This is Now (June 18, 2021)

Gov. David Ige on Thursday suggested the state could drop all COVID restrictions even before reaching a 70% vaccination rate. “If we see the case counts drop before we hit 70 percent, then that’s another way that we would drop all restrictions,” Ige said, in a news conference. “It is about the virus activity, how much virus is circulating in our community, and what the health care capacity of our community is that would determine when the restrictions get released.” That would essentially mean no more indoor mask mandate, no more travel restrictions and no more capacity limits. The state has been averaging 47 cases a day for the past seven days. It’s unclear how low Ige wants to see the case count drop before lifting restrictions. As of Thursday, 56% of residents were fully vaccinated. Previously, Ige said all COVID restrictions in Hawaii would essentially end when the state reaches 70% — and that he was confident it would hit that benchmark by the end of the summer. However, he has also admitted that vaccine demand has dropped again. He said the state is currently preparing for the 60% vaccination milestone. When that happens, trans-Pacific travelers who have been vaccinated in other states will be able to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements. Ige said in the next two weeks, the state will be ready to verify a person’s out-of-state vaccination status.