You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
–Christopher Columbus
The Italian explorer, who set sail in 1492, bound for the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia, instead, landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas. Hawaii celebrated Columbus Day until 1971 when the state legislature changed it to Discoverers’ Day, “to honor all discoverers, including Pacific and Polynesian navigators.” Discoverers’ Day remained a state holiday in Hawaii until 1988. Although it is not a state holiday, it is a nationally recognized holiday so post offices, federal courts, and banks are closed in honor of the great explorer who first set foot on the land that would yield discoveries far beyond Asian riches centuries later.
Vax Squad at Centennial Park Waikiki, Sunday Oct. 10, 10am – 3pm
Get vaccinated at Centennial Park in Waikiki, 425 Royal Hawaiian Ave. The vaccine is free, no insurance is required, but bring your ID and insurance card if you have them. Boosters are available for those eligible, but appointments are required. For more info visit http://hawaiipacifichealth.org.
Gov. Ige & Mayor Blangiardi Announce Easing of Restrictions
You’ve all been asking and waiting for lifting of restrictions especially for our football games. Here’s the a list of new rules easing certain restrictions. You can watch a recording of the press conference here.
Starting Wed, Oct 13, outdoor seated entertainment events, including sporting arenas and concert venues are allowed at 50% capacity, or a maximum of 1,000 attendees, whichever is less. All attendees must be vaccinated, masked, and physically distanced.
Starting Wed, Oct. 20, indoor seated entertainment venues (this includes theaters) will be allowed to operate at 50 % capacity, or a maximum of 500 attendees, whichever is smaller. Again, attendees must be vaccinated, masked, and physically distanced.
Starting Oct. 20, outdoor interactive events, including traditional gatherings such as weddings and funerals, will be allowed at 50 % capacity or a maximum of 150 vaccinated attendees and event staff, whichever is smaller, and all must be masked.
Starting Wed, Oct 13, golf tournaments will be allowed for fully vaccinated golfers. Road races and triathlons will be allowed with a maximum of 500 vaccinated participants, with staggered starts of groups of no more than 25 people..
Effectively immediately, bars and restaurants with valid liquor licenses, can serve alcohol until midnight.
Social gathering sizes for all other events will follow current guidelines of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
Governor Ige signed an extension to the state’s COVID-19 emergency proclamation one week ago. Existing rules regarding masks and travel restrictions remain in place until at least Nov. 30. Under the new rules, employers are not required to pay for COVID-19 tests for non-vaccinated employees.
The deadline for renewing driver’s licenses, identification cards, and learner’s permits has also been extended to Nov. 30 under the new proclamation.
The Gov. has been meeting with healthcare leaders for the past four weeks to determine appropriate metrics to capture all considerations of the pandemic. Basically, the policy decisions depend on COVID-19 case counts and hospitalization numbers.
Since Governor Ige’s announcement last August encouraging visitors to avoid travel to the islands, he says he’s also trying to figure out when is a good time for people to return. View the proclamation here.
COVID-19 Rules When Oahu Gyms Open Up
County gyms will finally open up on Oct. 18…but will the COVID-19 protocols stay in place? Yes, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation began accepting applications Monday for permitted use of city park gymnasiums, for dates beginning Oct. 18. Here are the rules:
COVID-19 protocols will apply, including capacity limits, face coverings and proof of vaccination or a negative test result.
The vaccination or testing requirement will apply to people 12 years of age and older.
For links to the park use application, click here.
Judiciary Postpones Jury Trials Until November 16
Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald extended the order postponing jury trials across the state through November 16, 2021. This order was issued in response to the current state of COVID-19 cases in the community. The order includes civil, criminal, and family court proceedings, but affects only jury trials. All other court proceedings – many of which are conducted remotely by Zoom – will be held as scheduled.
UNEMPLOYMENT (UI) UPDATES: COMPUTER UPGRADE, OVERPAYMENTS, INCOME TOWARD NEW CLAIM, BENEFITS NOT BASED ON FINANCIAL NEED
UI Computer System Upgrade Status
When the pandemic began, so many UI claims hit the state labor department at the same time. The slow processing was blamed on the “old mainframe” which couldn’t handle the epic amount of claims that flooded the department. The state labor department is still in process of upgrading its computer system but it is not scheduled for completion until October 2022.
Overpayment Issues Freezing UI Claims
Can the state forgive overpayments that keep freezing UI claims? For claimants who were paid more than their eligibility amount, overpayments are sometimes forgiven if there is no fraud involved and the error wasn’t the claimant’s fault. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, after adjudication. Repayment plans also are a possibility, depending on specific circumstances. Hawaii claimants whose accounts are pending due to an overpayment should make an appointment with the DLIR to review their options. The reservation is made online for an appointment to be held over the phone. Potential fraud is investigated in every overpayment that is adjudicated. If no fraud is found, the department moves to considering future payments and possibly forgiving the overpayment. For regular Unemployment Insurance claimants, once it has been determined that you have been overpaid and are legally obligated to repay the amount, UI will attempt to offset the overpayment amount against current or future eligible weeks of benefits. See more at the DLIR’s informational website here. To make an appointment, click here.
Can UI Benefits Be Counted as Income Toward a New Claim?
