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Amendment to Mayor’s COVID-19 Emergency Rule No. 12

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Harry Kim takes one of numerous calls that flooded his his home on election night. SB Photo by Rod Thompson

On September 22, 2020, Governor David Y. Ige issued the Thirteen Proclamation Related to the COVID-19 Emergency creating a negative test exception to the mandatory self-quarantine requirement for persons entering the State of Hawaiʻi effective October 15, 2020. Because health experts believe that a single pre-travel test may not identify all positive COVID-19 cases, a two-test system should be implemented.

On October 13, 2020, Governor David Y. Ige issued the Fourteenth Proclamation Related to the COVID-19 Emergency (14th Proclamation) authorizing the counties to establish a two-test system for transpacific travelers entering the respective county. In order to be in harmony with the State’s accepted pre-travel COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours from the final leg of departure, and in order to provide additional safeguards to prevent a rise of COVID-19 spreading in the community, the County requires an arrival test for transpacific travelers arriving onto Hawaiʻi Island.

Sections D and F of Mayor’s COVID-19 Emergency Rule No. 12 are hereby replaced with the following:

  1. Travel to the County of Hawaiʻi
  2. Transpacific Travelers
    • Pre-test with negative results upon arrival: Persons availing themselves to the State’s negative test exception effective October 15, 2020, as articulated in the 14th Proclamation, Section IV.B. and Exhibit B §(4)(a)(2) (“pre-test exception”), must take a second COVID-19 test (“arrival test”) upon arrival to Hawaiʻi island to be administered at a County-designated facility near the airport. The cost of the arrival test will be borne by the County. While awaiting the results of the “arrival test”, the traveler is not required to quarantine. Travelers whose arrival test are positive or inconclusive for COVID-19 will be referred to the State Department of Health Hawaiʻi District Office for further handling.
    • Pre-test with no test results upon arrival: Persons availing themselves to the State’s pre-test exception but do not have their results upon arrival to Hawaiʻi Island (Exhibit B Section 4(c)), must take an arrival test to be administered at a county-designated facility near the airport on the day of arrival to Hawaiʻi Island. The cost of the arrival test will be borne by the County.While awaiting the results of the pre-test, the traveler is subject to quarantine in accordance with Exhibit B Section 4(c) of the 14th Proclamation.While awaiting the results of the arrival test, the traveler is not required to quarantine under this Amendment, however the traveler is still subject to the State’s order of self-quarantine unless and until a negative result is obtained for the pre-test in accordance with Exhibit B Section 4(c) of the 14th Proclamation.Travelers whose arrival test are positive or inconclusive for COVID-19 will be referred to the State Department of Health Hawaiʻi District Office for further handling.
    • Exemption/Modified Quarantine: Persons entering the State to perform critical infrastructure functions or who have otherwise been exempted by the Director of Emergency Management or his designee, shall be subject to self-quarantine but may obtain limited exemption from the State at travelexemption.hawaii.gov. Only persons who have been granted an exemption through travelexemption.hawaii.gov may temporarily break self-quarantine and only for the purposes expressed in the written exemption.
    • No pre-test prior to arrival: Persons not availing themselves to the State’s negative test exception effective October 15, 2020, and not granted an exemption through travelexemption.hawaii.gov are subject to the State’s mandatory 14 day self-quarantine. These travelers are not subject to the arrival test.There is no option for testing out of the mandatory self-quarantine with a subsequent negative test result.
    • Place of Quarantine: Persons requiring paid or commercial lodging while subject to the mandatory 14 day self-quarantine, or a portion thereof, shall designate a hotel or motel as their quarantine location. Short-term vacation rentals (STVR), bed and breakfast (B&B) establishments, or other paid or commercial lodging defined by the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes as “transient accommodations” shall not be designated as a quarantine location except for:
      1. Visiting essential and critical infrastructure workers, provided quarantine restrictions are followed; and
      2. Persons meeting the negative test exception under Section IV.B and Exhibit B Section 4(a)(2) of the 14th Proclamation (pre-test with negative test results on arrival).

      An STVR, B&B or other paid or commercial lodging defined by the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes as “transient accommodations” may not be designated as a quarantine location for a new or “intended” Hawaiʻi County resident.Persons who have pre-arranged for long-term residential housing of 180 days or longer may utilize such housing as their designated quarantine location provided that the full 14 day self-quarantine is served and not stopped early.
  3. Interisland Travelers
  4. Exemption/Modified Quarantine: Inter-island travelers arriving onto Hawaiʻi Island seeking a modified self-quarantine or exemption from the self-quarantine requirements must receive approval for such modification or exemption from the County of Hawaiʻi. Requests shall be submitted via the following online format: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c
  5. Place of Quarantine: Persons requiring paid or commercial lodging while subject to the mandatory 14 day self-quarantine shall designate a hotel or motel as their quarantine location. STVR, B&B establishments, or other paid or commercial lodging defined by the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes as “transient accommodations” shall not be designated as a quarantine location except for visiting essential and critical infrastructure workers, provided quarantine restrictions are followed.
  6. Pursuant to Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 127A-29, any person violating this Rule and any Amendments related to travelers, including the refusal to take an arrival test, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

This Amendment is effective from 12:01 a.m. October 15, 2020 to 7:00 a.m. October 31, 2020, or until extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended by my subsequent order, or as otherwise provided by law.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the County of Hawaiʻi to be affixed. Done this 12th day of October 2020 in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.

Harry Kim
Mayor
County of Hawaiʻi

CONCURRENCE:
Governor David Y. Ige

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