“We must take further action” to prevent people from congregating as the delta variant spreads

[ad_1]

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread across the islands, Governor David Ige says he is once again considering restrictions, especially on gatherings.

“We were hoping the number of cases would stabilize and start to normalize, but we are seeing exponential growth,” Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in his “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream on Monday.

His comments came as the state continues to report some of its highest case numbers since the start of the pandemic. On Monday, the state reported 437 new cases, but over the weekend Hawaii continued to see more than 600 cases.

He said hospitalizations were also on the rise. A month ago, around 40 people infected with COVID had to go to hospital. Today, there are 225 COVID patients in public hospitals, he said.

“Obviously, we are not going in the right direction and we need to take additional steps to restrict interaction,” Ige said.

Ige said cases have spread widely through gatherings and the highly contagious delta variant, so the best way to combat it would be to reduce the number of gatherings both indoors and outdoors.

Currently, outdoor gatherings can accommodate up to 75 people. Indoor gatherings are up to 25.

“We want to be smart about how we can focus on the behavior that is spreading the virus, the behavior that is riskier and where we see more cases and that is what we are looking to do,” he said. -he declares.

An announcement on the restrictions could be made before the end of the week, Ige said.

Even if they’re narrow, the companies say any further restrictions could hurt Hawaii’s fragile retail and restaurant industries.

“Any kind of setback for us is going to be devastating, especially for those small businesses that we just can’t afford anymore,” said Tina Yamaki, president of Retail Merchants of Hawaii.

Yamaki said many mom-and-pop stores are behind on their rents. By reducing their capacity or creating more stringent social distancing requirements, it will be more difficult for them to make a profit.

“They’re not doing the numbers they were in 2019. They’re making around 40-60% – if they’re lucky,” she said.

At this time, there will be no changes to Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, the governor said, adding that most of the cases brought into the state have been from returning residents.

Asked about his plan to lift all restrictions when the state hits a 70% vaccination rate, Ige said he should reassess that.

“Delta is changing the dynamic, and it’s clear that 70% is not the same 70% that we talked about a month or two months ago,” he said. “We will have to monitor the number of cases, the number of patients in our hospitals and the capacity of our hospitals. “

[ad_2]

Source link