New O‘ahu COVID rules and more fans in the stands
Posted on Oct 26, 2021 in Main
Some rules have been eased under the Safe O‘ahu Response Plan, but with vaccination and other requirements.
Good news has arrived for UH sports fans, wedding and event planners and others looking forward to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. New Safe O‘ahu Response Plan guidelines announced Oct. 8 by Governor Ige and Mayor Rick Blangiardi attempt to balance public health and leisure activities for a “new normal” life in Hawai‘i.
The guidelines loosen restrictions for:
• Outdoor seated entertainment — such as UH football games — with up to 1,000 attendees (or no more than 50% of a venue’s capacity); water only.
• Indoor seated entertainment — such as UH volleyball games and concerts — with up to 500 attendees (or no more than 50% of a venue’s capacity); water only.
• Outdoor interactive events — such as weddings and funerals — with up to 150 people; food and beverage allowed.
Rules for indoor seated entertainment also include capacity and other guidelines.
“Together, we’ve done better than just about every other state in the nation per capita for limiting COVID illness and death,” said Governor Ige. “But this is not an ‘all clear’ signal. This pandemic is far from finished.” Mayor Blangiardi added he’s “cautiously optimistic” that the state is on a good path to move forward. The governor is working with the neighbor island mayors on their own plans. All three types of events will require attendees to be vaccinated and masked, and mitigation plans are required. All social gatherings on O‘ahu that aren’t professionally planned still have to follow gathering size limits of no more than 25 people outdoors and no more than 10 indoors. Bars on O‘ahu are now allowed to serve alcohol until midnight. Golf tournaments and road races also have their own guidelines. For more details, go to https://www.oneoahu.org/safe-oahu-response-plan.