Editor’s Note: Questions about stay-at-home orders can be submitted to tinyurl.com/TGIQ-A and The Garden Island staff will do our best to find you an answer by contacting county officials and Kauai District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman. Be aware these answers are informed with the latest directives from officials and can change as official rules and recommendations change. Contact the Hawai‘i Department of Health or your physician for official COVID-19 symptoms and steps to take if you think you have the virus.
Q: Why are churches still able to have worship services?
A: Organizations, including businesses and churches, that provide charitable and social services, are only allowed to operate while actively providing these services, per the mayor’s emergency rule No. 5. The rule also states that it is “recommended strongly that (in-person) religious gatherings be postponed.”
In lieu of physical worship, many local churches have set-up online worship services. For example, the United Church of Christ has suspended its on-site gatherings for online services through May 10, and the Aloha Church live streams and then posts its services to Facebook to watch and listen afterward.
Q: I know we are allowed to surf and swim, but can we go to the beach with our household members and cruise?
A: Per stay-at-home rules, travel should be limited to performing essential tasks. The Kaua‘i Police Department’s frequently-asked questions explicitly says that cruising and motorcycle joy rides are not allowed during these times. However, outdoor exercise activities, like surfing and swimming at the beach, are allowed with household members.
Q: Is it OK to go out for a wedding?
A: The goal of stay-at-home orders is to slow the spread of COVID-19, and that’s done by limiting movement to essential activities: obtaining necessary supplies, engaging in activities essential for health and safety, caring for family, friends or pets, and engaging in outdoor exercise.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines state that social gatherings should be limited to groups of 10 people or less, with 6 feet of separation between each person.
It’s safer for yourself, family and community to suspend or postpone in-person gatherings.
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
So, churches are allowed to hold services? I can’t ride my motorcycle by myself, but I can surf by myself or ride a bicycle by myself. And weddings? Can I have my wedding in a church as my wedding is a religious ceremony?
Who’s providing these conflicted, wishy-washy answers? Is it the newspaper staff or an official at the county?