Hawaii’s Kauai Island reopens beaches, extends mandatory quarantine to serve as pilot program for State

Shipwreck Beach is located along Kauai’s south shore, about 2.4 miles (3.9 kilometers) east of the town of Poipu. (Photo by Mark Angelo Abalos)

 

By Alfred Acenas
EBC Hawaii Bureau

HONOLULU (Eagle News) – Beaches throughout Kauai Island will be allowed to reopen on Friday, May 15, as directed by Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. His decision is part of a two-week pilot program under Kauai county government’s Emergency Rule 8.

Approved by Hawaii Governor David Ige, Emergency Rule 8 allows people to utilize the beach under certain restrictions designed to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

In addition, Kawakami signed Emergency Rule 9, which extends the mandatory quarantine for incoming travelers through the month of June. Those traveling for health care purposes, as long as they wear appropriate protective gear and maintain social distancing, are exempt from the quarantine. Those traveling to perform critical infrastructure work as identified in the Governor’s proclamation are still subject to the quarantine, but are allowed to break quarantine only to perform those essential work functions.

“We have taken temporary control over the coronavirus with our aggressive restrictions, and we feel we can begin to ease them in a responsible manner,” said the Mayor. “That said, the risk of the virus returning is most clearly associated with incoming travelers, whether residents or visitors; so we feel it is necessary to extend the mandatory quarantine.”

 

Beachgoers will be allowed on the sandy area starting a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. No more than 10 people from the same household will be allowed to gather. (Photo by Mark Angelo Abalos)

 

Emergency Rule 8 allows more casual beach use with the following limitations:

  1. All groups should be part of the same household and not exceed 10 people
  2. Any and all persons on the beach who are not part of the same household shall comply with social distancing requirements, with the exception of caregivers escorting a dependent
  3. Beaches or sand area may only be used a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, unless a person is engaged in shoreline fishing or permitted outdoor exercise
  4. All other restrictions found in the Governor’s “Safer-at-Home” order must be followed, such as quarantine restrictions

“In order for us to continue to reopen our businesses and activities while keeping each other safe, we all must exercise self-discipline to follow CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines of social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and cleaning surfaces often,” urged Kawakami.

As of this report, only 21 people on the island had been tested positive for COVID-19, the fewest statewide. No one died from the disease, and there are currently no active cases.

With a land area of just 620 square miles (1,600 kilometers) and a population of around 72,000, Kauai is the smallest of Hawaii’s four counties.

Additional information on the governor proclamations and the mayor emergency rules is available in the Kauai Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) website, www.kauau.gov/COVID-19.

 

(Eagle News Service)