by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:35 AM ET, Fri May 29, 2020
The governor of Hawaii announced on Thursday the state would extend a 14-day quarantine requirement issued for travelers arriving at the tropical destination.
According to The Associated Press, Hawaii Governor David Ige said that while the state is working to lift the 14-day quarantine for people traveling between Hawaii's islands, the rule would remain in place for outside visitors through June 30 and beyond.
Ige and Hawaii's four county mayors said an official announcement on the extension would be made at a later date. The quarantine order was issued on March 26 to control the coronavirus outbreak in the state.
"I'm willing to open up with necessary safeguards to prevent spread between islands," Maui Mayor Mike Victorino told The AP.
As a result of the quarantine requirements, the tourism industry has reached what the University of Hawaii called "the sharpest and deepest economic downturn in the state's modern history."
The Hawaii Tourism Authority revealed the state only welcomed 4,564 travelers last month compared to 856,250 in April 2019, a 99.5 percent decline. As a result, unemployment reached 22.3 percent in April, one of the highest rates in the United States.
The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization also said in a new report the GDP for the state would shrink by 11.1 percent in 2020 and tourist spending would drop by around 65 percent based on the possibility of travelers returning in late July.
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