Hawaii health officials over the weekend decided to prioritize workers of hotel, restaurant and bar preferences for COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to those with specific high-risk medical conditions and residents 65 and older.
“We want the people to be absolutely first. This is because they are high risk and because we have seen infections in restaurants, hotels and pubs. Their specific profession requires interaction with people and that is why we want to protect them, ”Brooks Baehr, spokesperson for the health department, said today. “There are about 500,000 people in Phase 1c and we do not have a chance for everyone today, so we continue to under-prioritize them, just like in the earlier phases.”
The decision came after the state announced on Thursday that it will introduce vaccinations in phase 1c for essential workers, which include “people in industries and occupations that are important for the functioning of society and with an increased risk of exposure” such as those working in banking finance, transportation, energy, construction, media, law, information technology and public safety.
Some workers in industries outside the latest DOH guidelines have already received appointments, which will be honored, said Hilton Raethel, president and CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.
‘The reason we limited it to the groups is that we want to manage the population and not just overwhelm all the vaccination centers. Because if people can not get through, it’s just very frustrating. We are trying to get the flow right, ”he said. “It would have been preferable if it had been done at the same time, but it only took a while to come to these decisions.”
In addition to the priority workers who regularly deal with others in high-risk situations, many live in overcrowded households, which also puts their families at risk, he said.
“Pacific Islanders work in hotels and restaurants. Many of them do live in larger households, ”Raethel added. “The DOH wanted to ensure that they were vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Health officials are also working to plan vaccinations for blocks of essential workers, such as those in hotels, and they have mobile vaccination clinics in public housing and other high-risk institutions, “where we can actually vaccinate households at the same time.”
It is estimated that 115 000 people in the age group 65 to 74 years fall, while 80 000 individuals fall into category 1c essential workers. Another 340,000 are part of the high-risk medical group with severe breathing conditions requiring oxygen, individuals dialyzing with kidney disease in the stage and undergoing chemotherapy or other infusion treatment.
The state currently gives 10,000 vaccines a day, or more than 60,000 shots a week, but has the capacity to deliver up to 120,000 doses a week, Raethel said.
Within two to three weeks, the state provides the opening of vaccinations for those aged 60 to 64 years.
‘We are not going to add more conditions or any more categories. “After going through hotels, restaurants and bars and individuals at high risk, it will only be five-year-old age groups,” said Raethel. ‘The reason is that it’s just broken up … so you can roll through them faster. This makes it just as simple in terms of verification. We want to reach out to everyone as soon as possible. ”
By Monday, Hawaii Pacific Health, which had registered in front of all the essential workers of 1c on Thursday before the priority groups were determined, was fully booked with 2,000 appointments a day until Saturday.
Hotel worker Barry Niau was among the first in the 65-year-old age group to be vaccinated on Monday.
‘I’m more relieved now that I’ve got my first shot. “This is the first step to being safe,” he said.
Health officials have recorded 46 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total of the state to 28,305 cases since the start of the pandemic. The global death toll remains at 451, with no new coronavirus deaths reported.