Mayor Mitch Roth announces the roll-out of a new business-testing program, Healthier Organizations for Everyone (HOE). The County of Hawaiʻi will administer the program in partnership with Community First
Hawaiʻi through their Our Kuleana Pledge Partners to help prevent workplace spread through travel-related testing. Participating organizations are encouraged to provide a rapid test to all employees, vaccinated and unvaccinated, before traveling off-island and collect rapid test results 24-hours before the employee’s anticipated return to the workplace. Employees who receive a positive or inconclusive test result should inform their employer before returning to the workplace. Employees who receive a negative rapid test result may return to the workplace without additional testing.
“At the heart of a healthy economy is a healthy and vibrant workplace,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “We have
reached a point in the pandemic where we must continue to march forward as a community. Through
partnerships with our on-island businesses to test employees who travel off-island, we believe that we can
prevent a majority of workplace spread and ultimately reduce community spread islandwide. That said, we are
incredibly grateful for all of the businesses who jumped at the opportunity to join us in this effort and continue
to welcome all Hawaiʻi Island businesses to sign up if they haven’t already.”
“Our Kuleana Pledge Partners continue to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in our community through their
safe workplace practices. The HOE Program allows businesses to take their effort to another level, for their
organization, their family, and their community through this opportunity for testing employees who travel offisland.”
Vanessa Carlson, Program Manager Community First”
Since the program’s launch on February 4, 18 partnerships have been created in agreement with the HOE testing
program. In addition, the first 100 businesses to sign up for the program will receive 20 free rapid tests procured
by Community First Hawaiʻi as part of an incentive to join the collective effort. Individual businesses are
responsible for purchasing all other tests per the program.
To learn more about this program, visit: hawaiicounty.gov/healthyorg
