Hawaii updates isolation and quarantine policies

The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) revised its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine policies on December 29, 2021, to reflect recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These changes are effective Monday, January 3, 2022 for all DOH directed isolation and quarantine and are part of the state’s effort to curtail the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

Under the new policies, individuals who are COVID-19 positive, regardless of vaccination status, should isolate for at least five days and until symptoms are gone and continue to wear a mask for five days after isolation.

Individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 are subject to differing guidelines depending on vaccination and booster status. Individuals who have been boosted or fully vaccinated within the past six months (or within past two months if they took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) do not need to quarantine, but should mask for 10 days after exposure and get tested on day five. Those that have neither been boosted nor fully vaccinated should quarantine for five days after exposure, wear a mask for five days after quarantine and get tested on day five after exposure.

Additionally, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, even mild symptoms, should stay home from work, school and other activities. Those with symptoms who have not been tested should be tested as soon as possible.

2021 Surge in workplace fatalities

The Hawaii Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) announced that seven workplace fatalities occurred in 2021 among 23 reported incidents unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fatalities, which occurred in Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai, reflect an increase from only two reported workplace deaths in 2020. In light of this increase, the DLIR recommends that all employers examine conditions at their workplaces, safety policies, and training and monitoring, and is hopeful that the number of fatalities and serious workplace injuries will decline in 2022.