Travelore Cruise News: Royal Caribbean Keeps Quiet While Norwegian Cruise Line Issues Warning Over New Hawaii Cruise Tax That Was Upheld In Court

Throughout the year, Royal Caribbean has made some noticeable adjustments to its itinerary. Among the recent changes was a reroute due to tension between two countries. Royal Caribbean offered little explanation after removing a visit between China and Japan on the Spectrum of the Seas.

There's another destination guests continue to question. Hawaii stirred things up with a new tax for cruisers earlier in the year. The increase has caused a stir and has now been upheld in court. Norwegian Cruise Line sent out an alert.

Here's the latest on the cruise tax and how the Cruise Lines International Association has reacted to the verdict.
The tax will be implemented on January 1, 2026.

Despite The Cruise Lines International Association Efforts, Hawaii's Cruise Tax Has Been Upheld In Court

Hawaii added cruise passengers to its Transient Accommodations Tax. The new fee has caused a stir since its inception. The funds will aid climate change, conservation and infrastructure. The fee is estimated to generate around $100 million annually.

The tax will raise the existing TAT from 10.25% to 11% statewide.

Despite efforts by the Cruise Lines International Association, which represents the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, a federal judge has ruled that the new tax will still be upheld.

The CLIA argued that the tax would hurt tourism, making it more expensive for cruisers.

The association argued, "Cruise tourism generates nearly $1 billion in total economic impact for Hawai‘i and supports thousands of local jobs, and we remain focused on ensuring that success continues on a lawful, sustainable foundation."

Despite the verdict, the plaintiffs plan to appeal. For now, some cruise lines have already started to warn passengers about the cruise tax change. Among them is Norwegian Cruise Line.

The company sent out an email to passengers about the future change.

Norwegian Cruise Line Has Warned Its Passengers About The Added Tax

Back in October, Norwegian Cruise Line was praised for alerting guests about the new Hawaii cruise tax set to go into effect on January 1, 2026.

Fares for Hawaii increase from $50-$500 higher with the additional tax. The added costs depend on the overall stay and cost of itineraries.

NCL reached out to guests about the change.

NCL added that it doesn't agree with the tax, and is working with the CLIA to review it legally.

“We believe that this expansion of the TAT is unconstitutional, and therefore in collaboration with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), we are actively engaged in a legal review. We remain committed to advocating for a fair and balanced outcome.”

Credit to NCL for being completely transparent about the tax and what it means for cruisers taking to Hawaii. As far as Royal Caribbean is concerned, a formal announcement hasn't been made just yet.

Royal Caribbean Hasn't Addressed The Tax Despite Future Sails To Hawaii

On its Hawaii cruises page, Royal Caribbean continues to promote sails.

Royal Caribbean says about the destination, "Just the word "Hawaii" conjures visions of turquoise waves lapping at colorful sands, a rich historical tapestry that's as Polynesian as it is American and a welcoming culture you can distill into a single word: Aloha. Once you arrive, trace the history of Pearl Harbor on Oahu, where you can tour battleships and see the memorial to that fateful day in 1941."

"Cruise to Hawaii and head to the Big Island to scale volcanoes like Mount Kilauea and chase waterfalls on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Or enjoy the sun and surf on the remote shores of Kauai and Maui. Discover the magic with a Hawaiian cruise."

Royal Caribbean has continued cruises to Hawaii on its Anthem of the Seas. The cruise line has various sails, including eight and twelve-night packages.

Royal Caribbean's 8-Night Hawaii Cruise In April 2027 Schedule:

Oahu (Honolulu), Hawaii

Kailua Kona, Hawaii

5 Days at Sea

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Anthem of the Seas is known for its sailings in Alaska and the Caribbean.

It remains to be seen if the new tax will keep Royal Caribbean cruisers away from the destination.

https://www.thetravel.com/author/a-passalalpi/

Travelore News: Hawaii Vacations Will Soon Cost More With New Lodging Taxes

Visitors to the Aloha State may see a slightly higher hotel bill next year. State legislators have voted to increase the state’s existing lodging tax from 10.25% to 11%, effective January 1.

