Hawaii Lifts Restrictions for Indoor and Outdoor Events

Effective November 3, indoor and outdoor managed events in Hawaii can operate at 100% capacity, as per an announcement today by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. Attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear masks.

The President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) had this to say: “Mayor Blangiardi’s decision to ease indoor and outdoor venue capacity requirements on Oahu is welcomed news to our community and visitor industry. The timing will allow residents and businesses to more fully enjoy the holidays and is an important step toward our economic recovery and improving the overall experience of being in Hawaii during this festive time of year.

“We continue to encourage those who can get vaccinated to do so and for everyone to follow the recommended safety guidelines of wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance from others.”

Just a few days ago, Governor Ige had said that with the falling number of new cases in the state, he was cautiously optimistic about easing restrictions. He did, however, say that they would not want to lift restrictions too early, because if the numbers go back up, it will be difficult to bring them back down.

The City and County of Honolulu’s Safe Access Oahu program requires all customers and employees of certain businesses, such as restaurants, bars, gyms and museums, to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter the indoor areas of an establishment.