Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announces new COVID-19 isolation and quarantine facilities in Waikiki

Oct. 20--UPDATE : 1 :28 p.m.

The City & County of Honolulu is reserving as many as 221 rooms at the Park Shore Hotel and is leasing the 46-room Waikiki Beachside Hostel to temporarily quarantine and isolate Oahu residents who contract or were exposed to COVID-19.

"It's our insurance policy, " Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said at a news conference outside the Honolulu Zoo, across from the Park Shore Hotel. "As we open up to visitors, as we open our schools up, as we move into tier 2 that should we increase the number of cases, we have a place to isolate those who test positive or come in close contact with those who are positive. We want to be ready now, not building a plane as we take off."

The city's agreement with Park Shore owner and operator Highgate, which also operates another quarantine site, the Pearl Hotel Waikiki, allows it to activate hotel rooms in phases of 80, 150 or 221 as needed with a five-day notice. No money is paid until the rooms are occupied.

The state Department of Health will handle the assessment and intake of clients, transportation to the hotel, meals and monitoring under a separate contract.

Oahu now has a total of 452 rooms for the isolation and quarantine of residents, including first responders, who cannot safely isolate while recovering from COVID-19.

The contracts run through the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Caldwell said he is drafting an order for Oahu to move into the second phase of the city's reopening plan, which would allow gyms, personal services and other activities to resume.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE Mayor Kirk Caldwell held a media briefing at 12 p.m. outside the Honolulu Zoo to announce new quarantine and isolation facilities in Waikiki, in partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Health, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on Oahu.

Caldwell will be joined by State Department of Health Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Eddie Mersereau, Department of Community Services Director Pamela Witty-Oakland, Department of Land Management Director Sandra Pfund, Office of Housing Executive Director Marc Alexander, and Kelly Sanders, Vice President of Operations -- Hawai'i, Highgate Hotels L.P.

Watch the briefing via the video above, or go to.

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