The bill is the first of its kind in the nation because the additional 0.75% will be earmarked specifically to help the state combat the effects of climate change. Lawmakers say the tax increase will generate $85 million to $100 million per year, and those funds will be spent on dealing with coastal erosion, removing highly flammable non-native invasive grasses like those that helped spread the 2023 Maui wildfires, and equipping homes with hurricane clips to secure roofs during powerful storms.

Hawai‘i hotels, vacation rentals, timeshares, and other short-term accommodations are also subject to a 3% lodging tax collected by the state’s island counties, plus the statewide 4.712% excise tax charged on all goods and services. The cumulative tax rate for short-term accommodations totals out at 18.712% of the room rate—one of the highest lodging taxes in the nation.

Hawai‘i justifies the higher lodging taxes because of the infrastructure impact of tourism—the state’s largest industry—and a preference that visitors, not local residents, shoulder much of the tax burden for maintaining visitor infrastructure. The additional taxes designed to combat the effect of climate change will benefit both visitors and Hawai‘i residents by driving projects such as replacing sand washed away on beaches throughout the state.

Only the 0.75% increase will be earmarked for climate change and natural resource protection. Revenue from the existing lodging tax will continue to be paid into the state’s general fund.

Governor Josh Green, who says he will sign the bill, says the tax increase is small enough that most visitors won’t notice, and that most visitors would likely appreciate the intent of the tax increase. “The more you cultivate good environmental policy, and the more you invest in perfecting our lived space, the more likely it is we’re going to have actually lifelong, committed travelers to Hawai‘i,” Green told the Associated Press.

Green had advocated for a flat $50 for visitors to the state, but lawmakers eventually scrapped those plans because they would violate the state Constitution’s guarantee of free travel. Lodging taxes on short-term accommodations apply to the vast majority of domestic visitors. State economic officials estimate around 10-13% of domestic visitors stay with friends or relatives. An even smaller share of international visitors stay with friends or relatives.

The fee will also apply to cruise ships, applying for the first time the 11% lodging tax on cruise ships operating in the islands, prorated for the number of days the ships spend in Hawai‘i ports. A small percentage of the state’s visitors arrive in the islands via cruise ship, either beginning or ending their journey in Hawai‘i or in transit to another destination. Another share of cruise ship passengers arrive via air, with their destination being NCL’s Pride of America, the only large cruise ship operating solely within the Hawaiian Islands.

NCL lobbied heavily against the bill, saying that it would be “unconstitutional” for the state to charge a port tax or fee not directly related to the port’s handling costs. In a letter to the state’s attorney general, the line advised that if the bill was signed into law, they would sue. Per-passenger cruise fees are already collected in other states, including Alaska.

Cruise lines would face higher tax increases than other lodging types because they were not previously subject to the state’s 10.25% accommodations tax, but will now be subject to the higher 11% rate. NCL’s General Counsel told Travel Weekly that it will double the taxes paid by passengers on their 7-night Hawai‘i itineraries.

Tourism is the Aloha State’s largest industry, followed by defense and real estate.

https://www.fodors.com/news/author/scott-laird

Hawaii Officials Stress Preparedness Despite Below-Normal Central Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook

This year’s hurricane season for waters around Hawaii will likely be “below normal” with one to four tropical cyclones across the central Pacific region, forecasters said.

A near-normal season has four or five cyclones, which include tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.

Last year, during strong El Nino conditions, four tropical cyclones entered into the central Pacific. El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that starts with unusually warm water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and then changes weather worldwide.

This year’s below-average prediction is due to a quick transition from El Nino to La Nina conditions, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in announcing the 2024 central Pacific hurricane season outlook Tuesday.

La Nina is a natural and temporary cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean that also changes weather worldwide. La Nina’s effects are often opposite of El Nino, so there are more hurricanes in the Atlantic and fewer in the Pacific.

The outlook is for the overall tropical cyclone activity in the central Pacific basin, and there is no indication for how many cyclones will affect Hawaii, NOAA said. The central Pacific hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

Officials stressed the importance of preparing for extreme weather, regardless of the outlook, with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green proclaiming hurricane preparedness week.

