(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County Mayor Harry Kim on Friday issued an Emergency Proclamation “to increase preparedness for the possible arrival of Coronavirus in the State.”

Officials say there are no confirmed cases of the virus, also known as COVID-19, on the Big Island or in the state. A county press release was issued after proclamation was signed, saying:

The proclamation is a proactive measure to do all we can to prevent the virus from coming here and to do all we can to limit its impact if it does come here. Besides heightening preparedness, the Emergency Proclamation will allow for greater mobilization of County resources, positions the County for reimbursement should State or Federal monies become available, allow for coordination with Federal, State and NGO (non-governmental organization) partners and allow for reassignment of County personnel if necessary.

“While recognizing that the County of Hawai‘i and the State of Hawai‘i have no reported COVID-19 cases, the County of Hawai‘i will be increasing promotion of precautionary measures and education as recommended by the CDC and State of Hawai‘i Department of Health by increasing County-wide programs” of prevention and education, the Proclamation said.

“Our goal is to stop the virus, and if it does come here, to mitigate the spread of the virus,” Mayor Kim said. The County is working closely with the Governor’s Office and the State Department of Health to achieve this goal.



Here is the full text of the Emergency Proclamation: