#Vaccine Mandate

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.

Executives at Maui Health provided updates on the hospital’s vaccine mandate, the status of vaccine availability for kids, and hospital operations. The information was shared during the hospital’s last community Town Hall event of the year, held on Thursday.

In this era of COVID-19 and its attendant deprivations, never before has Maui seemed more like a house divided. What has led us here? Can we mend? Do we need to redefine aloha?

The University of Hawaiʻi announced a mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for employees that goes into effect on Jan. 3, 2022. Under the new policy, all UH employees, including those who are teleworking, will be required to be fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus OR have an approved medical or religious exemption for the vaccine.

As of Sept. 13, 2021: 88.8% of the state’s executive branch employees are vaccinated for COVID-19; 2.6% are partially vaccinated; and 8.6% are NOT vaccinated.

Beginning Sept. 27 all employees of the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary must be vaccinated for COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.

A Mandate-Free Maui March and Rally drew thousands of participants that stretched in a walking line from War Memorial Stadium to the Kaʻahumanu Avenue intersection with Kahului Beach Road. Bystanders estimated the crowd at more than 1,000, while organizers said the event drew an estimated 3,000 individuals over the course of two hours, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

“For clarification, bars, restaurants, gyms, fitness centers and other “high risk” businesses may operate at 50% capacity indoors, provided that all customers 12 years of age and older provide proof of full vaccination,” according to the Mayor’s office.

Though the recent announcement of Maui’s “Safer Outside” initiative will limit indoor capacities and put restrictions on those who can dine in, management at The Shops at Wailea says locals and visitors alike can still enjoy meals from their favorite restaurants with outdoor dining offerings or by utilizing takeout options.

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.

On Maui, 84% (1,514 of 1,797) of salaried employees at the Baldwin-Kekaulike-Maui Complex Area are fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19. And at the Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lāna‘i-Moloka‘i Complex Area, 75% (530 of 702) of salaried employees are fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19.

In the past few weeks, multiple demonstrations took place around Maui County expressing their freedom of choice as COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates gain traction across the country. At the same time, reports of hospitalizations and COVID-19 cases are also surging.

For the second time this week, hundreds of people gathered for a demonstration in Wailuku advocating for medical freedoms amid vaccination mandates.

Organizers say an estimated 500 people attended today’s rally fronting the State Office and County buildings in Wailuku, Maui, calling for freedom of choice amid further vaccination mandates announced in recent days.

Hawaiʻi is averaging more than 300 COVID-19 cases per day over the last three days, as the state experiences a rise in cases involving the Delta variant.

More than 92% of University of Hawaiʻi students and 95% of UH employees of the 10-campus system have been vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus or plan to be, according to surveys administered in late June. In response, all 10 UH campuses will see dramatic increases in in-person instruction and on-campus activities this fall, with no restrictions on enrollment for the unvaccinated.