Hawaii County to offer free COVID-19 testing in Hilo

Hawaii County will will offer a free, short-term COVID-19 testing program to address an ongoing outbreak at Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo.

According to the county, testing will begin Wednesday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo. Tests also will be administered June 19, 23 and 26.

The decision to offer this testing was based on the number of positive cases among HCCC staff and the continued possibility of community spread, the overall increase in visitor arrivals, the lifting of interisland flight restrictions today and the increased number of social gatherings due to graduation and other summer activities, the county said.

“At this time, we feel that setting up a testing program is the best way for us to gather data to ensure that our communities remain protected,” Mayor Mitch Roth said in a news release. “We are slowly beginning our return to normalcy, and ensuring that we don’t trip at the finish line is our number one priority.

“We would also like to remind residents that with the new variants becoming prevalent in the community that it is truly our kuleana to get vaccinated to keep our community healthy, happy, and safe as we begin our recovery towards a thriving Hawaii Island.”

Testing and vaccinations also will be made available to HCCC staff and families upon request.