LIHU‘E — Mayor Derek Kawakami said Kaua‘i is aiming to reopen some businesses earlier than the timeline proposed Monday by Gov. David Ige, and his office is looking for the governor’s approval to do so.
If approved, it would mean businesses like salons and barbershops, tour companies and pools, could reopen on Friday — under specific conditions.
In a public address Tuesday, Kawakami indicated support for the recently announced “State Roadmap to Recovery and Resilience,” but Kawakami and his team would like to reopen several businesses and activities two weeks earlier than the governor’s timeline. That plan — outlined in the mayor’s emergency rule 10 — was sent over to Ige on Tuesday for approval.
If approved, mayor’s emergency rule 10 allows for the reopening of several businesses and activities on Friday, as long as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and state Department of Health safe practices can be implemented and followed at all times.
Those businesses and activities include:
• Outdoor-based tours and guided experiences, such as, but not limited to, zipline operations, ATV tours, and horseback tours;
• Churches and faith-based worship;
• One-on-one services or lessons, such as tutoring, fitness and training;
• Salons and barbershops, including nail salons;
• All sanitation and cleaning, including housekeeping;
• All manufacturing or construction operations that may still be closed;
• Pools and common areas for residents and visitors who have successfully completed the mandatory quarantine.
“As we’ve said all along, Kaua‘i is unique,” said Kawakami Tuesday. “And based on our unique situation of no active cases for over five weeks here on Kaua‘i, our team is confident that we can reopen several businesses on Friday, May 22, for our Kaua‘i residents and those who have completed the mandatory quarantine.”
Under the potential new rule, all residents and visitors under the mandatory 14-day quarantine would not be allowed to leave their home or hotel room for the full extent of the 14 days, and any pools or common areas would be off-limits for those in quarantine.
Kawakami said his office is also working on drafting emergency rule 11, which will address the reopening of businesses not included in the proposed rule 10
