Kim sent to ER with pneumonia relapse

HILO — Mayor Harry Kim was taken to the emergency room at Hilo Medical Center early Friday morning, and was diagnosed with a relapse of pneumonia.

The mayor said he suffered severe chills, and his wife called 911 for an ambulance. He was released from the ER and is resting at home. He was diagnosed with walking pneumonia in early May.

“They made me promise to stay home today,” Kim said in a statement.

The mayor has been at the helm of the ongoing response to the Puna eruption, and late Thursday night he was taking a look at the preparations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Recovery Center at the Keaau High School gym. The facility opened its doors to offer individual assistance to the public on Friday morning.

On Thursday, the president approved the governor’s request for the federal government’s full scope of individual assistance programs to address issues such as shelter needs, unemployment, trauma and legal matters.

Kim said he called Ige Friday morning to thank him for his help in securing individual assistance for Hawai’i County residents who lost their homes and property in the volcanic eruption that began on May 3.

“I thanked the governor and his entire staff for expediting the application for the individual assistance,” the mayor said. “I’m so proud of all of the people in this effort —county, state and federal, and I’m so happy for the people of Puna.”