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Gov. Ige approves Honolulu’s move to Tier 2 of economic re-opening plan, Mayor Caldwell says

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Mayor Kirk Caldwell speaks during a press conference at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kakaako on Oct, 15.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM

Mayor Kirk Caldwell speaks during a press conference at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kakaako on Oct, 15.

Gov. David Ige has approved the order for Oahu to move to the less-restrictive Tier 2 of Honolulu’s economic re-opening plan effective tomorrow, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said today.

Under Tier 2, Oahu gyms, personal care services and other activities will be able to resume on Thursday.

Attorney General Clare Connors has given her approval, Caldwell said.

“Come midnight tonight, we move into Tier 2,” the mayor said. “I’m asking all of us to please do our very best so that we remain in Tier 2 so that we don’t have to go back to Tier 1. It’s easy to go back, but it’s hard to go forward.”

The signed order was returned this afternoon. The order has been posted online on the city’s web site.

The second phase of reopening will allow groups of five from different households to dine at restaurants; as well as authorize legal short-term rentals to resume business. Gyms and fitness facilities will be able to operate at 25% capacity and have indoor classes with no more than five people and outdoor classes with no more than 10 people.

Arcades will be allowed to open at 25% capacity, helicopter tours at 50% capacity and groups of five will be allowed indoors for all other commercial attractions operating at 50% capacity. Personal care, including massage parlors and beauty services, will be able to reopen. However, bars and nightclubs remain closed.

Social gatherings are still limited to five people, including at parks, beaches and on hiking trails, while church services remain at 50% capacity, as do funerals at a 10-person limit.

To move to Tier 3, Oahu must stay in Tier 2 for four weeks and maintain 49 or fewer cases with a positivity rate of 2.49% for 14 consecutive days.

Tier 3 would increase social gatherings to 10 people from five and funerals to 25 from 10. Gyms and fitness facilities also would be allowed to operate at 50% capacity from 25% in the third phase of reopening.

However, Oahu could also revert back to Tier 1 if the daily case average exceeds 100 for two consecutive weeks.

20201020_WEB_Caldwell's Tier 2 Re-opening by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

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