Civil Beat Staff

Eleni Avendaño

Eleni Avendaño is a public health reporter who covers health disparities and the COVID-19 pandemic in the islands.

Her coverage is funded in part by a grant from Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.

Previously, she covered health, tourism, nonprofits and the University of Hawaii for Pacific Business News in Honolulu.

Her work has been recognized several times by the the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter, which awarded her for excellence in news and feature writing.

A graduate of American University and the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Eleni has written articles and captured photos for publications including the Associated Press and Honolulu Magazine.

Eleni, who is also a published video journalist and documentarian, was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from Roosevelt High School.

She welcomes story ideas and anonymous tips at egill@civilbeat.org. You can follow her on Twitter @lorineleni.

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This Hawaii Company Found Help In South Korea For Its COVID Test Kits Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

This Hawaii Company Found Help In South Korea For Its COVID Test Kits

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Oceanit developed a spit test and one using nasal swabs that are currently in clinical trials.
‘Better Than Nothing’: Doctors Urge High-Risk Patients To Get Vaccines Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

‘Better Than Nothing’: Doctors Urge High-Risk Patients To Get Vaccines

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Patients with weakened immune systems should still avoid large crowds and take pandemic precautions even as official restrictions on masks and social distancing are eased.
Ua Hōʻemi Ka Maʻi Ahulau I Ka Nui O Nā Hōʻike Kēpau ʻAna I Nā Keiki Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Ua Hōʻemi Ka Maʻi Ahulau I Ka Nui O Nā Hōʻike Kēpau ʻAna I Nā Keiki

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He mau hopena ʻino ko ka hoʻomaʻi kēpau no nā keiki, no laila he koʻikoʻi ka hōʻike ʻana ma nā pae hiki mua.
DOH Survey: Hawaii Vaccine Attitudes Vary By Age, Ethnicity, Income Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

DOH Survey: Hawaii Vaccine Attitudes Vary By Age, Ethnicity, Income

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The most vaccine-hesitant tended to be among a younger segment of the population, among other indicators.
Ige Outlines Plan To Ease COVID-19 Restrictions For Restaurants, Gatherings Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Ige Outlines Plan To Ease COVID-19 Restrictions For Restaurants, Gatherings

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More rules will be lifted on the condition that more of Hawaii's population gets vaccinated.
COVID-19 Cases Are Declining In Hawaii But Restaurant Clusters Show Continued Danger Cory Lum/Civil Beat

COVID-19 Cases Are Declining In Hawaii But Restaurant Clusters Show Continued Danger

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The overall picture of who is falling ill has also changed in the islands. Most of the new cases recorded weekly are among the 18-44 year old age group, according to DOH data.
No Vaccine, No Tests Required For Travel Within Hawaii Starting June 15 Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

No Vaccine, No Tests Required For Travel Within Hawaii Starting June 15

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But only travelers from the mainland who got at least one shot in Hawaii will be exempt from COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements, Gov. David Ige said.
Growing Use Of Rapid Testing Provides A ‘Degree Of Safety’ As Hawaii Reopens Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Growing Use Of Rapid Testing Provides A ‘Degree Of Safety’ As Hawaii Reopens

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COVID-19 tests are likely to remain part of life even as the overall pandemic situation stabilizes in the island state.
Maps Show Hawaii’s COVID-19 Vaccine Disparities By ZIP Code Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Maps Show Hawaii’s COVID-19 Vaccine Disparities By ZIP Code

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New heat maps show how the state's COVID-19 vaccine campaign is going at a granular geographic level.