“It’s important to prepare for that threat this season and not wait for a season where we expect it to be more active,” said Christopher Brenchley, director of NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Many Hawaii homes are single-wall construction, which make them vulnerable as global warming fuels natural disasters around the planet. Hawaii’s temperate climate means homes don’t need to trap heat, so most don’t have an additional wall to contain insulation. Structurally, their foundations aren’t often properly anchored to the ground. Their lower cost made them Hawaii’s preferred construction style for decades.

Two-thirds of the single-family homes on Oahu, an island of 1 million people where Honolulu is located, have no hurricane protections.

“So even though we have sort of a year where we expect there would be fewer storms on average because of La Nina conditions, if a storm hits the islands, all it really takes is one,” said Daniel Gilford, a climate scientist with Climate Central, a nonprofit science research group.

Warmer sea-surface temperatures worldwide over the last few decades, in part because of human-caused climate change, provides more energy for storms to grow more powerful when they do occur, Gilford said.

“We know that hurricanes are kind of like giant heat engines, almost like a heat engine in your car. You know, it takes in some amount of fuel, and then it converts that fuel into the ability to drive forward,” he said.

BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, AP

Maui Is Open To Respectful Visitors

Maui Ocean Center is open and ready to welcome back kamaʻāina and visitors seeking comfort following last week's devastating wildfires. The park — which closed briefly last week as employees helped those displaced by the fires — is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

"Mahalo for everyone's support, actions and donations to those who suffered so much here on Maui," said Tapani Vuori, general manager of Maui Ocean Center. "Our community is now shifting from response mode to recovery mode. As we focus on the displaced, we are now also looking at the broader Maui community. An employed Maui is a resilient Maui. Many of our local businesses depend on the visitor community, and as that dwindles, the hardships on our island multiply. We need the resources to manage the long-term efforts it will take to restore our island community."

At the onset of the tragedy, many messages sent in pain, need, and devastation have been, at times, mixed regarding the visitor economy. The island is now rallying around maintaining a vibrant Maui economy. As Hawai'i Gov. Josh Green stated, "… decisions we made can affect everyone across the islands. So what we're saying now is travel should not be to West Maui. But the other parts of Maui are safe." While Lāhainā remains out of bounds, properties in Napali, Kaanapali, and Kapalua just to North are helping with housing the displaced and also will, at some point, be able to hire back the residents of Maui.

"Maui welcomes respectful, thoughtful tourism," Vuori added. "While we request that you respect Lāhainā and its residents by giving them the space and resources they require, we welcome you to visit the rest of our island. The island is large and diverse, with many places far from the devastation our community is addressing."

For those who wish to support the island financially, Maui Ocean Center endorses Hawai'i Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong. Guests may also round up their entrance and in-park purchases to help support efforts.

Additionally, Maui Ocean Center continues to collect donations of food and toiletries at the park's front gate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through this Sunday, Aug. 20.

For the past 25 years, Maui Ocean Center has aimed to foster wonder and respect for Hawai'i's marine life — and help protect it for future generations. Whether it's walking through an underwater tunnel next to sharks and rays or coming eye-to-eye with a humpback whale in an immersive 3D film experience, Maui Ocean Center seeks to inspire as it brings you below the water's surface. Recognized by the Hawaiʻi Ecotourism Association for its "commitment to sustainability," Maui Ocean Center is listed among the "Top 10 Aquariums in the World" by TripAdvisor's Travelers Choice.

Kilauea, One Of The World’s Most Active Volcanoes, Begins Erupting After 3-Month Pause

Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause, U.S. Geological Survey officials said.

The survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement that a glow was detected in webcam images from Kilauea’s summit early in the morning, indicating that an eruption was occurring within the Halema’uma’u crater in the summit caldera.

The images show fissures at the base of the crater generating lava flows on the crater floor’s surface, the observatory said.

Before issuing the eruption notice, the observatory said increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at the summit started Tuesday night, indicating the movement of magma in the subsurface.

All activity is within a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on Hawaii’s Big Island.

The volcano’s alert level was raised to warning status and the aviation color code went to red as scientists evaluate the eruption and associated hazards.

Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted from September 2021 until last December. For about two weeks in December, Hawaii’s biggest volcano, Mauna Loa, also was erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island.

After a short pause, Kilauea began erupting again in January. That eruption lasted for 61 days, ending in March.

