City and County of Honolulu

Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Tuesday that Honolulu will be moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3 on the county's framework of reopening. The move will loosen certain restrictions on businesses and other activities.

Updated 2/17/21, 12:08 p.m.

The Honolulu City Council is considering two measures that address abandoned boats and trailers on city streets today. The measures aim to address safety concerns in communities, while also clarifying jurisdictions and procedures for their removal.

HONOLULU — A Honolulu Police Department study found that its officers used the most force against Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

HONOLULU — The Honolulu City Council has endorsed an affordable rental housing tower for older adults on city land in Chinatown.

HONOLULU — Hawaii is assisting about 800 residents of American Samoa traveling through Oahu to their island home, which was cut off by the coronavirus.

Updated 1/15/21, 12:19 p.m.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi is keeping Oahu in the second tier of its reopening plan, and hopes to safely move the city to Tier 3. This is despite the island averaging 130 new cases (not including inmates), and a positivity rate of 3.9% between January 7 and 13. 

HONOLULU — Honolulu has a new slate of leaders after the mayor and five first-term City Council members took the oath of office.

Mayor Derek Kawakami is awaiting Governor David Ige's approval on a proposed change to Kauaʻi's Rule 23. The amendment would rescind the county's moratorium on the Safe Travels program for inter-island travel.

Updated 12/30/20, 11:59 a.m.

It's official: any furloughs of state workers will not begin until July 1 at the earliest. Governor David Ige says that's because of the latest federal COVID-19 relief measure just signed by President Donald Trump.

Updated 12/24/20, 3:46 p.m.

Where we stand

The state Department of Health reported 129 new cases and no new fatalities Thursday.

According to the state's numbers, Oʻahu had 79 new cases, Maui 33, Hawaiʻi County 11, Kauaʻi 1, Lanai and Molokaʻi had none.

The latest state counts bring the Oʻahu total to 17,356, Hawaiʻi County 1,848, Maui 838, Kauaʻi 139, Lanai 106 and Molokaʻi 22. The number of out-of-state cases totals 341.

Since the pandemic began, the state has tallied 20,650 cases. The death toll stands at 285.

Governor David Ige announced Wednesday afternoon that there will be a delay in state furloughs, that were set to begin on January 1, 2021.

Oʻahu will be adjusting its tiered reopening plan by removing new cases from the Halawa Correctional Facility cluster. Under the changes, Honolulu will be subtracting new cases among the prison population from its weekly averages, but will still count positives among prison guards and staff.

Updated 12/21/20, 3:49 p.m.

Governor David Ige has released his proposed state budget for lawmakers to consider in the 2021 legislative session. Ige says the two year spending plan reflects the difficult decisions forced on the state by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Updated 12/18/20, 11:53 a.m.

The state Department of Health reported 130 new cases and one fatality Friday.

Updated 12/17/20, 12:03 p.m.

Governor David Ige released his latest COVID-19 proclamation for the state Wednesday. It extends the eviction moratorium and reducing the mandatory quarantine for travelers. The latest rules go into effect today.

HONOLULU — A Hawaii state judge has issued a ruling requiring Honolulu taxpayers to pay the legal defense costs of the city's former police chief, who was convicted in a federal criminal corruption and fraud case.

The state Department of Health and the City and County of Honolulu yesterday conducted a vaccination distribution exercise to immunize those in the state's Phase 1 priority group. Those in the first group include: essential healthcare workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and first responders.

Updated 12/11/20, 11:55 a.m.

New leadership is in place at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees. Maui trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey was selected Thursday to replace long-time OHA chairwoman Colette Machado.

Updated 12/10/20, 11:56 a.m.

The state Department of Health reported 123 new cases and two additional fatalities today.

HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu's nearly bikeshare program lost the city an estimated $460,000 in 2019, according to a city audit.