If you were on the PEUC program (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation) until it expired, you cannot count that as income toward qualifying for a new initial Unemployment Insurance claim. UI benefits cannot be counted as wages for the purposes of eligibility for regular UI. Also, now that PUA has been terminated, self-employed gig workers are not eligible for regular UI benefits.
Do This to Check Your Eligibility Before Filing a New UI Claim
Since federal jobless aid ended on Sept. 4, 2021, some people out of work for most of the pandemic have actually been submitting UI claims to no avail. They’re not eligible because they haven’t earned enough money in recent months to qualify for a new initial claim after extended benefits expired. Eligibility for regular unemployment compensation is based on reported earnings from recent work, not on financial need. Before filing for a new claim, please first check on your eligibility by using an online tool that can help assess eligibility. Here’s how:
Near the bottom of the page, under Unemployment Information for Claimants, click on the link to the Benefits Estimator. Users can input their approximate gross quarterly earnings for the most recent five quarters to generate an estimate of unemployment compensation they would receive.
DISTRICT HAPPENINGS
Unvaccinated People Are Banned from These Hotels, Starting Oct. 15
Hawaii enacted some of the strictest restrictions throughout the pandemic, from a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone entering the islands before the vaccine rollout to the current 10-day quarantine for any unvaccinated people who won’t get tested for COVID. Governor Ige has been urging travelers to delay visiting while Hawaii deals with an accelerated surge of COVID cases and a lack of available health care resources. Vaccination has been shown to be effective in curtailing infectious spread so the restrictions are also spreading. Many major hotels are now requiring all guests over the age of 12 to be vaccinated. Beginning next Tuesday, October 12, Highgate Hotels Hawaii, will require all staff and guests be vaccinated other than exemptions for medical or religious reasons and for children under the age of 12. The Highgate hotels include:
Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
Courtyard Marriott in Waikiki
Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel
Park Shore Waikiki,
Ambassador Waikiki Hotel
Pearl Waikiki Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach.
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel Partners with Local Artist
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel is making sure that when visitors come to Hawaii they experience a Hawaiian sense of place, partnering with Hawaiian street artist Jack Soren who has painted a floor-to-ceiling mural, titled “Lei’d Back,” across two lobby walls. The mural, his second at the hotel, is set in surfing’s “golden age,” depicting Waikiki beachboys and other Hawaii residents sharing the waves with visitors. Learn more about the mural here.
Halloween-Themed Bar Pops up at Ala Moana Center
Local businesses are expanding your Halloween options–doing their best to adhere to gathering rules while providing fun for all. Nightmare Honolulu officially opened Friday, Oct. 1, for the Halloween season. The pop-up bar falls under the current Safe Access Oahu rules which means in order to enjoy the bar, customers must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter. Nightmare is open daily during the month of October. There is no cover charge. Horror enthusiasts and curious individuals 21 years of age or older are welcome to attend! Learn more here.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Oct.11: Info Briefing: Updates on Economy, Health and City, 10am (Virtual)
Join a virtual info briefing featuring the following speakers reporting on the status of the state’s Economy, Health, and the City in light of the pandemic: Carl Bonham, Jill Hoggard Green, Mark Mugiishi, Ray Vara, and Mayor Rick Blangiardi. Click on the agenda below to find links to join the meeting here.
Oct. 11: Info Briefing: Updates on Homelessness, 10am (Virtual)
Receive updates on Hawaii’s homelessness issue straight from the Governor’s Homeless Coordinator and from various counties on the topic of ʻOhana Zones.’ Click on the agenda below to find links to join the meeting here.
October 13: Presentation: Conservation Dogs of Hawaii, 12pm (Virtual)
Lunch and learn in honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week! This week learn how our four-legged friends are serving the front lines of conservation. These dog-handler teams are working to restore and protect wildlife and ecosystems in the Hawaiian archipelago. Register here.
WEEKEND WAYSIDES
Oct 8-10: Fall Food & Product Show @ Blaisdell, Hours Vary
Safety protocols will be enforced as thousands descend upon rows and rows of favorite local eats and a weekend full of fall festivities at this year’s Food & New Product Show, returning to the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. For more info, click here.
Oct 9: Bubble Tea Exhibition @ The Art Bar Hawaii, 10am – 1pm
A soft opening to introduce artists and their works to community! View pieces that depict water, ocean, sea life, waves, and the essence of our beautiful islands…AND because Bubbletea is “all the rage,” this first exhibition will be catered by a brand new Bubbletea shop—also opening upstairs from gallery!! For more info, click here.
Oct. 10: An Evening of Latin Jazz @ Blue Note Hawaii, 6 – 10pm
Featuring the music of Santana, Chick Corea, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie, Michel Camilo, Horace Silver, Tito Puente, Artoro Sandoval, Gato Barbieri, Esperanza Spalding, Mango Santamaria & Gloria Estefan. All ages welcome. Tickets are $15-$25 dollars. Get them here.
Oct.14 – 24: Hawaii Food and Wine Festival Comes to Oahu, Hours Vary Tickets on sale now for the 11th Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival featuring 17 events and 67 world-class chefs from Hawaii and the mainland U.S. With safety continuing to be a top priority, HFWF will host smaller collaboration events and use its platform to foster a greater appreciation for Hawaii’s natural resources by educating residents and visitors about our collective responsibility to “Malama Aina”—to care for the land. Learn more here.
