The beds within the intensive care unit are full on their option to the weekend trip, the Senate COVID committee says the well being director wants to make use of extra electrical energy

HONOLULU (KHON2) – The Senate Committee on COVID-19 met again on Friday and health officials gave a grim update.

The Healthcare Association of Hawaii announced that there are 223 licensed adult ICU beds in the state, and there were 224 ICU patients on Friday.

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“The most critical break or failure point I see right now is our ICU capacity,” said Hilton Raethel, CEO of the Hawaii Healthcare Association. “So we are on the verge of not being able to care for all the intensive care patients who need them, which means that some patients are not receiving the optimal level of care to keep their health and possibly their lives.”

“Today, Hilo Medical Center, Queen’s Punchbowl, Castle, Wahiawa, Pali Momi and Kuakini are above the approved bed capacity in the intensive care unit, and two other hospitals are busy,” said Raethel.

“That means that every hospital on Oahu with intensive care beds except Tripler and Kapiolani has reached or exceeded its capacity in the intensive care unit before we even start this long weekend,” continued Raethel as senators gasped in the background.

Raethel said the forecasting models showed no signs of improvement in September.

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Senators asked health officials why no more was done before the three-day weekend.

“We have been advocating this for some time and say that we absolutely support further restrictions from a public health perspective,” said Dr. Libby Char, State Health Director. “Delta was a complete game changer.”

“At what point do you as the health director say: ‘Okay, we gave the districts the flexibility to develop tiered systems. We are in a critical phase. I am the health director. We will enforce that, ”said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz. “If it’s as bad as we discussed, but we don’t have a tier system and no restrictions, then I think it’s difficult to come to terms with it.”

“Can we expect further restrictions today? [Governor and Mayor] Press conference? ”Asked Senator Donna Mercado Kim.

“I don’t know,” said Dr. Char. “You do not know? So they don’t keep you up to date, okay, thanks, ”Mercado Kim replied.

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“I would like to help the districts if they want to design another round of levels. We have meetings now, but of course I’m here, but they are having discussions now, ”said Dr. Char.

Senators said a tiered system should be reintroduced so that the public understands that there are trigger points and restrictions will be put in place if the situation worsens.

They said Dr. Char that she has the power to do more as the state health director.

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“You have power under our statutes so hopefully take a look at this and see how you can protect the community, and luckily it doesn’t anticipate economic problems that are obviously with the governor and mayors, but you do are responsible for the health and wellbeing of our state, ”said Senator Mercado-Kim.