LIHUE — You can fire up your nine iron or your nail gun on Sunday, May 3 due to a recent restructuring of Kauai’s emergency rules which allow, among other activities, construction and golfing to resume starting Sunday.
Mayor Derek Kawakami announced Wednesday that he’s letting some of the Mayor Emergency Rules expire — numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 — on May 3. Those rules relate to beach park permits for non-residents; bars and restaurants; mandatory masks; and essential businesses and services.
But only because Governor Ige’s statewide laws overlap those rules. Bars are still closed and restaurants are still limited to pick-up and delivery and only businesses that are on Ige’s list of essential businesses (found in the Third Supplementary Proclamation) are allowed to operate.
And the public is reminded it’s still required to wear masks in public, to follow social distancing requirements, and to be able to maintain cleanliness and sanitization.
“To be clear, we are only allowing these local rules to expire because they are now covered by the Governor’s Statewide Rules on how we use our beaches, or when we wear our masks, or what work is deemed essential,” Kawakami said in his Wednesday public address.
The first two Emergency Rules will continue, Kawakami said; Emergency Rule 1, which dedicates Kauai County campgrounds “to be used exclusively by our homeless community to shelter in place” and Emergency Rule 2, which is the nightly 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.
“To be clear, TVR’s (Transient Vacation Rentals) are still banned from operating, as they are not listed as an essential business or operation under the Governor’s Order,” Kawakami said Wednesday. “Incoming visitors will still be subject to the 14-day quarantine. And while permits are no longer necessary for non-residents at county beach parks, we all must still follow the Governor’s guidelines to not loiter on beaches.”
Kawakami said his team is still figuring out next steps for reopening businesses like retail stores, cemeteries, community pools, pet grooming, car washes and salons, and promised to keep the public updated, saying “we’re working on it.”
Social distancing and stay-at-home orders are still in effect statewide, which means the public is asked to stay home as much as possible, refrain from social gatherings and public outings and follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines.