A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 homes.

Before the major 2018 eruption, Kilauea had been erupting since 1983, and streams of lava occasionally covered farms and homes. During that time, the lava sometimes reached the ocean, causing dramatic interactions with the water.

Source: AP

Travelore Update: Hawaii Lawmakers Fail To Pass Annual Park Fee For Tourists

Hawaii lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have made tourists help pay for the protection of the state’s forests and wildlife even though the idea has widespread public and political support.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House and Senate did not resolve their differences over the measure’s details in time for a deadline at the end of this year’s legislative session, which concludes Thursday.

The measure would have required tourists to pay for a yearlong license or pass to visit state parks and trails. Revenue would have paid for the maintenance and protection of parks, coral reefs, forests and wildlife such as dolphins.

About 10 million visitors come to Hawaii each year, while the state’s population numbers just 1.5 million. Many travelers like to hike in the state’s forests, snorkel over its coral reefs and view wildlife, all of which stress the environment.

A bill that passed in the Senate would have set the license fee for tourists at $50, but the House deleted the dollar amount. During the past week, lawmakers discussed appropriating $360,000 for five full-time state employees to implement the plan but failed to reach a final agreement.

Testimony overwhelmingly favored a bill. The governor and House and Senate leaders backed the concept. A 2022 public opinion survey conducted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority showed broad support for charging visitors to access state parks and trails.

Democratic state Sen. Chris Lee said the bulk of the discussion at the Legislature had to do with how to have visitors pay for upkeep, improvements and protection of parks and natural resources but not whether to do so.

“I don’t think the bill failed to pass on the merits of the legislation and of the idea that we ought to be leveraging visitors to pay for these things,” Lee said. “I think it was more the question of how and when.”

He expects the bill to come up for consideration again next year and for lawmakers to come together to pass it. He said there’s an appetite for steps that will reduce the effects of tourism on the environment and cut costs for residents.

A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Josh Green said his administration views the bill’s failure as an opportunity to have a more comprehensive discussion on managing tourism.

“With all the feedback we’ve received from this year’s legislation, we are optimistic that we can develop a detailed bill for the next session that will ensure a more sustainable future for our keiki,” said Makana McClellan, using the Hawaiian word for children.

Carissa Cabrera, project manager for the Hawaii Green Fee, a coalition of nonprofit groups supporting a fee, said the bill got farther this session than previous iterations have in the past and had more support than ever before.
“Just because the bill has died, the idea is not dead,” she said.

By AUDREY McAVOY

Resort Famous For Elvis’ ‘Blue Hawaii’ Movie Will Be Rebuilt

Demolition will soon begin on a resort once favored by Elvis Presley and other Hollywood royalty before it was heavily damaged by a hurricane three decades ago.

The Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai will be torn down for a new 350-room hotel, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

The resort is best known in movie lore as the location where Presley and Joan Blackman’s characters married in the 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii.”

It’s also the site of other key scenes in the movie, including the last where Presley sings the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and holds Blackman’s hand while they board a raft to cross a lagoon.

In its heyday, it was famed for being frequented by other Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Bing Crosby.

The 46-acre (19-hectare) grounds were also once home to Kauai’s last queen, Deborah Kapule, who died in 1853.

The resort opened in 1953 next to a historic coconut grove and an ancient Hawaiian fishpond. The property fell into disrepair after being damaged when the powerful Hurricane Iniki hit the island in 1992

Several attempts to restore the property have failed over the years.

The $250 million project will take three years to complete, said Patrick Manning, a managing partner of Reef Capital Partners from Utah.

Reef Capital served as the lender to a previous developer and took over the property in 2018 when they defaulted on a loan. Manning said the plan was to sell the property, but that changed after he investigated its history.

“I called my partners, and I said, ‘This property is too important to sell,’” Manning said.

The new hotel and a cultural center to honor the property’s history will be built on about 10 acres (4 hectares) of the property.

At one time, the community wanted the resort rebuilt, but those sentiments have changed, said Kauai Council Chairman Mel Rapozo. “They don’t want to see a resort built,” he added.

At a state Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting Friday, some spoke in opposition to the development, citing a number of ancestral bones buried on the property.

