Mayor Kirk Caldwell canceling Honolulu events on city property through April due to coronavirus
GORDON PANG / GORDONPANG@STARADVERTISER.COM
Mayor Kirk Caldwell, center, speaks during a news conference today on the city’s response to COVID-19. He was joined by city Councilman Joey Manahan, right, and Hirokazu Toiya, director of the Department of Emergency Management.
The city is canceling all events on city properties through April that would bring together more than 50 people indoors and strongly recommending to businessses to not permit gatherings of over 50 people, such as at hotel ballrooms and other venues for entertainment, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said today.
Caldwell made several announcements this afternoon during a news conference about city measures to respond to the coronavirus.
He said the city will be closing Neal S. Blaisdell Center and all other indoor facilities because the spread of coronavirus is more likely to be spread indoors than outdoors.
He said Hanauma Bay will also be closed through April because visitors are required to watch a short film in a theatre before going to the bay. Among the other closures: all Royal Hawaiian Band concerts, today’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Lei Day Events, and various Department of Parks and Recreation events including easter egg hunts, archery tournaments, swim meets and the People’s Open Markets.
Meanwhile, Caldwell said the city has found a location to house homeless people who may be infected by the coronavirus.
Caldwell said the location is on Kaaahi Street off Dillingham Boulevard and can house 26 people, but the capacity can be doubled. He said there haven’t been any known cases of coronavirus in Honolulu’s homeless population.
: > @MayorKirkHNL: We don’t want to shut down buses, but we’re asking our OTS drivers to ask passengers to practice social distancing. #cchnl
— Gordon Y.K. Pang (@PangInTheHale) March 17, 2020
The property was purchased by the city for $9 milion last year and will turn the building into a replacement site for the Sand Island Treatment Center, geared to help those with drug and alcohol addictions, in the future.
Caldwell said officials didn’t want to shut down public transportation because it is essential for many people, but he asked TheBus and Handivan riders to practice social distancing.
“If there’s not essential travel, don’t travel right now,” he said. “Don’t come out of your home, if you don’t have to.”
Honolulu City Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson said the nine-member body will continue with its plan to meet Wednesday. One of its agenda items will be a measure allowing Council members at remote locations to be “present” at a meeting and allowed to vote on bills.
: > @MayorKirkHNL: City will be closing all indoor facilities even if you have less than 50 people. #cchnl
— Gordon Y.K. Pang (@PangInTheHale) March 17, 2020
