House Speaker Saiki: Gov. Ige needs to increase availability for the press

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - There’s growing calls for the Governor to increase his public communication and availability to the media.

The state House speaker said Monday that Gov. Ige needs to up his press availability to address the concerns of the public.

Gov. Ige’s last news conference was 12 days ago on Sept. 16. That was when he announced the state was moving forward with the pre-travel testing program for tourists.

Last week was the first time since the beginning of the crisis that he didn’t hold a press event at all.

House speaker Scott Saiki says with the relaunch of the travel and tourism industry nearing, it’s a crucial time to communicate.

“It is really important that the governor maintain communication with the public because the general public is concerned about the reopening there are some legitimate concerns about health and safety,” Rep. Saiki said.

In an email, the Governor’s office did not directly address the issue of his limited availability, but they said two press events are planned for this week, though final details are still in the works.