Mayor Caldwell issues COVID-19 supplemental proclamation, takes action on Bill 35

UPDATE March 22, 2020: Caldwell Stay at Home Order Effective Mon 430pm March 23, 2020 

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, March 18, 2020 

HONOLULU – Mayor Kirk Caldwell issued a supplemental proclamation of emergency or disaster today to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

The proclamation requires the closure of all bars and nightclubs for fifteen calendar days, and all restaurants and cafes that serve food, to close solely for drive-thru, pickup, or delivery service, also for fifteen days. This is effective March 20, at 8:30 a.m.

Mayor Caldwell’s supplemental proclamation signed today takes further action in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest guidance related to mass gatherings. The CDC now recommends that organizers of large events cancel or postpone in-person events that consists of 10 or more people throughout the United States.

The City and County of Honolulu will follow the CDC’s most recent large gathering recommendation by prohibiting assemblies of 10 or more people at City facilities until the end of April. This supersedes the press release sent out earlier this week. These closures will be reevaluated next month.

Mayor Caldwell also took action today by signing BILL 35 (2020) FD1 into law. This new law amends Honolulu’s Revised Ordinances allowing the Mayor to access emergency funds totaling approximately $126 Million to address impacts of COVID-19.

BILL 35 (2020) FD1 - Relating to funds.

The City has also initiated a higher level of activation of the Emergency Operations Center. 

During this time, the City and County of Honolulu remains open. Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Ocean Safety first responders will continue normal operation to protect our community. The City will continue critical functions such as garbage pick-up, sewer service, and the services provided by the Board of Water Supply, satellite city halls, and the Department of Planning and Permitting.

Given the updated guidelines from the CDC, all City facilities will be closed to public gatherings through April 30. This includes the closure of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, municipal golf courses, the Honolulu Zoo, City parks and outdoor park amenities including pools, courts, and fields, City gyms and indoor facilities, Honolulu Botanical Gardens, City camp sites, the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, and the Koko Head Shooting Complex. This will also result in the suspension of classes, programs, and events both organized by the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation or permitted to other organizations. This includes the 93rd Annual Lei Day Celebration.

TheBus and TheHandi-Van will continue to operate on normal routes and schedules, unless otherwise noted. Passengers should practice everyday preventative actions promoted by the CDC. This includes but is not limited to social distancing, hand washing with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, and covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash. Mayor Caldwell recommends riders only utilize TheBus and TheHandi-Van for essential travel related to care, food, work and other essential resources. The Department of Transportation Services (DTS) is continuing the practice of sanitizing and cleaning TheBus and TheHandi-Van fleets every day in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The DTS also urges the public to not ride TheBus or TheHandi-Van if you are feeling sick or have symptoms of COVID-19.

The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) will continue to receive and process building permit applications at the Fasi Municipal Building as well as at Kapolei Hale by appointment only. Those picking up permits will be escorted into the permit centers. All inspections will continue. The DPP also encourages the public to visit its website, www.honoluludpp.org, to do self-service permits.

Online and off-site options are available for several other City services. A list of services for residents, who want to follow the CDC’s recommendations on social distancing, can be viewed at honolulu.gov/csd.

In conjunction with the City’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of City employees and those they serve in the City and County of Honolulu, the Royal Hawaiian Band’s public concerts have been canceled effective immediately thru April.

The Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) will continue to display art exhibits but has canceled all related art receptions scheduled to be held in the Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale courtyards and closed the following event areas and City facilities: Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds, Mission Memorial Auditorium, and Mission Memorial Hearing Room. MOCA has also elected to cancel its annual event, Mango Jam Honolulu, previously scheduled for this summer.

All closures announced in this press release are effective thru April 30. Extension of this closure period will be reevaluated in mid-April and may be adjusted depending on the status of the COVID-19 outbreak.

—PAU—