Hawaii’s governor joined the state’s Hawaii’s mayors yesterday in announcing the lifting of many pandemic restrictions on Dec. 1, signalling that Hawaii is once again open for business. But Gov. David Ige said officials are still wary of the global resurgence of the virus, stating, “We are at a better place than we were in three months ago, but we are still not finished with the pandemic.”

To that end, Ige said at a news conference with the mayors that he will continue to require that travellers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to avoid 10 days of quarantine when they arrive.

Ige said virus activity continues to be substantial in Hawaii by the standards of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He noted the state has been averaging about 100 new cases per day lately and it wouldn’t take much for those numbers to sharply escalate.

Among the eased restrictions, taking effect Dec. 1, most of Hawaii’s counties will allow restaurants and bars to operate at 100% capacity and eliminate a requirement that groups sit 1.83 m. apart at restaurants.

When asked when he planned to lift a requirement that people wear masks in indoor public places, the governor said healthcare professionals, including state Department of Health Director Dr. Libby Char and State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble, tell him that wearing masks reduces the spread of the virus.

He also relayed that governors from other states told him they regretted dropping mask mandates in their states, as they believed doing so contributed to surges.

“We are seeing surges all across Europe. We’re seeing surges in South Korea, New Zealand, and other international destinations. So, we do know that when we drop our guards, we can see a surge in cases,” Ige said.

Changes to county rules are becoming possible because Ige said he would allow a statewide rule governing restaurants, bars, gyms and social gatherings to expire on Nov. 30. The governor said after this point, the counties would be responsible for their rules.

Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai counties said they wouldn’t impose new rules at restaurants after the statewide guideline goes away, thus allowing restaurants to return to full capacity and for distancing requirements to lapse.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said patrons will be expected to wear masks when they aren’t eating or drinking. He also noted that the lifting of capacity limits and social distancing requirements for events on Oahu would be key to resuming meetings and conventions at the Hawaii Convention Center and various resort properties.

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said he would announce new rules in coming days, while Sarah Blane, chief of staff to Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami, said she expected Kauai would update its rules on social gatherings next week.

“These steps serve to revitalize our visitor industry at an appropriate time, with our state’s vaccination rate ranked among the highest in the nation, coupled with the health safeguards for domestic travellers that are required by Hawaii’s Safe Travels program,” said Hawaii Tourism Association President & Chief Executive Officer John De Fries, adding, “The modified federal restrictions on international arrivals and the continuation of Hawaii’s indoor mask mandate provide additional safeguards.

“Today’s announcements are another welcome sign of Hawaii’s recovery, allowing businesses to return to full capacity, resulting in a better experience for visitors and local residents alike,” he said.

However, ahead of the new rules, Hawaii’s restaurants continue to desperately seek workers with Hawaii Restaurant Association’s incoming chair Ryan Tanaka warning, “We still are facing an ongoing labour shortage. There’s a supply chain disruption that’s happening worldwide, so it’s still going to take some time for us to ramp up.”