LĪHU’E – Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami’s announced that beaches will reopen Friday, May 15 as a two-week pilot program under Mayor’s Emergency Rule 8, which was approved by Governor David Ige.
Rule 8 allows people to utilize the beach under certain restrictions designed to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Additionally, Mayor Kawakami signed Emergency Rule 9, which extends the mandatory quarantine for incoming travelers through the month of June. Those traveling for health care purposes, as long as they wear appropriate protective gear and keep social distance, are exempt from the quarantine. Those traveling to perform critical infrastructure work, as identified
in the Governor’s proclamation, are still subject to the quarantine, but are allowed to break quarantine only to perform those essential work functions.
“We have taken temporary control over the coronavirus with our aggressive restrictions, and we feel we can begin to ease them in a responsible manner,” said Mayor Kawakami. “That said, the risk of the virus returning is most clearly associated with incoming travelers, whether
residents or visitors, so we feel it is necessary to extend the mandatory quarantine.”
Emergency Rule 8 allows more casual beach use with the following limitations:
– All groups should be part of the same household, and should not exceed 10 people;
– Any and all persons on the beach who are not part of the same household shall comply with social distancing requirements, with the exception of caregivers escorting a dependent;
– Beaches or sand area may only be used a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, unless a person is engaged in shoreline fishing or permitted outdoor exercise; and
– All other restrictions found in the Governor’s Safer at Home order must be followed, such as quarantine restrictions “In order for us to continue to reopen our businesses and activities while keeping each other safe, we all must exercise self-discipline to follow CDC guidelines of social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and cleaning surfaces often,” urged Mayor Kawakami.
As a reminder, all individuals in the State of Hawai‘i are subject to Governor Ige’s emergency proclamations and Safer at Home order. To view the Governor’s proclamations and the Mayor’s emergency rules, please visit the KEMA website, www.kauai.gov/covid-19.
Last modified: May 28, 2020
