entering school in Hawaiʻi for the first time, no matter what age, must comply.
After failing to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage last year, State lawmakers are trying again with a reworked bill. Critics say it still falls far short of a so-called living wage in these expensive Islands.
Hawaiʻi needs 300 primary-care doctors statewide, according to an annual report evaluating the Islands’ growing doctor shortage. More than 500 specialty doctors also are needed. The shortage is greatest on the Neighbor Islands, especially on the Big Island, where the situation is described as critical.
It’s a stunning statement: Suicide is the leading cause of injury-related death in Hawaiʻi. Health officials report that an average of 190 people take their own lives each year. The reasons stem from depression, significant life changes and the trauma of abuse. Nearly a thousand other individuals survive a suicide attempt.
Climate Change: Is Hawaiʻi Prepared? Intense rain events inflicting extensive damage and record flooding; active hurricane seasons that keep residents on edge; coastal erosion imperiling highways and homes; extreme droughts that hurt agriculture and fuel dangerous wildfires – these are natural events that experts say are linked to climate change.
Should Hawaiʻi Increase Regulations on Vaping? More State lawmakers are viewing electronic cigarettes as a threat to public health, especially among youth and young adults.