The reopening of Hawaii’s economy is at least a month away, experts say

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - When will Hawaii reopen?

It’s a question that authorities are grappling with — and they’re urging Hawaii residents to have patience.

The governor and Honolulu’s mayor have said that stay-at-home restrictions will likely be lifted gradually — rather than all at once — and certainly not by April 30 when they’re set to expire.

Honolulu Civil Beat reports that the state’s economy is slated to reopen in three phases.

That’s according to Alan Oshima, the state economic recovery navigator appointed by the governor.

He said COVID-19 cases must first be stabilized. Then, some activities would be allowed again.

In the third phase, the state would support business and job growth, he said.

Meanwhile, HMSA CEO Dr. Mark Mugiishi said at a legislative briefing Monday that Hawaii was about a month away from having the systems in place needed to begin restarting the economy in phases, Civil Beat also reports. Those systems include the ability to conduct screening, test people who might have the virus and tracing people that came into contact with the carriers, as well as isolating infected people.

This story will be updated.

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