Mayor Kirk Caldwell announces Oahu beaches will reopen Saturday

Oahu beaches and sand bars will reopen on Saturday, subject to restrictions on group size, relationships, social distancing and time of day, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a press release this afternoon.

“Starting May 16, the beach closures in Governor Ige’s Seventh Supplemental Proclamation, and any subsequent proclamation, are not applicable to the City and County of Honolulu,” the release said.

Cindy McMillan, the governor’s spokeswoman, confirmed in an email that Ige “has been working with Mayor Caldwell and did approve the request to open beaches on Oahu.”

In addition to using beaches for ocean access and exercise, as is currently allowed, people will be able to be on beaches and sand bars within the city of Honolulu, so long as the following restrictions are obeyed:

All groups are limited to members of the same household or living unit; no group can exceed 10 persons; all persons using the beach, who are not part of members of the same household or living unit, shall comply with social Distancing Requirements, provided that a caregiver may accompany a dependent; and the beach or sand area may only be used one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, unless the person is engaged in shore fishing or permitted outdoor exercise.

Also today, Caldwell announced the governor had approved the opening of restaurants on Oahu to dine-in services starting June 5, with certain restrictions that are still being finalized and will be released next week.

For more information, people can visit the website, oneoahu.org, or call the 768-CITY (2489) information hotline between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, or email covidresponse@honolulu.gov.