(BIVN) – The County of Hawaiʻi issued a morning COVID-19 message on Thanksgiving Day, asking residents to do their part to make this a happy and safe Holiday Season.

From this morning’s civil defense radio message:

This is a COVID-19 informational update for Thursday, November 26th, Thanksgiving Day.

For your information there are no tests scheduled today. The next testing for the Island of Hawaii is for Saturday, November 28th. On that date testing is scheduled for Hilo, Kona, and Keaau. Specific locations and times will be provided on tomorrows report.

Do participate in the free testing program provided to you by your County Government. Remember the purpose of testing is to identify positive cases as early as possible and in this way help stop the spread of the virus.

On this day of Thanksgiving, as you enjoy time with friends and family, do follow the preventive policies of face coverings, distancing and gatherings. Hawaii Island remains one of the safest places in the United States. Your help is needed to keep it that way. So please do your part to make this a happy and safe Holiday Season. Together we can do this and be a model as a community coming together and accepting this kuleana.

Thank you for listening and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

The County of Hawaiʻi publicized a testing session at the County Building in Hilo on Wednesday in support of a new Mobile Testing Unit. Mayor Harry Kim stepped forward to take the test himself.

image of Mayor Harry Kim, taken during a mobile COVID-19 testing session at the County Building on Wednesday, provided by the County of Hawaiʻi

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

Hawai‘i County and its private partner Premier Medical Group conducted a COVID-19 testing session at the County Building on Wednesday as part of the launch of its Mobile Testing Unit.

When the Mobile Unit becomes fully deployed with its three vans early next month, testing teams will be able to rapidly go into vulnerable communities or remote populations. They will be integrated into the already-established County drive-through testing sites around the Island as well.

Along with the advent of the Mobile Unit, Clinical Labs is now able to process tests on-island, thanks to a newly-arrived Panther Analyzer system that can process up to 1,000 tests in a day, with next-day results.

The Mobile Unit tested dozens of County workers at 25 Aupuni Street during a two-hoursession. Mayor Harry Kim lined up for his turn to get tested.

“This Mobile Testing is an expansion of the County’s testing program, because it adds another resource to the community,” Mayor Kim said. “The Mobile Testing enables us toexpand testing as needed, and gives us great flexibility in doing it.”

The Mayor noted that Hawai‘i County leads the State in the coverage of the people of Hawai‘i Island with its testing, with more than 22 percent of the Island’s population tested already.