Hawaii’s governor asked Monday that visitors and residents reduce travel to the islands to essential business only while the state struggles to control COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads in the community.
Gov. David Ige wants to curtail travel to Hawaii through the end of October.
“It is a risky time to be traveling right now,” he said.
He said restaurant capacity has been restricted and there’s limited access to rental cars.
Ige stopped short of a mandate, saying it’s a different time now than last year when strict travel rules that required quarantining essentially shut down Hawaii’s tourism industry.
Things are different now with vaccines available and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying fully vaccinated people can travel domestically.
Ige said he supports Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s announcement to restrict indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25.
Blangiardi said the rules taking effect Wednesday would apply to weddings and other events. He’s also urging people to get vaccinated.