Hawaii sees 20 new coronavirus cases while a Honolulu bar is shut down for 24 hours
The Honolulu Liquor Commission shut down for 24 hours a karaoke bar on Keeaumoku Street that was serving alcohol to customers past midnight in violation of a new emergency COVID-19 rule issued last week by Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
At around 12:57 a.m. Saturday, investigators responded to a complaint that Cafe Gangnam was serving drinks past midnight and had locked its doors while customers were inside.
“Through a small opening, the team of investigators observed a dozen or more people, all of whom were not social distancing and not wearing facial coverings as required,” according to a Liquor Commission report. The investigators knocked and announced their presence, the report said, but were initially refused entry. When they were allowed in, they observed alcoholic beverages on the tables.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser was unable to contact Cafe Gangnam management to comment.
“If one of these people is an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus, they could spread it to everyone around them, who could then go out into the community, or back (to) their families,” Caldwell said in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of behavior that can lead to the disastrous situation we’re seeing on the continent right now.”
Under the new rule announced Tuesday, liquor-serving establishments can stay open after midnight but cannot serve, sell or allow patrons to consume alcohol past midnight to discourage close-quarters mingling during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The order allows city liquor inspectors and police to shut down an establishment for 24 hours if a proprietor ignores warnings and citations. Proprietors also may be subject to fines and suspension or revocation of their liquor license.
Also Saturday, state health officials reported 20 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the statewide total number of infections since the start of the outbreak to 1,354. No additional deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, which means the virus’ death toll stands at 24.
Health officials reported on Friday the death of two older Oahu residents.
The new cases include 15 on Oahu, two on Hawaii island and three cases pending identification of residency, according to the state Department of Health.
Active infections in Hawaii numbered 311 cases.
As of Saturday, 1,019 patients have been classified by health officials as “released from isolation,” which is 75% of the total number of cases reported in the state. There were 25 new release cases — 23 on Oahu and one each on Kauai and Maui.
Saturday’s statewide coronavirus case total includes 1,040 on Oahu, 135 in Maui County, 111 on Hawaii island, and 43 in Kauai County, according to health officials. The total also includes 22 Hawaii residents diagnosed while outside of the state.
Of the 104,635 coronavirus tests conducted so far by state and clinical laboratories in Hawaii, 1.3% have been positive. Health officials counted 1,640 new test results in Saturday’s tally.
Meanwhile, 474 visitors arrived in Hawaii on Friday, according to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. They were among a total of 1,967 passengers who flew into the islands on 28 flights.
Oahu received 379 of the visitors who arrived Friday, while 57 disembarked on Hawaii island and 38 on Maui. None went to Kauai.
The HTA said 622 of the total arrivals were returning residents.