SCOTT K. Speaker Phone: (808) 586?6100 Fax: (808) 586?6101 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STATE OF HAWAII STATE CAPITOL, ROOM 431 415 SOUTH BERETANIA STREET HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813 March 19, 2020 MEMORANDUM TO: All House Members and Staff FROM: Speaker Scott K. Saiki RE: Positive COVID-19 Test, Suspension of Legislative Session, and Closure of Capitol I have just been advised that Senator Clarence K. Nishihara has recently tested positive for the disease. Per the Legislature?s Emergency Operations Plan in preparation and response to COVID-19 (attached), an employee testing positive triggers an immediate closure of the Capitol and inde?nite suspension of the legislative session. The House will be closed through April 5, 2020. I will notify you if a further closure is necessary. Please make immediate arrangements to leave your workplace as soon as possible. Do not return until given clearance that it is okay to do 50. Further information and updates will be sent out via email, so please monitor your email closely. Thank you very much. If you have any questions, please contact my of?ce. cc: Legislative Reference Bureau Legislative Auditor Ombudsman Ethics Commission eo?Represenfe HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EFFECTIVE POLICY NO.: 1 00" 02, DATE: 63p March 3, 2020 EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN FOR THE HAWAII STATE CAPITOL SUPERSEDES (Policy No. Date): SUBJECT: PREPARATION AND RESPONSE TO Page 1 of 7 Background in December 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of cases of pneumonia from unknown causes detected in the Hubei province of China. That illness has since been identified as a new type of coronavirus, now known as Since that time, over 90,000 individuals have contracted the virus in 72 countries, and have resulted in over 3,000 deaths. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued an advisory to US citizens that community spread of the virus is likely to occur. Furthermore, the CDC advises that there is currently no vaccine to protect against nor is there an antiviral treatment for available. As of February 2020, according the Hawaii State Department of Health, there are no confirmed cases of in the State of Hawaii. Since the initial outbreak, numerous government public health actions have been employed throughout the world to combat the spread of the virus. This includes, but is not limited to, quarantine (both mandatory and voluntary) of individuals both suspected and confirmed of having contracted the virus; travel bans; and government-imposed requirements to implement social distancing school closures). Given the global impact of the virus and its imminent spread to the United States, it is vital that the Hawai'i State House of Representatives (House) take immediate action now to prepare for the possible impact of to the operations of the Hawaii State Capitol. Workplace The Hawai?i State Capitol is the primary workplace of the Governor, Lt. Governor and the Legislature of State of Hawaii, as weil as support agencies from the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS). In addition to being a close quarters workplace to hundreds of employees, the Hawaii State Capitol attracts members of the public who attend meetings and events on a daily basis. The Governor, Lt. Governor and legislators frequently travel and have contact with a wide array of individuals in a highly dispersed area. The Hawai?i State Capitol along with other nearby attractions such as Iolani Palace is also heavily visited by tourists and school groups throughout the year. It is therefore F1 FOR USE ONLY reasonable to assume that if there are confirmed cases of in the state specifically or United States generally, it is highly possible that the virus will have an impact on the operations of the Hawai?i State Capitol. Impact to Workplace According to the United States Department of Labor, Office of Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) "Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic" (OHSA 2007) a pandemic influenza is defined as such: "Pandemic influenza refers to a worldwide outbreak of influenza among people when a new strain of the virus emerges that has the ability to infect humans and to spread from person to person. During the early phases of an influenza pandemic, people might not have any natural immunity to the new strain; so the disease would spread rapidly among the population. A vaccine to protect people against illness from a pandemic influenza virus may not be widely available until many months after an influenza pandemic begins." Further, OSHA states that: "Unlike natural disasters or terrorist events, an influenza pandemic will be widespread, affecting multiple areas of the United States and other countries at the same time. A pandemic will aiso be an extended event, with multiple waves of outbreaks in the same geographic area; each outbreak could last from 6 to 8 weeks. Waves of outbreaks may occur over a year or more. Your workplace will likely experience: - Absenteeism - A pandemic could affect as many as 40 percent of the workforce during periods of peak influenza illness. Employees could be absent because they are sick, must care for sick family members or for children if schools or day care centers are closed, are afraid to come to work, or the employer might not be notified that the employee has died. - Change in patterns of commerce - During a pandemic, consumer demand for items related to infection control is likely to increase dramatically, while consumer interest in other goods may decline. Consumers may also change the ways in which they shop as a result of the pandemic. Consumers may try to shop at off-peak hours to reduce contact with other people, show increased interest in home delivery services, or prefer other options, such as drive?through service, to reduce person?to?person contact. - Interrupted supply/delivery - Shipments of items from those geographic areas severely affected by the pandemic may be delayed or cancelled." Spread of Virus/Risk of Exposure On the spread of the virus between people, OSHA states: F2 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY "Influenza is thought to be primarily spread through large droplets (droplet transmission) that directly contact the nose, mouth or eyes. These droplets are produced when infected people cough, sneeze or talk, sending the relatively large infectious droplets and very small sprays (aerosols) into the nearby air and into contact with other people. Large droplets can only travel a limited range; therefore, people should limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others when possible. To a lesser degree, human influenza is spread by touching objects contaminated with influenza viruses and then transferring the infected material from the hands to the nose, mouth or eyes. Influenza may also be spread by very small infectious particles (aerosols) traveling in the air. The contribution of each route of exposure to influenza transmission is uncertain at this time and may vary based upon the characteristics of the influenza strain." On the potential risk of exposure of a virus, OSHA states: "Employee risks of occupational exposure to influenza during a pandemic may vary from very high to high, medium, or lower (caution) risk. The level of risk depends in part on whether or not jobs require close proximity to people potentially infected with the pandemic influenza virus, or whether they are required to have either repeated or extended contact with known or suspected sources of pandemic influenza virus such as coworkers, the general public, outpatients, school children or other such individuals or groups." Very High Exposure Risk: - Healthcare employees (for example, doctors, nurses, dentists) performing aerosol? generating procedures on known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, cough induction procedures, bronchoscopies, some dental procedures, or invasive specimen collection). - Healthcare or laboratory personnel collecting or handling specimens from known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, manipulating cultures from known or suspected pandemic influenza patients). High Exposure Risk: - Healthcare delivery and support staff exposed to known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff that must enter patients' rooms). - Medical transport of known or suspected pandemic patients in enclosed vehicles (for example, emergency medical technicians). - Performing autopsies on known or suspected pandemic patients (for example, morgue and mortuary employees). Medium Exposure Risk: F3 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY - Employees with high-frequency contact with the general population (such as schools, high population density work environments, and some high volume retail). Lower Exposure Risk (Caution): - Employees who have minimal occupational contact with the general public and other coworkers (for example, office employees). Purpose To develop and implement a disaster plan to prepare for and respond to confirmed cases of individuals with who visited, come into contact with, or is an employee of the Hawai?i State Capitol. The following plan has two parts. Part 1 covers actions the House should take now to protect its employees and visitors against workplace hazardsof COVID-19. Part 2 covers actions the House should take in the event the workplace is exposed to a confirmed case of Disclaimer: The Speaker reserves to the right to modify any part of the plan to accommodate any unforeseen circumstances and institute policies and procedures deemed necessary for the protection of the health and safety of employees and the public. PART 1 PREPARATION Part 1 describes items for the House to take immediate action on to protect employees and customers in advance of impact from an outbreak in the State of Hawai'i or direct exposure of a confirmed case at the Hawai'i State Capitol: Administrative Controls - Discontinue unessential travel to locations with high illness transmission rates. . Be aware of and review federal, state and local health department pandemic influenza plans. - Prepare and plan for operations with a reduced workforce. - Work with suppliers to ensure that the House can continue to operate and provide services. - Develop a sick leave policy that does not penalize sick employees, thereby encouraging employees who have influenza?related fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, or upset stomach) to stay home so that they do not infect other employees. Recognize that employees with ill family members may need to stay home to care for them. F4 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY - Identify possible exposure and health risks to employees. - Identify essential positions and people required to sustain business-necessary functions and operations and plan for possible downsizing of services. In Develop a modified legislative process to limit high density contact. This may include the continuation of the legislative process with limited to no pubiic hearings but with a iimited set of legislation that would be considered essential (only those necessary for the public health, safety or welfare and the continuation of government). A modified process may also call for limited access to the Hawaii State Capitol by authorized personnel only. - Develop a plan for the immediate suspension of the legislative session. Workplace Controls - Provide resources and a work environment that promotes personal hygiene. - Request DAGS to implement heightened sanitation protocols - Encourage employees to obtain a seasonal influenza vaccine. - Provide employees with up-to-date education and training on influenza risk factors, protective behaviors, and instruction on proper behaviors including but not limited to proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette and social distancing techniques. Employee Assistance - Recognize that, in the course of normal daily life, all employees will have non- occupationai risk factors at home and in community settings that should be reduced to the extent possible. Some employees will also have individual risk factors that should be considered by employers as they plan how the organization will respond to a potential pandemic immune-compromised individuals and pregnant women). - Organize and identify a central team of people or focal point to serve as a communication source so that your employees and customers can have accurate information during the crisis. - Work with employees to address leave, pay, transportation, travel, childcare, absence and other human resource issues. - Provide training, education and informational material about business-essentiai job functions and employee health and safety, including proper hygiene practices and the use of any personal protective equipment to be used in the workplace. Be sure that informational material is available in a usable format for individuals with sensory F5 FOR USE ONLY disabilities and/or limited English proficiency. Encourage employees to take care of their health by eating right, getting plenty of rest and getting a seasonal flu vaccination. - Work with insurance companies, and state and local health agencies to provide I infOrmation to employees and customers about medical care in the event of a pandemic. - Develop emergency communication plans. - Assist employees in managing additional stressors related to the pandemic. These are likely to include distress related to personal or family illness, life disruption, grief related to loss of family, friends or coworkers, loss of routine support systems, and similar challenges. Assuring timely and accurate communication will also be important throughout the duration of the pandemic in decreasing fear or worry. Employers should provide opportunities for support, counseling, and mental health assessment and referral should these be necessary. If present, Employee Assistance Programs can offer training and provide resources and other guidance on mental health and resiliency before and during a pandemic. PART 2 RESPONSE in the event that a confirmed case of an individual or individuals with COVID-19 came into contact with the Hawaii State Capitol, the following protocols will be followed Protocol 1 Event: Visitor who physically came on the premises or visited a nearby location of the Hawaii State Capitol, but dici not attend a public meeting or come into direct contact with an employee, is confirmed with COVID-19. Response: All occupants of the building will be informed of the incident. Any employee demonstrating of influenza will be asked to leave the premises immediately and to seek a medical evaluation. Protocol 2 Event: Member of the public that participated in a meeting or event at the Hawaii State Capitol is confirmed with Response: Individual is prohibited from the Hawaii State Capitol immediately. All responses per protocol 1 implemented. Request appropriate government agency assistance to decontaminate affected areas. Modified legislative process implemented. Protocol 3 F6 FOR ENTERNAL USE ONLY Event: Employee is confirmed with Response: Individual is prohibited from the Hawaii State Capitol immediately. The Hawaii State Capitol is closed immediately, and the legislative session is suspended indefinitely. Request appropriate government agency assistance to decontaminate affected areas. Emergency communication plan is activated. F7 FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY