#safe access oahu

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi today announced the end of the City and County of Honolulu’s COVID-19 emergency orders, including the Safe Access O‘ahu program, which will sunset this week at 11:59 p.m. on March 5, 2022.

“It’s 2022. This is the third calendar year that we’re dealing with COVID. And that might sound terrible and kind of depressing, but it actually can be viewed in an optimistic, positive way. And the reason for that is if you look across the history of mankind and respiratory pandemics, typically respiratory pandemics become endemic, meaning that we learn to live with them or coexist with these infections, about the third year. And this is now the third year,” said Dr. Mark Mugiishi, president and CEO of HMSA.

There were 101,199 successful uploads to the Hawai‘i SMART Health Card application, since it launched last week Friday.

Oʻahu’s “Safe Access” program for restaurants begins today; and Maui’s “Safer Outside” rules including vaccination guidelines for restaurants, bars and gyms, goes into effect on Wednesday.

State officials unveiled the new Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card, which launches on Sept. 10, 2021. The voluntary program enables individuals who received their COVID-19 vaccinations in Hawaiʻi to create a state-issued digital card that may be used to confirm their vaccination status to businesses and venues that require it.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said a modified health pass will be implemented at Maui County restaurants beginning on Sept. 15, that is similar to, but less restrictive than the Safe Access O‘ahu program that begins in just 10 days.

The Safe Access O‘ahu program requires restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, museums, arcades and other similar establishments, to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to operate. Customers will also have to provide proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to enter the business.