Mayor Mitch Roth announced the termination of Hawaiʻi County’s Thirteenth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation, declaring an end to all County emergency rules related to COVID-19.  The termination marks the first time since February 28, 2020, that Hawaiʻi County is without emergency orders related to COVID-19.

Effective immediately, there will no longer be a limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings.  However, residents must still adhere to the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation Related to COVID-19 (Omicron Variant), which includes indoor mask-wearing,  Safe Travels requirements, and testing/vaccination requirements for County and State employees. The Governor’s emergency order will remain in effect until March 25 unless otherwise acted upon.

In a statement Mayor Roth said, “We are excited to announce a new day for Hawaiʻi County as we shift our efforts from response to recovery.  Since taking office in late 2020, our administration has worked tirelessly to manage the ongoing pandemic through fair and data-driven policies. It’s what has allowed us to keep our community safe while also allowing our small businesses and large employers to keep their lights on and their employees working.”  Roth continued, “The decisions we made were challenging and, at times, not always favorable, but we made them with aloha, with data to back them, and with the best interest of all in mind. We believe in our community and their ability to do the right thing for everybody. Moving forward, response is in their hands, and we are confident they will make the right choices for all of us.  COVID is by no means gone, but we now believe that we are getting to a point where we can learn to live with the virus,”

Mayor Roth’s full recorded announcement can be viewed here