Hawaiian officials have unveiled a four-phase plan to safely reopen the state's economy.
Gov. David Ige revealed the plan during a news conference on Monday, announcing that "medium-risk" businesses and activities such as salons, theaters, museums and restaurants would be allowed to reopen with social distancing measures in place as early as June as part of phase 2.
As anticipated, in a supplemental proclamation issued Monday, Ige also extended the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers, including inter-island travelers through June 30.
Local retailers and shopping malls were recently allowed to reopen under phase 1, with the next step to reopen businesses and activities deemed "medium-risk."
"In this phase, we will start to reconnect Hawaii's local activities by gradually reopening medium-risk businesses and activities followed by high-risk businesses and activities," Ige said. "We still need to limit gatherings. However, we anticipate a phasing-in of larger gatherings as we progress the impact level from 10 to 50 to 100 people or more."
Some beaches and parks have also been reopened for limited activities. Meanwhile, "high-risk" businesses, including bars and clubs, will remain closed until phase 3.
Officials will implement a 14-day observation period between reopenings to allow the state sufficient time to assess the situation before moving to the next phase.
While Hawaii's recovery appears to be trending in the right direction, there's still no certain timetable for when travelers will be able to visit as the extended mandatory quarantine, limited accessibility due to suspended flight routes and a lack of tourist amenities present only three of the many major challenges at this time.
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