On August 20th, 2020 Governor Ige signed the TWELFTH PROCLAMATION RELATED TO THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY, the latest supplementary emergency proclamation related to COVID-19. In addition to extending the emergency period through Sept. 30, 2020, the order includes a new program referred to as Enhanced Movement Quarantine (EQM) that would allow counties to establish “defined geographic areas” with hotels and resort facilities in which quarantined travelers can move freely, and enjoy a “full vacation experience.” The program seems to require resort employees who come into contact with EQM participants to undergo their own “self-quarantine,” but provides no information on what this would entail. It also explicitly allows the areas that comprise “resort bubbles” to include adjacent public beaches, but includes no guidance on how to mitigate the risk of transmission to beachgoing residents.

Nearly six months into Hawaii's shutdown, the safe reopening of Maui's tourism industry, which our country desperately relies on, is an urgent matter. However, EQM does nothing to address the pressing issues of stimulating our local economy by allowing tourist dollars to flow into local businesses, creating employment and stimulating revenue for much needed county jobs and programs. Rather, “resort bubbles” remove deterrents to travel from out-of-state, inviting infection and putting hotel workers, their families, and our entire community at risk. After months of sacrifice, the residents of Maui County deserve better than half-measured attempts that solely reward multinational corporations at the risk of community well-being, and complete reopening timelines. 

It is an especially irresponsible move at a time when the state has come under fire for mishandling testing and contact tracing efforts, and there is an ongoing Congressional inquiry into allegations that the Hawaii Department of Health mismanaged millions of dollars in federal stimulus money. Hawaii's COVID-19 infection rate, which had been all but eliminated in May, is now the highest of any state in the nation. With limited resources for addressing statewide COVID-19 infections, it is imperative that the County of Maui deploy our resources towards solutions that can test, trace, and treat those affected with this virus to ensure a timely and safe opening that benefits our community, instead of short-term solutions that benefit the few. 

We reject Enhanced Movement Quarantine, and call on Mayor Victorino to put the interests of the people of Maui before those of resorts.