The 82-year-old is returning to work for Queen’s Medical Center during the COVID pandemic

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Do you like your job? Do you like your employer? An Oahu woman loved both so much that she returned to work after retirement to help out during the COVID pandemic.

The 82-year-old woman believes her job will keep her young.

Everyone who enters Office Building II of the Queen’s Physicians Office is first greeted by Edovia Lazaro, who works as a temperature screener.

Lazaro is doing its part to ensure the health and safety of the building during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I decide to come back because all of my colleagues are gone after retiring at 65, four of them and I feel so bad about it,” explained Lazaro.

Lazaro worked for Queen’s Medical Center for 43 years before retiring in 2007. He spent most of those years as a surgical assistant in the operating room.

“I love to work, I can’t bear to stay in the house … I love my colleagues, my employees, they really appreciate coming back.”

Edovia Lazaro, Queen’s temperature screener

In her current on-call duty, Lazaro is on her feet for eight hours at a time. She greets and screens up to 2,000 people a day.

“I want to thank you for coming to help right now during COVID, when we need the help. The support means a lot to the employees, ”said Celeste Barstis, Operations Manager at Queen’s Medical Center.

When Lazaro is not working, she likes to cook and spend a lot of time with her family, but she works as much as she can because she is passionate about her job.

“I see it all the time in their interactions with our patients and their families; She takes the time to talk to them, listen to them and help them orientate, ”Barstis added.

Lazaro said she doesn’t care if she is old or how old she is, but she cares about her work.