New Executive Order for Hawaii Restaurants and Bars: Good or Bad?

The signing yesterday of Executive Order 21-08 by Governor David Y. Ige has the following impact on the City and County of Honolulu’s Safe Oahu Response Plan requirements for restaurants and bars as of November 12, 2021:

• There is no longer any indoor capacity limit. However, the state has ordered that within indoor portions of restaurants and bars there must still be six feet of distancing between tables.
• There is no longer any outdoor capacity limit, masking is not required in the outdoor space, and there can be less than six feet of distancing between tables. 

“While I appreciate the Governor recognizing our Safe Access Oahu program, requiring six feet of distancing between indoor tables does not move the needle forward for many of the smaller restaurants and bars,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “O‘ahu has some of the best numbers in the country in terms of case counts, hospitalizations, and vaccination rates and we have the extra security of the Safe Access Oahu program, thus ensuring safer environments. The state’s six-foot distancing requirement between tables still means restaurants and bars cannot possibly operate at full capacity. I will discuss this again with the Governor as it is operationally and financially critical to our small, locally-owned establishments.”

In accordance with the City and County of Honolulu’s Emergency Order NO. 2021-15, the following remains in effect:

• Persons accessing both indoor and outdoor portions of restaurants and bars are subject to the Safe Access Oahu requirements.
• For indoor or outdoor restaurants and bars, only sit-down table service is permitted.

State Executive Order 21-08 has no impact on indoor and outdoor seated entertainment, indoor and outdoor interactive events, road races and triathlons, or the last call for alcohol at licensed establishments. 

For more information please visit oneoahu.org/safe-oahu-response-plan. O‘ahu residents are encouraged to visit oneoahu.org for more information and access to resources. The City’s COVID-19 information call center remains open every day from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on holidays. People can call the (808) 768-CITY (2489) information hotline or email: [email protected]