Cultural practitioner Joseph Kekaulike Kamai said his great-grandmother is buried there, and others are buried under the hotel, driveway and tennis courts.

“I really don’t want them to be digging anymore. I don’t want them grubbing our land,” Kamai said.

Manning said something needs to be done or the site will be an eyesore for another 30 years.

“Even though we know there are many that don’t want it rebuilt, we intend to be viewed and earn a reputation for doing everything we can to honor its past and respect the people of Kauai and guests of Kauai and how we manage its future,” Manning said.

Source: AP

Hawaii Considering Charging Ecotourism Fees

Repairing coral reefs after boats run aground. Shielding native forest trees from a killer fungus outbreak. Patrolling waters for swimmers harassing dolphins and turtles.

Taking care of Hawaii’s unique natural environment takes time, people and money. Now Hawaii wants tourists to help pay for it, especially because growing numbers are traveling to the islands to enjoy the beauty of its outdoors — including some lured by dramatic vistas they have seen on social media.

“All I want to do, honestly, is to make travelers accountable and have the capacity to help pay for the impact that they have,” Democratic Gov. Josh Green said earlier this year. “We get between nine and 10 million visitors a year, (but) we only have 1.4 million people living here. Those 10 million travelers should be helping us sustain our environment.”

Hawaii lawmakers are considering legislation that would require tourists to pay for a yearlong license or pass to visit state parks and trails. They are still debating how much they would charge.

The governor campaigned last year on a platform of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state. Legislators think this would violate U.S. constitutional protections for free travel and have promoted their parks and trails approach instead. Either policy would be a first of its kind for any U.S. state.

Hawaii’s leaders are following the example of other tourism hotspots that have imposed similar fees or taxes like Venice, Italy, and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. The Pacific island nation of Palau, for example, charges arriving international passengers $100 to help it manage a sprawling marine sanctuary and promote ecotourism.

State Rep. Sean Quinlan, a Democrat who chairs the House Tourism Committee, said changing traveler patterns are one reason behind Hawaii’s push. He said golf rounds per visitor per day have declined 30% over the past decade while hiking has increased 50%. People are also seeking out once-obscure sites that they have seen someone post on social media. The state doesn’t have the money to manage all these places, he said.

“It’s not like it was 20 years ago when you bring your family and you hit maybe one or two famous beaches and you go see Pearl Harbor. And that’s the extent of it,” Quinlan said. “These days it’s like, well, you know, ‘I saw this post on Instagram and there’s this beautiful rope swing, a coconut tree.’”

“All these places that didn’t have visitors now have visitors,” he said.

Most state parks and trails are currently free. Some of the most popular ones already charge, like Diamond Head State Monument, which features a trail leading from the floor of a 300,000-year-old volcanic crater up to its summit. It gets 1 million visitors each year and costs $5 for eachtraveler.

A bill currently before the state House would require nonresidents 15 years and older visiting forests, parks, trails or “other natural area on state land” to buy an annual license online or via mobile app. Violators would pay a civil fine, though penalties wouldn’t be imposed during a five-year education and transition period.

Residents with a Hawaii driver’s license or other state identification would be exempt.

The Senate passed a version of the measure setting the fee at $50. But the House Finance Committee amended it last week to delete the dollar amount. Chair Kyle Yamashita, a Democrat, said the bill was “a work in progress.” The bill has been scheduled for a House floor vote on Thursday.

Dawn Chang, chair of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, told the committee that Hawaii’s beaches are open to the public, so people probably wouldn’t be cited there — and such details still need to be worked out.

Rep. Dee Morikawa, a Democrat on the committee, recommended that the state create a list of places that would require the license.

Green has indicated he’s flexible about where the fee is imposed and that he’s willing to support the Legislature’s approach.

Supporters say there’s no other place in the U.S. that imposes a similar fee on visitors. The closest equivalent may be the $34.50 tax Alaska charges to each cruise ship passenger.

Hawaii’s conservation needs are great. Invasive pests are attacking the state’s forests, including a fungal disease that is killing ohia, a tree unique to Hawaii that makes up the largest portion of the canopy in native wet forests.

