County of Hawai‘i Office of the Mayor CONTINUED DELAY OF SERVICES EXPECTED DUE TO COVID SURGE

County of Hawai‘i
Office of the Mayor

CONTINUED DELAY OF SERVICES EXPECTED DUE TO COVID SURGE
Hawaiʻi County officials expect continued delays of forward-facing county services due to staffing issues
caused by the island-wide surge of COVID-19 cases. The divisions and services currently affected include, but
aren’t limited to, Building, Solid Waste, Vehicle Registration and Licensing, Traffic, and Parks Maintenance.
COVID can affect staffing in several ways, but most commonly through close contact (household, nonhousehold, or contact of a contact) and exposure (work-related and non-work-related). For example, employees
who were in close contact are sent home and asked to get tested and obtain a negative COVID test or, if positive
for COVID-19, gain clearance from a medical professional before returning to work. In addition, there may be
exposure circumstances that will require employees to quarantine for ten days as directed by the Department of
Health. Other ways COVID can affect staffing include childcare issues and the inability of non-vaccinated
employees to produce a negative COVID test. All county policies and procedures related to employee COVID19 response are in accordance with Federal and State guidelines and are considered best practices to ensure a
safe working environment for all County employees.
“Our number one priority must be the safety of our employees if we wish to continue providing quality services
to our community,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “We understand that the delay of our forward-facing services is an
incredible inconvenience for many, and we are doing all we can to stop the spread and provide adequate staffing
whenever possible. As we aim to maintain vital services without interruption, we would like to thank the
community for their continued support and understanding moving forward. We are in this together and must do
all we can to stop the spread and keep each other safe.”
Additional delays in service may be anticipated as the number of on-island active cases continues to increase.
The County of Hawaiʻi Civil Defense Administration is monitoring the situation closely and continues to make
recommendations on best practices moving forward. As a result, a closure or pause of specific services could
happen at any time. County officials will notify the community if and when changes to current services occur.