Yesterday, Hawaiian Airways confirmed that eight of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19. These workers had recently attended flight attendant training at its home of Honolulu.
Surprising incident
The staff members were tested after reporting that they were feeling sick. Now, the carrier is testing instructors and approximately 60 other workers to see if they have contracted the coronavirus. Moreover, it has asked all of those at the scene to self-quarantine.
According to the Pacific Business News, the company is investigating how the workers got the virus. Additionally, it is working with public health officials to identify others who may have come into contact with those infected.
“We are supporting our team members in their recovery, helping contact anyone who may have been at risk of exposure, and reinforcing our office protocols to keep our employees safe,” a Hawaiian spokesperson said, as reported by Pacific News.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have cancelled our flight attendant training for the next two weeks in order to deep clean our facilities. All of our instructors have been tested, and the approximately 60 employees who have been through our training program in the past week have been asked to self-quarantine and monitor their health.”
Preparing for the future
This news follows Hawaiian’s announcement that it will welcome back North American travel next month. It will perform a reduced schedule between Hawaii and most of its US mainland gateway cities from August 1st. The operator will also increase the number of trips to neighbor islands, offering customers better connectivity between Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Island of Hawaii.
The resumptions coincide explicitly with the state’s pre-travel COVID-19 testing program. From the beginning of next month, all passengers arriving from other states will be required to obtain a valid COVID-19 test before their arrival. Subsequently, they will have to show proof of a negative result. If the test shows that these arrivals don’t have the virus, they can avoid the 14-day quarantine.
Trying to control the situation
Therefore, Hawaiian would be hoping to address the coronavirus issues within the company further before it expands in August. Nonetheless, it has implemented a robust health and safety program for both staff and passengers to follow. Measures include the wearing of face masks, airport and onboard distancing, and enhanced cleaning measures.
Altogether, while the United States is still trying to control the number of daily cases of the virus, Hawaii’s confirmed cases remain relatively low. However, the numbers have risen over the last month, which the state will be keeping a close eye on as it prepares to relax its restrictions.
Simple Flying reached out to Hawaiian for comment on the report but did not hear back before publication. We will update the article with any further announcements.
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