Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who recently marked one year in office, announced a capacity of 50% for large indoor events with more than 1,000 people on Oahu.

“For example, if an event expects to have 1,000 attendees the total capacity of the venue must be more than 2,000 people,” according to a news release from the mayor’s office.

The limit, prompted by the recent surge in single-day infections, goes into effect Monday.

“Let’s get our act together,” Blangiardi said. “Let’s fight this thing together.”

Hawaii’s hospitals are near full capacity with new COVID-19 case counts reaching record highs in recent weeks. Hawaii Department of Health officials reported 2,611 new confirmed and probable coronavirus infections today. State health officials recorded 1,934 cases on Oahu alone.

Blangiardi said no other restrictions will be implemented, but the vaccines will be readily available at various locations to make them more accessible. Blangiardi was joined today by health care leaders to discuss COVID-19, vaccination and boosters and limiting the capacity at large indoor events.

“The call is to use common sense and to make good decisions,” Blangiardi said during the press conference.

Guest speakers included the Queen’s Health Systems president and CEO Jill Hoggard Green, Hawaii Pacific Health president and CEO Raymond P. Vara, Jr., Hawaii Medical Service Association president and CEO Mark Mugiishi, and Healthcare Association of Hawaii president and CEO Hilton R. Raethel.

All encouraged people to get their booster shot. According to the latest state health figures released today, only about 26.3% of people in Hawaii have received a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Oahu, 28% have received the booster shot.

Mugiishi pointed out that of those who are hospitalized with COVID-19, about 30-40% are vaccinated, but did not receive a booster shot. In comparison, only 10% of those in the hospital with COVID-19 have received a booster shot, and none are in intensive care units.

However, Vara noted that there are people who were hospitalized for other issues, but tested for COVID-19. Those people are counted in the hospitalization count, even though they are not being hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms.

“Because for consistency reasons, we’ve decided on a statewide basis, that if they’re in the hospital, and they have a positive COVID test, we are going to report them because that’s what we always reported them,” he said.

“So does it cause inflation of the numbers? I guess I’d have to say, yes, it does. But again, we think it’s important to identify them for consistency reasons.”

Raethel explained that even though that type of patient may not be symptomatic, the resource usage remains the same.

“From a health care perspective, we have to treat that patient as an infectious patient because they have COVID, even though they did not know it,” he said.

“So from a resource consumption, we still have to take the same precautions, we still have to apply the same staffing ratios, whether that patient is being treated for COVID or not treated being treated for COVID.”

Blangiardi along with three of the state’s county chief executives have the discretion to enact or rescind restrictions without the approval of Gov. David Ige. Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth already ordered the Big Island’s indoor gathering size to be capped at 10. Blangiardi in late November announced the loosening of all capacity restrictions for large events, restaurants, social gatherings and gyms beginning Dec. 1. Blangiardi’s announcement today on the 50% capacity limit only applies to large indoor events on Oahu.

Vara, Jr. said the omicron variant remains highly transmissible, so he urged the public to continue to wear masks and get vaccinated.

“It is a fraction of what we saw during the delta surge,” said Vara, Jr., adding that Hawaii Pacific Health’s hospitals are very busy due to non-COVID patients suffering from traumas and other medical reasons.

Watch a replay of the livestream video above.

20220105_WEB_ Mayor Blangiardi's Emergency Order by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

Editor’s Note: This story is developing and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.