Kauai heads to Tier 5 bringing with it an end to ‘resort bubble’ program
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Kauai is advancing to tier five and ending their ‘resort bubble’ program.
Tier five kicks in on Thursday for the Garden Island community. It eases restrictions even further, allowing gatherings of up to 75 people outdoors and 25 indoors.
Restaurants, gyms, buses, and attractions will be able to operate at 75% capacity, county officials said.
“Once Hawai’i reaches 70 percent fully vaccinated, we will move to Tier 6 and eliminate all restrictions,” Kauai mayor Derek Kawakami said.
Ahead of the expansion of the state’s vaccine passport program to mainland travelers, the county also announced the end of the resort bubble program that allowed tourists to roam the ground of their resort until they could receive a post-arrival COVID test.
The program was launched after cases were found among travelers last fall who had a negative pre-travel test but later tested positive.
“Now that vaccine exceptions are going into effect, and our hotels are near capacity, the program is no longer necessary,” Kawakami said.
“The program allowed travelers to keep their rescheduled vacations to come to Kaua’i safely without being locked in their rooms, and it enabled participating resorts to stay open during the difficult months of the pandemic,” Kaua’i Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sue Kanoho said. “Now that millions of Americans have been vaccinated, and Kaua’i has a reputation as one of the safest places in the country, most of our properties have returned to near capacity.”
Kauai officials are continuing to encourage vaccines among residents as more clinics are accepting walk-ins. For more information, click here.
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