Maui County residents are no longer required to show proof of booster shots in bars, restaurants and gyms that have an indoor setting, announced Mayor Mike Victorino Monday.
Victorino claims that the change was brought about by a drastic drop in COVID-19 accidents during the period when the measure had been in place.
“We’re relaxing pandemic rules in a way due to the fact that the number of cases has dropped through the county and state and the hospitals have been relieved of the burden from high numbers.”
The state Department of Health has reported that in the past 24 hours there have been 92 cases of COVID-19 on Maui. There were also 125 cases on Hawaii Island, as well as 94 on Kauai.
The peak was 6,252 cases on January 18, 2022. Since then, both the number of new cases and hospitalizations have decreased.
The majority of local bar and restaurant owners opposed the measure, claiming it unfairly targeted them over other sectors.
Their customers didn’t have to wear masks inside. This made their business more risky.
Montgomery Chong of Wailuku said that he supported the mandate for vaccines but believed a booster requirement to be excessive.
“I believe it harms the business.” Chong stated that he didn’t think it was necessary until he had more information.
The scrapping of this measure would be -noticeable’, given that Hawaii will impose a booster on all inbound travellers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommend booster doses for anyone 12 and older, five months after their second Pfizer or Moderna shot and two months following the Johnson & Johnson injection.
The decreasing case count in Maui, and in Hawaii as a whole, may allow a change in strategy.
