Gov. David Ige on Friday issued an 18th emergency proclamation for COVID-19, extending the eviction moratorium for another 60 days.
The moratorium prohibits evictions of tenants for failure to pay all or a portion of the rent, maintenance fees, utility charges, taxes or other required fees for the rental unit.
The proclamation also includes mention of an “anticipated new exception for vaccinated travelers” that will become effective only upon approval by the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and after getting advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The exception was not available as of Friday.
The state is working closely with the CDC to obtain explicit guidelines on vaccinations and travel, Ige said in a news release Friday.
“This (emergency proclamation) acknowledges vaccinated travelers/quarantine as a future exception, but the state will wait for specific guidance from the CDC before implementing a quarantine exception for vaccinated travelers,” he said.
This week, the CDC updated its guidelines for vaccinated individuals exposed to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
The vaccinated individuals who are exposed are no longer required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine and are at least 14 days beyond completion of the vaccine series; are within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series; and have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure.
The 18th emergency proclamation also adds that government agencies may rely on the suspension of the Uniform Information Practices Act, or the “Sunshine Law,” when they meet certain specifications and fulfill a number of requirements.
The suspension of the UIPA, the state’s open records law, is evolving.
“This open records law suspension balances the incredible amount of time and effort government agencies are expending on responding to the pandemic and the importance of access to government records,” Ige said.
The 18th emergency proclamation expires on April 13.
Mayor Mitch Roth also signed on Friday a sixth supplemental emergency proclamation, declaring a state of emergency on Hawaii Island through April 12.
The proclamation maintains all restrictions and safety protocols in place, with no changes. Changes, however, can be made if the extension is terminated or superseded by a separate proclamation, whichever occurs first.
