Hawai‘i Senate and House leaders informed legislators and staff today that, out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol’s Public Access Room will be closed until March 18 after an employee’s roommate came into contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. No one who works at the Hawai‘i State Capitol has tested positive for, or shown any symptoms of COVID-19.
The employee at Public Access Room today informed colleagues of the following: The employee’s roommate, a rideshare driver, was informed by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health yesterday that a passenger the roommate drove on March 4 tested positive for COVID-19. As a precautionary measure, DOH asked the roommate to self-quarantine for 14 days even though the roommate has been symptom free.
At no time have either the roommate or the employee of the Public Access Room exhibited any symptoms. Therefore, based upon CDC guidelines and DOH current policies, they were not tested by the Hawai‘i Department of Health and are extremely unlikely to have been infected. However, out of an abundance of caution, the employee and the employee’s colleagues in the Public Access Room were sent home and the Public Access Room will undergo a thorough cleaning.
All essential functions of the Hawai‘i State Legislature will continue.