LIHU‘E — Gov. David Ige extended the statewide stay-at-home order until May 31 on Saturday, as well as the 14-day traveler quarantine.
“I know this has been difficult for everyone,” said Ige. “Businesses need to reopen. People want to end this self-imposed isolation.
“And we all want our lives to return to normal,” Ige said at an afternoon media briefing, saying the decision to extend rules and restrictions was not an easy one.
He also relaxed outdoor-exercise rules, permitted activities include swimming, surfing and walking pets. In addition, running, jogging or walking on the beach will be permitted, as long as social-distancing requirements are observed.
An eviction moratorium was also extended until the end of May.
Young Brothers Hawai‘i announced a reduction in their business hours that will affect island ports starting May 5.
According to an Friday press release issued by the Hawai‘i division of the corporation, reductions to the barge sailing schedules affect Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i and Hawai‘i Island, due to reduced cargo volumes.
Those changes begin May 5.
Mayor Derek Kawakami discussed Young Brothers during his daily Kaua‘i county address on Facebook Saturday to inform residents of the update.
“Kaua‘i residents can be reassured that there are no changes to Young Brothers’ cargo shipments to our island,” Kawakami said.
According to the Young Brothers press release, starting May 5, they will implement changes to their hours of operation at all ports.
Essential cargo and supplies will continue to be shipped regularly.
In conjunction with the amended sailing schedule, Young Brothers will convert one or two days of regular gate hours (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) to half-day operations (7:30 to 11:30 a.m.) at all ports.
Gate entry hours of operations that begin on Tuesday, May 5, will affect only one change at Nawiliwili. The new hours will be from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays. Their regularly scheduled hours continue as 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 7:30 to 11:30 a.m on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“As a valued customer, we want you to know that we are implementing important, temporary changes to our service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and decreasing cargo volumes,” the Young Brothers press release stated.
“Subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission with a requested effective date of May 5, we will temporarily amend our sailing schedule for Maui and Hawai‘i counties. All other county sailing schedules will not be affected.”
An attempt to reach Matson Inc. for comment was unsuccessful as of press time.
Kaua‘i, as of Saturday, has one confirmed, active case of COVID-19. In total, there have been 21 confirmed cases, and 20 of them have either recovered or gone home to the Mainland.
Statewide, the state Department of Health reported Saturday there are a total of 604 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 482 have been released from isolation. There have been 14 deaths.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s most recent numbers show on Friday that 467 people arrived in Hawai‘i, including 118 visitors and 155 residents. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reports 46 people arrived at Lihu‘e Airport on Friday.
The state Department of Transportation reported Saturday that an average of about 100 visitors continue to arrive in Hawai‘i every day.
there is always a “lag time” to feel the full effect of things…..like in college….. seems like the GPA goes down, a lot faster than it goes up !!
Hawaii is in for some hard times, for months and years to come, even after this virus is long gone;
those darn tourists are more valuable than we realize…
Not funny. How he know how difficult it’s been for us? I think he needs stop meddling in individual islands affairs and let the mayors handle their own. If he thinks that Kauai situation even remotely same as ohau hes nuts. We been locked down tighter and longer than any island and the numbers prove it. I think if he keeps playing games and doesnt do something further like shuttle incoming flight arrivals to a dedicated quarantine facility people gonna start to rebel then there really gonna be a mess. People in this country aren’t used to being told No and are eventually gonna snap. Hope that never happens. I am impressed with how Kauai been handling it and am blessed to live here.
Can somebody please explain why Kauai and Honolulu are being treated the same??? THERE IS NOTHING HERE!
This has gone beyond stupid.
Open our island to the locals to show how secure and disease free we are.
Young brothers new schedule starting May 5th, 2020
Governor, u have destroyed airline travel to this island chain for the foreseeable future! All u kids graduating school will have to leave to get a job. Those that depend on tourists for their job or business might as well move too. Thanx Governor, who still gets a paycheck.
Time to open up Kauai and cancel Covid-19 restrictions other than arrival quarantine. Kauai has been holding at 21 cases for weeks! The virus is NOT here! The restrictions are completely unnecessary and are ruining peoples lives!
Treat every island differently because every island is different!
We assume none of the Hawaii arrivals were sick…so open tourism.
i encourage everyone to go onto change.org , search for and sign all petitions relating to impeachmeant of ige. the guy has got to go…
BILL BARR OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SAID HE WILL STAND BEHIND AMERICANS WHO SUE STATE GOVERNORS AND WE WILLL SUE SO GET READY TO PAY !!
FELLOW BELOVED KAUAIIANS YOU ARE NOT SUBJECTS OR PRISONERS…..YOU…. ARE THE GOVERNMENT ……NOT THIS IRRATIONAL CLOWN UP THERE TELLING YOU TO BE AFRAID !!!!! MORE PEOPLE DIE ON KAUAI FROM DROWNING !!!!
OUR CONSTITUTION IS INTENDED TO PROTECT YOU FROM EXACTLY THIS KIND OF ABUSE OF POWER.
SUPPOSEDLY WAITING FOR PERFECT SAFETY
IS A DECEPTIVELY APPEALING SHINY OBJECT ……BUT IT IS A PURE LIE !!!
ALL THE BIG BOXES ARE OPEN !!!
OPEN KAUAI MAY 3 !!!!! THE VICE PRESIDENT SPECIFICALLY
SAID EVERY COUNTY CAN MAKE ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL
DECISIONS.
YOU ARE NOT SHEEP FEAR IS NOT DATA
WE ARE A FREE PEOPLE AND NOT SUBJECTS OR PRISONERS UNDER HOUSE ARREST WITH NO JUSTTIFICATION AND NO DATA, BILL BARR WILL SUPPORT US AND WE WILL SUE FOR OUR FREEDOM OUR CLOWN GOVERNT IS A TOTAL SHAM
Governor Ige has destroyed many Hawaiian small businesses with his dictates. Why have our ¨Leaders¨ not challenged his livelihood crushing mandates?
We own property in Kauai. We pay property taxes to Hawaii. We come every year. And we cannot come. Doesn’t seem right.
My concern is that Gov. Ige has created a 0% Herd Immunity in Hawaii. So if one person comes with COVID 19, then it will spread like wild fire.
Your choices are now: 1. 0pen and deal with it. 2.Stay completely closed until vaccines are available to everyone.