Hope looms as COVID-19 vaccinations continue in Hawaii and across the country, but state-issued guidelines to contain the pandemic remain the same for now.
Gov. David Ige issued an 18th emergency proclamation on Friday acknowledging the new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which no longer require vaccinated individuals meet certain criteria to be quarantined.
But that exception will not be formally made for travelers to Hawaii yet.
Ige said in a press release that the state will wait for specific guidelines from the CDC “before implementing a quarantine exception for vaccinated travelers.”
Ministry of Health officials reported a new coronavirus-related death and 70 new infections on Friday, bringing the state’s total to 425 deaths and 26,743 cases since the pandemic began.
The death on Oahu was a man in his 60s with underlying conditions hospitalized, officials said.
The new cases reported by the department on Friday include 33 on Oahu, 25 on Maui, five on the island of Hawaii and seven residents diagnosed out of state.
Also on Friday, the governor approved the City and County of Honolulu’s third amended and revised order, keeping Oahu within level 2 where it has been since October.
Tier 2 restrictions allow up to five people to dine together in a restaurant without coming from the same household and may apply personal care services and legal short-term rentals. In addition, gyms and fitness facilities are allowed to operate indoors with a capacity of 25%, and indoor physical activity classes are limited to no more than five people and outdoor classes to no more than 10 people. The current rules for face masks and social distance remain in effect.
The order of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi does not change the four-tier framework for reopening the island’s commercial, social and community activities set up by former Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
The order will take effect Monday and will remain in effect at least until March 15, unless Oahu’s statistics move it to another level earlier.
According to Blan-giardi, the seven-day mean number of cases on Friday was 45 for Oahu, and the seven-day mean positivity rate was 1.5%. For Oahu to move to the less restrictive Tier 3, the seven-day average of new cases on two consecutive Wednesdays must be below 50, and the seven-day average positivity rate must be below 2.5%.
Blangiardi said that while he looks forward to working with Ige and the Department of Health to further ease restrictions on certain businesses and activities, there are concerns about an increase in COVID-19 cases after the Super Bowl weekend.
“The health and safety of everyone in the city and county of Honolulu remains our top priority and I want to move us forward in a way that is considered and scientifically based,” he said in a statement. “Successfully minimizing the spread of this virus during occasions such as Super Bowl weekend, Valentine’s Day, and beyond is key to getting more of Oahu back to work, school, and back into the community activities we desperately need. “
Blangiardi had previously said he hoped to ease restrictions for bar owners and for youth team outdoor sports, both of which are only allowed under Tier 4.
According to preliminary DOH statistics, 236,649 COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the state on Thursday. About 10.8% of the population has received at least one dose.
Health officials also reported 1,034 current active cases statewide, 44 fewer than the previous census. Per island, Oahu has 738 active cases, Maui has 224, Hawaii has 66, Kauai has three, Lanai has two, and Molokai has one.
Of all confirmed cases of infection in Hawaii, 1,779 had to be hospitalized, with four new hospitalizations reported Friday by state health officials. Four hospital admissions in the state are Hawaii residents who have been diagnosed and treated out of state.
According to the Hawaii COVID-19 data dashboard, as of Thursday morning, 49 patients with the virus were in hospitals in Hawaii, 14 in intensive care, and 12 on ventilators.
Gov. Ige’s 18th Proclam … by Honolulu Star-Advertiser