Honolulu Mayor Amends Emergency Order

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced today that certain businesses will be allowed to open with limitations on Oahu according to his Emergency Order No. 2020-09. This Order is effective from 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18.

May 18 is the automatic expiration date on the Mayor’s declaration of the state of emergency for the City and County of Honolulu as set forth in the Mayor’s Supplemental Proclamation of Emergency or Disaster, dated March 18.

Under Hawaii law, the declaration of emergency automatically terminates sixty days from the date of its signing. The Mayor’s Stay at Home/Work from Home Order, enabled under the declaration, had an expiration date of April 30, well within the automatic expiration date of the declaration of the state of emergency.

As events in Hawaii unfolded and the promulgation of various Emergency Orders by the Mayor and Supplemental Proclamations by the Governor, the City recently sought approval from the Governor and the Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) for the extension of the City’s “Amended and Restated” Stay at Home Order through the automatic termination date of the declaration of emergency. The Amended and Restated Order allows certain designated business and operations to open up under specific circumstances and guidelines, given what appears to be the “flattening of the curve.”

Before May 18, the City anticipates submitting for approval from the Governor and the Director of HI-EMA a Second Supplemental Proclamation of Emergency or Disaster, so that the declaration of the state of emergency for the City and County of Honolulu will continue for another 60 days.

The submission to the State will also seek to extend the Mayor’s Amended and Restated Stay at Home Order until May 31, so as to be consistent and aligned with the Governor’s Sixth Supplemental Proclamation, and to address other designated businesses and operations that may be able to be opened in order to restore Honolulu’s economy based science, data, testing and contract tracing developments.

For the purposes of Emergency Order No. 2020-09, Social Distancing Requirements include maintaining at least six-foot distance from other individuals.

In addition, the amended Order includes the re-opening of public and private golf courses within the City operating in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Professional Golfers’ Association’s (PGA) Aloha Section, to the extent reasonably practicable.

For clarity, businesses re-opening that provide one-on-one services as listed in Emergency Order No. 2020-09 do not include hair salons, barber shops, or nail salons. These are considered higher risk environments where it is not possible to comply with the social distancing requirement between operator/stylist and client.

The City and County of Honolulu COVID-19 information call center remains open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on holidays. Oahu residents are encouraged to visit the website, oneoahu.org to get answers to frequently asked questions about Mayor Caldwell’s Stay at Home Order. If they do not find an answer to their questions on the site, residents can call the 768-CITY (2489) information hotline or email [email protected]