PART OF A GROWING COVID-19
CLUSTER IN A
VETERANS HOME ON THE BIG ISLAND
SHARES HER EXPERIENCE AND AN
EMOTIONAL PLEA TO
THE PUBLIC.
JENN BONEZA HAS MORE....
JENN: "I SPOKE TO A FAMILY
CURRENTLY FIGHTING COVID-19.
IT'S BEEN AN EMOTIONAL
ROLLERCOASTER. THEY'VE BEEN
GRAPPLING WITH UNCERTAINTY
BROUGHT ON BY THE VIRUS, PRAYING
THEIR LOVED ONE WILL PULL
THROUGH. THEIR MESSAGE TO OTHERS
CLEAR--COVID-19 IS VERY REAL."
MARY BENEVIDES VIDEO 4, FATHER
COVID-19 POSITIVE AT YUKIO
OKUTSU STATE VETERANS HOME:
"JUST TAKE IT SERIOUSLY IF YOU
LOVE YOUR FAMILY. IF
YOU LOVE ANYBODY WITHIN YOUR
COMMUNITY TAKE IT SERIOUSLY."
MARY BENEVIDES WAS IN SHOCK WHEN
SHE FOUND OUT HER 77-YEAR-OLD
FATHER WALTER SANTOS SR. HAS
COVID-19. SHE KNEW IT WAS
POSSIBLE, BUT HOPED HE WOULDN'T
HE IS ONE OF THE NOW 54
RESIDENTS AND 18 STAFF AT THE
YUKIO OKUTSU STATE VETERAN'S
HOME WITH THE
VIRUS.
CASES INSIDE THE HOME EXPLODED
AFTER AN ASYPTOMATIC STAFF
MEMBER TESED POSITVE IN LATE
AUGUST.
BENEVIDES SAYS HER FATHER HAS A
FEVER, BODY ACHES AND LOSS OF
APPETITE, BUT NOTHING TOO
SERIOUS SO FAR.
MARY VIDEO 3 HE IS ISOLATED
RIGHT NOW AND SEMI SEDATED, HE'S
ON IV FLUIDS TO KEEP HIM AS
NURISHED AND AS STRONG AS THEY
CAN. RIGHT NOW HE
DOESN'T HAVE AN APPETITE SO THEY
SHE BELIEVES THE VETERANS HOME
IS DOING ALL THEY CAN FOR HER
FATHER AND TO PREVENT FURTHER
SPREAD.
BUT SHE WORRIES ABOUT WHAT COULD
HAPPEN--KNOWING 5 VETERANS FROM
THE HOME HAVE ALREADY DIED FROM
COVID-19'
NEW TESTS SHOW THAT A 6TH PERSON
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO HAVE DIED
FROM CORONAVIRUS, DID NOT HAVE
IT..
MARY VID 4TO KNOW THAT THERE
ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THAT FACILITY
THAT MY DAD KNEW THAT HE WON'T
GET TO SEE AGAIN AND THEY WON'T
GET TO SEE
MARY VID 4 I JUST I THINK I'M
TRYING TO LIKE JUST PRAY THAT I
DON'T GET THE PHONE CALL THAT MY
DAD IS ONE OF THEM." SHE IS
URGING EVERYONE TO TAKE THE
MASK.
MARY VID 4IT'S NOT THAT HARD
TO DO YOUR PART AND TO BE A GOOD
PART OF IT.IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE
BUT ITS MORE UNCOMFORTABLE TO
LOSE SOMEBODY
YOU LOVE."
JENNBONEZA KHON2 NEWS WORKING
FOR HAWAII
SAM:
GUSTY WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS
LED TO A "RED-FLAG-WARNING"
