Amid rising number of cases, Hawaii County reduces indoor gathering limit to 10

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii County is reducing the indoor gathering limit to 10 people in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron variant as cases surge across the state.

Previously, the limit was 25 people indoors.

Managing Director Lee Lord signed the emergency order Monday for Mayor Mitch Roth, who is currently quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19.

“We know people are going to gather to celebrate the New Year, and we want to ensure that if they do, that they do so outdoors, where it’s safe,” said Mayor Mitch Roth, in a statement. “The new variant is extremely transmissible and is spreading quickly.”

On Tuesday, the state Department of Health reported 50 new COVID-19 cases on Hawaii Island.

This story will be updated.

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