Question: Are certain restaurants exempt from COVID-19 rules because they are in a tourist district?
Answer: No. Safe Access O‘ahu, which requires restaurants to screen diners ages 12 and older for COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test upon entry, applies regardless of the restaurant’s location in Honolulu County, as spelled out in Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s Emergency Order 2021-16, which you can read at oneoahu.org.
Q: Then how do we report violations? Does anybody follow up on them? Restaurants in my neighborhood check vaccine cards, but when I went out in Waikiki nobody asked for anything.
A: Report violations to the Honolulu Police Department or the Honolulu Liquor Commission, officials said.
“The public may call 911 and an officer will be sent when available,” said Michelle Yu, an HPD spokeswoman. We asked how many warnings or citations have been issued, but “HPD does not keep the stats” requested, she said.
Brandi Higa, a spokeswoman for the city, said violations of any aspect of the mayor’s order may be called in to 911, as a nonemergency incident. If the lax restaurants you visited serve alcohol, you may report the matter to the Honolulu Liquor Commission, she said.
The commission “reviews and responds to all complaints received from the community related to liquor establishments. You may file an anonymous complaint. However, if you want an update on your complaint, you must provide your name and either your phone number or email address,” she said.
A complaint may be submitted:
>> Online: Complete the complaint form (LIQ-ENF- 801) and email it to liquor@honolulu.gov.
>> By phone: Call the 24-hour complaint line at 808-768-7363. Leave a message with the following information: your complaint; name and address of the liquor establishment; date and time of the occurrence; and any other specific information you can provide.
>> In person: At the commission’s office, 711 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 600, during office hours.
Q: Can you carry a coconut to the mainland in your checked baggage?
A: Yes, as long as it passes the agricultural inspection; unlike most other fresh fruits or vegetables, transporting fresh coconuts from Hawaii to the continental U.S. and Alaska is not banned outright, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
As the service explains on its website, “travelers must present all food, plants, and other agricultural items to the USDA inspector at the airport before you leave Hawaii. If your items are generally allowed, the inspector will check them to make sure they are free from pests and disease before you begin your trip to the U.S. mainland.”
For a list of prohibited items and a list of those generally allowed, see 808ne.ws/aphis.
Q: With Oahu Transit Services hacked, what about the apps we use to find the right bus and when it’s getting there? They’re not working right either.
A: “Mobile apps are working, but no real-time GPS locations or times are provided; apps such as Transit and DaBus are using scheduled times at stops. We understand how important these apps are to our riders and how essential they are. With that in mind, we are working to restore these as soon as possible,” Tim Sakahara, a Honolulu County spokesman, said in an email Monday.
Websites for TheBus and TheHandi-Van remained down as of Monday.
Mahalo
A heartfelt mahalo to the gentleman at the Waikele Starbucks who gave up his table under the shade to our family sitting in the afternoon sun. Your kind, courteous gestures were greatly appreciated, especially since we had a disabled kupuna with us. May your holidays be full of joy, peace and hope. — Grateful family
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
