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Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi returns to work after COVID-19 quarantine

Mayor Rick Blangiardi at Honolulu Hale on April 19, 2022, after completing a COVID-19 quarantine.
Office of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi
Mayor Rick Blangiardi at Honolulu Hale on April 19, 2022, after completing a COVID-19 quarantine.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi returned to the workplace Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.

Blangiardi reported that he experienced mild symptoms that included feeling tired, sluggish and experienced an occasional sneeze and cough.

The 75-year-old mayor announced his positive COVID-19 test April 13. The mayor said he and staff immediately began to notify those he met with prior. To his knowledge, none of his close contacts, including his wife, have contracted the virus.

Blangiardi said his doctor advised him to stay home, rest and stay hydrated.

“As it turned out, that's what we did. Symptoms never got any worse. And so I just never contacted (my doctor) again,” he said during a Monday media briefing.

Blangiardi noted that his experience could be seen as a reminder that while many restrictions have expired, he and his office will continue to monitor new variants and hospitalizations.

“We're all vulnerable, we want to be smart, we want to protect ourselves as much as possible,” he said. “I think if I can say this, I really owe the fact that I got through this the way we did with really mild symptoms, I owe that to the fact that I had the three shot regimen. I think I felt the forcefield, if you will, of the vaccines and their impact on me and my body. I was encouraged by that.”

On the list of things Blangiardi plans to do during his return is sign Bill 41, a measure that would change the minimum stay of certain short-term vacation rentals from 30 to 90 days.

The controversial measure passed the Honolulu City Council last Wednesday.

“I'm very passionate about Bill 41,” he said. “We've said all along and this was a hard doing that we were going to step in and do something about illegal vacation rentals and we worked for very closely, and very long on this particular project.”

Sabrina Bodon was Hawaiʻi Public Radio's government reporter.
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