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Home My WebLink AboutRES 572 Draft 01 2018-2020 • ..oJ' Os Nij . ; COUNTY OF HAWAII { ''�=��/ •- STATE OF HAWAII • TF OFH� RESOLUTION NO. �'I A 2® A RESOLUTION URGING THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TO ISSUE A BAN ON ALL NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TO THE STATE OF HAWAII UNTIL APRIL 30, 2020, TO HELP REDUCE THE COVID-19 INFECTION RATE AND EASE THE BURDEN ON OUR ALREADY STRAINED HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, FOOD, MEDICINE, AND DRY GOODS RESOURCES. WHEREAS, on April 1, 2020, City and County of Honolulu Mayor Kirk W. Caldwell submitted a letter to United States President Donald J. Trump requesting that all non-essential travel to the State of Hawai`i be banned until April 30, 2020 (Exhibit A); and WHEREAS, Mayor Caldwell's letter was co-signed by Maui County Mayor Michael P. Victorino and Kaua`i County Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami; and WHEREAS, within the letter, Mayor Caldwell asserts that "[d]omestic and international airlines have dramatically reduced round-trip airfares to Hawai`i, which has and will continue to encourage people to risk travelling to Hawai`i — especially those who otherwise may not have been able to afford to come."; and WHEREAS, those who travel to Hawai`i increase the risk of spreading the COVID-19 disease to residents and others who are currently in the State of Hawai`i, and also increase the existing strain on local resources, such as hotels, homeless shelters, hospitals, and stores with limited inventory; and WHEREAS, Mayor Caldwell's request for a travel ban includes an exemption for employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited, to, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply; and WHEREAS, COVID-19 infection rates have increased 150% between March 24, 2020, and March 31, 2020, and within that timeframe, the State of Hawai`i suffered its first fatality attributed to COVID-19; and WHEREAS, the County Council finds that the assertions and perspectives included in Mayor Caldwell's letter are sensible and accurate and that all reasonable measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and conserve our limited resources must be employed; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that it hereby urges the Honorable President Donald J. Trump to issue a ban on all non-essential travel to the State of Hawaii until April 30, 2020. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Honorable President Donald J. Trump. Dated at Hilo , Hawai`i, this 8th day of April , 2020 . INT' e o UCED BY: t I COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: 4111111, `' 400 .'' IL MEMBER, CO V ` TO HA :PI INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, OUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: 1111EW:OP°. COUNCIL MEMB OF HAWAI I 2 INTRODUCED BY: ,:g0.°°. . - C 4_ COUN I MEMBE , COUNTY OF HAWAII INTRODUCED BY: 4kt).11\1/4)( °OIW- ' :) COUNCIL MEM':ER, COUNTY OF WAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE County of Hawai`i AYES NOES ABS EX Hilo, Hawai`i CHUNG X DAVID X I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by EOFF X the vote indicated to the righthereof dopte 2020 COUNCIL of the KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X County of Hawai`i onApril6 KIERKIEWICZ X LEE LOY X ATTEST: POINDEXTER X RICHARDS X VILLEGAS X 9 0 0 0 dri N Reference: C-859/Council i C TY CLE CHAIRPERSON&PRESIDING • FICER RESOLUTION NO. 572 20 3 "FFICE OF THE MAYOR HONOLULUCITY AND COUNTY OF ..4dU6FT Ydf 6 pad OyQ,- "t4rf dF HP�Tti April 1,2020 The Honorable Donald J. Trump The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: Re: Request for travel ban to and from the State of Hawaii As the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawaii ("Honolulu'), I am writing to you on behalf of each of the counties in Hawaii whose mayors have signed below,to respectfully request that you issue an order that restricts all non-essential travel to the State of Hawaii until April 30, 2020. This restriction would not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to,public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical- infrastructure-workforceextemal icon), have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. The State of Hawaii, and particularly, the City and County of Honolulu, is in a very unique situation that is unlike any other state in the union. We are islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The only way to come into the state is by air or sea. Most of the positive test results of COVID-19 infection in the State of Hawaii are directly related to travelers coming into the State of Hawaii—either residents returning to their island homes or visitors from the mainland or other countries who travel to Hawaii. Now is not the time for non-essential travel. As Mayor of Honolulu, I issued a Stay At Home/Work From Home Order on March 22, 2020: all residents of Honolulu are ordered to stay at their place of residence, all non-essential businesses are ordered to cease all activities, and all non-essential public and private gatherings are prohibited. Only travel to perforin essential activities, essential governmental functions, or essential businesses are allowed. This order is in effect until April 30, 2020, unless otherwise extended or suspended. EXHIBIT A 20-011821884283 Honorable Donald J. Trump April 1, 2020 Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige ("Governor Ige") also issued an Emergency Proclamation on March 4, 2020 and Supplementary Proclamations on March 16, 2020, March 21, 2020, and March 23, 2020, all related to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the State of Hawaii. Governor Ige mandated that all persons entering the State of Hawaii be subject to self- quarantine for 14 days, with certain exceptions,to be in effect until May 20, 2020. Recently, Governor Ige extended the 14-day quarantine measure to include visitors arriving from neighbor islands, and ordered people state-wide to generally stay at home through April 30, 2020. Similar to Hawaii, other states—Alaska,New Hampshire, and Massachusetts—have mandated that travelers arriving from out of state must self-quarantine for two weeks upon arrival into those states. At your direction,the United States has already taken action consistent with this request to limit travel to Hawaii; including the travel ban for certain passengers from China to the United States that you issued on January 31, 2020, and your initiative to Slow the Spread of COVID-19, which was recently extended. Despite these restrictions to reduce travel and the spread of COVID-19 infections, individuals continue to arrive in the State of Hawaii. Domestic and international airlines have dramatically reduced their round trip airfares to Hawaii, which has and will continue to encourage people to risk travelling to Hawaii—especially those who otherwise may not have been able to afford to come. On March 30, 2020, 681 domestic and international travelers arrived in the state, and it appears arrivals may be increasing due to the drop in air fares. Based on arrival data for just two of the five counties, 783 people travelled to the state on March 31, 2020. All such travelers pose a heightened risk of spreading COVID-19 throughout our state. In addition,these travelers are putting additional strains on our already scarce resources during this emergency period, including our hotels, homeless shelters,hospitals, and stores with limited inventory. Unless something is done at the federal level, such travel to Hawaii will continue and lead to an avoidable healthcare crisis and tragedy in our state. As of March 31,2020, Hawaii has 224 positive cases of COVID-19. This is an increase of nearly 150%from the week before. And, Hawaii just suffered its first fatality from COVID- 19, with more likely to come. In order to preserve and protect the health, safety, and well-being of the State and its residents, and consistent with the White House's extended Slow the Spread initiative, I respectfully request that you order a ban on all non-essential travel to the State of Hawaii until April 30, 2020. Yours sincerely, DIRK W. CALDWELL Mayor City and County of Honolulu 2 Honorable Donald J. Trump April 1, 2020 MICHAEL P. VICTORINO Mayor County of Maui DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI Mayor County of Kauai 3