Airport COVID-19 testers ousted
Hawaii County ousted Premier Medical Group from its COVID-19 testing program at the island’s three major airports, uprooting more than 100 workers with less than a week’s notice, and brought in another vendor on an emergency two-week, $508,200 contract.
Premier started conducting the post-arrival testing during former Mayor Harry Kim’s administration using federal coronavirus relief funding. When that ended Dec. 15, Mayor Mitch Roth, who took office just the week before, announced a partnership with an unnamed private philanthropist that would keep the program running.
“It is my hope that these types of public-private partnerships will become a cornerstone of our administration,” Roth said at the time.
But Dr. Ka‘ohi Dang Akiona, Hawaii Island medical director for Premier, said Wednesday that the group hasn’t been paid about $1.5 million for test kits and staff.
