Oʻahu is extending its restrictions on large gatherings, including weddings and conferences, for another 28 days due to the continued strain on medical resources.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Monday afternoon gathering size restrictions will remain at 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors until Oct. 19.
Blangiardi said that while new COVID-19 cases have been trending downward recently, intensive care beds at hospitals are still very limited.
He said the number of hospitalizations will be a key metric for the city in determining when to lift restrictions. The city will no longer use the tier system, which was based on vaccination rates — the new guidelines are called the Safe Oahu Response Plan.
He did not have specific numbers that would trigger the lifting of gathering restrictions, but he said hospitalizations would need to be “well below 200, but there's not a hard number.”
“We said all along there's a finite amount of resources in our hospital beds, in our intensive care units. They are providing for other patients that are non-COVID related, and right now our hospitals are still very full," Blangiardi said. "They are functioning but they're still very full. I want to be sensitive to that, but we're headed in the right direction.”
As of Monday afternoon, nearly 70% of Oʻahu’s total population has been fully vaccinated, according to state data. About 80% of people age 12 or older on Oʻahu are vaccinated.
Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test continues to be required at Oʻahu restaurants, bars and more.
Click here to watch the full press conference on the mayor's Facebook page.
