IN JUST OVER A WEEK ON OCTOBER
15-TH.
PART OF THE PRE-TRAVEL TESTING
PROGRAM INVOLVES GETTING A
NEGATIVE
COVID-19 TEST BEFORE ARRIVAL...
BUT SOME COUNTY MAYORS AND
LAWMAKERS - INCLUDING
HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
TOMMY WATERS - ARE PUSHING FOR A
SECOND TEST WHEN TRAVELERS
ARRIVE AND ARE LOOKING TO THE
POSTPONE THE
REOPENING.
JOINING US THIS MORNING IS TOMMY
AND DOCTOR - DARRAGH O'CARROLL -
A BOARD CERTIFIED EMERGENCY
PHYSICIAN.
ROSS:
1Q.
: COUNCILMEMBER... YOU REPRESENT
THE WAIKIKI DISTRICT..WHICH IS
DEPENDENT ON TOURSISM....WHY DID
YOU INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION -
JUST
TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE START DATE
- CALLING FOR A DELAY AND SECOND
TEST?
A1
: I'M CONCERNED WITH THE HEALTH,
WELFARE, AND SAFETY OF OUR
COMMUNITY. I THOUGHT THE STATE
WOULD COME UP WITH A BETTER PLAN
IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS.
ROSS:
Q2
: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOSH GREEN
HAS CALLED THE TWO-STEP
TESTING SYSTEM "MISDIRECTION AND
FEARMONGERING." WHAT'S YOUR
RESPONSE?
A2
: THE STATE HAS ADMITTED THAT
THE CURRENT ONE TEST SYSTEM IS
LETTING
INFECTED AND CONTAGIOUS PEOPLE
SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. I'M
DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE FACTS,
STATING THE OBVIOUS, AND SIMPLY
POINTING OUT THE FLAWS IN THIS
LOGIC. AND THIS ISN'T COMING
FROM ME-
THIS IS COMING FROM THE EXPERTS
WHO ARE RELYING ON DATA AND
SCIENCE. I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT
IS FEARMONGERING. I'M NOT THE
GOVERNOR. YET. BUT IF I WAS, I'D
MAKE SURE THAT I WAS CROSSING MY
T'S AND DOTTING MY I'S.
ROSS:
Q3
: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE
GOVERNOR DENYING KAUAI'S REQUEST
FOR A TWO-TEST SYSTEM?
A3
: IT'S A MISTAKE, BUT I HOPE AND
PRAY WITH ALL MY HEART THAT THE
LG'S PLAN
WORKS FOR ALL OF OUR SAKES.
ROSS:
2Q. HAVE YOU HAD ANY
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR
OR LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR TO EXPRESS YOUR
CONCERNS?
ROSS:
Q4. DR. O'CARROLL...LT. GOV.
JOSH GREEN ESTIMATED THAT ONE
IN 1,000 PASSENGERS WITH
COVID-19 WILL SLIP THROUGH THE
PRE-TRAVEL TESTING
AN ESTIMATE OF
8,000 PASSENGERS A DAY...DO YOU
AGREE
WITH HIS NUMBERS?
A4
: NO, THEY'RE COMPLETELY
INCORRECT. IF 8,000 PEOPLE ARE
COMING
PER DAY, THAT'S AT LEAST 32
INFECTED TRAVELERS WHO ARE
SLIPPING BY OUR
CURRENT PLAN, PER DAY. IF YOU
MULTIPLY THAT BY 30, THAT'S 960
TRAVELERS WHO
ARE SLIPPING BY, PER MONTH.
ROSS:
Q5
: WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE WITH JUST A
ONE-TEST SYSTEM?
A5
: WITHOUT ADDITIONAL TESTING, BY
THE END OF NOVEMBER OF THE
BEGINNING OF DECEMBER, WE WOULD
BE IN PRETTY DIRE STRAITS AND
LOOKING AT SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN.
I UNDERSTAND THE
NEED TO OPEN UP AND THE ECONOMIC
NEED BUT WHAT WE NEED TO
CONSIDER
IS THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES
CANNOT SURVIVE ANOTHER REOPENING
AND
SHUTTING DOWN. IT'S NOT
SOMETHING THAT'S SAFE, AND IT'S
A SHORT-SIGHTED
ECONOMIC BURST FOR A LONG-TERM
ECONOMIC WOE.
LG PROPOSED STRATEGIC
SURVEILLANCE
.
LG ASKS WHY HAVEN'T YOU
APPROACHED HIM ABOUT YOUR
CONCERNS?
KRISTINE:
COMING UP NEXT...
CHRIS WILL HAVE A LIVE LOOK AT
THE ROADS TO SEE IF IT'S STILL
SMOOTH
SAILING...
AND WHAT'S BEING ADDED TO THE
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE...TO
ENSURE
THE CANDIDATES ARE HEALT.
SAFE.
THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WAKE
UP 2DAY CONTINUES.
AM BREAK 9
2:15
LG ASKS WHY HAVEN'T YOU
APPROACHED HIM ABOUT YOUR
CONCERNS?
KRISTINE:
COMING UP NEXT...
CHRIS WILL HAVE A LIVE LOOK AT
THE ROADS TO SEE IF IT'S STILL
SMOOTH
SAILING...
AND WHAT'S BEING ADDED TO THE
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE...TO
ENSURE
THE CANDIDATES ARE HEALTHY AND
SAFE.
THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WAKE
UP 2DAY CONTINUES.
AM BREAK 9
2:15