Some conservation work directly responds to tourism. The harassment of wildlife like dolphins, turtles and Hawaiian monk seals is a recurring problem. Hikers can unknowingly bring invasive species into the forest on their boots. Snorkelers and boats trample on coral, adding stress to reefs already struggling with invasive algae and coral bleaching.

A 2019 report by Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization, estimated that total federal, state, county and private spending on conservation in Hawaii amounted to $535 million but the need was $886 million.

At the Diamond Head trail recently, some visitors said the fee would make the most sense for people who come to Hawaii often or who might be staying for several weeks. Some said $50 was too high, especially for those who view a walk through nature as a low-cost activity.

“For a large family that wants to have the experience with the kids, that would be a lot of money,” said Sarah Tripp, who was visiting Hawaii with her husband and two of their three children from Marquette, Michigan.

Katrina Kain, an English teacher visiting from Puerto Rico, said she thought the fee would “sting” some people but would be fine so long as it was well-advertised.

“If tourists were informed about it, then they would be OK with it,” she said. “If that was a surprise $50 fee, it would be a pretty lousy surprise.”

The legislation says proceeds would go into a “visitor impact fee special fund” managed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Carissa Cabrera, project manager for the Hawaii Green Fee, a coalition of nonprofit groups supporting the measure, said this would ensure the state has money for conservation regardless of budget swings.

Mufi Hanneman, president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, which represents hotels, backs the bill but said Hawaii must carefully monitor how the money is used.

“The last thing that you want to see is restrooms that haven’t been fixed, trails or pathways that haven’t been repaved or what have you — and year in, year out it remains the same and people are paying a fee,” Hannemann said.

By AUDREY McAVOY

Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts Again, Summit Crater Glows

Hawaii’s Kilauea began erupting inside its summit crater Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, less than one month after the volcano and its larger neighbor Mauna Loa stopped releasing lava.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected a glow in webcam images indicating Kilauea had begun erupting inside Halemaumau crater at the volcano’s summit caldera, the agency said.

Kilauea’s summit is inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and away from residential communities.

Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey raised the alert level for Kilauea due to signs that magma was moving below the summit surface, an indication that the volcano might erupt.

Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It last erupted for 16 months starting in September 2021. For about two weeks starting Nov. 27, Hawaii had two volcanoes spewing lava side by side when Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 38 years. Both volcanoes stopped erupting at about the same time.

During the twin eruption, visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park were able to see lava from both eruptions at the same time.

“It was a beautiful eruption, and lots of people got to see it, and it didn’t take out any major infrastructure and most importantly, it didn’t affect anybody’s life,” said Ken Hon, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s scientist in charge.

Mauna Loa lava didn’t pose a threat to any communities, but got within 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) of a major highway connecting the east and west sides of the island. A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 residences.

The observatory planned to continue monitoring the volcanoes for signs of renewed activity. Hon previously said there is generally a three-month “cooling off” period before scientists consider an eruption to be complete.

It was unclear what connection there could be to the volcanoes stopping their eruptions around the same time. The volcanoes can be seen at the same time from multiple spots in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near Kilauea’s caldera.

Scientists planned to look at data to study the relationship between the two volcanoes, Hon previously said.

For Native Hawaiians, volcanic eruptions have deep cultural and spiritual significance. During Mauna Loa’s eruption, many Hawaiians took part in cultural traditions, such as singing, chanting and dancing to honor Pele, the deity of volcanoes and fire, and leaving offerings known as “hookupu.”

By AUDREY McAVOY

Viewers Flock To Eruption Of World’s Largest Volcano

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — The world’s largest volcano oozed rivers of glowing lava Wednesday, drawing thousands of awestruck viewers who jammed a Hawaiian highway that could soon be covered by the flow.

Mauna Loa awoke from its 38-year slumber Sunday, causing volcanic ash and debris to drift down from the sky. A main highway linking towns on the east and west coasts of the Big Island became an impromptu viewing point, with thousands of cars jamming the highway near Volcanoes National Park.

Anne Andersen left her overnight shift as a nurse to see the spectacle Wednesday, afraid that the road would soon be closed.

“It’s Mother Nature showing us her face,” she said, as the volcano belched gas on the horizon. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Gordon Brown, a visitor from Loomis, California, could see the bright orange lava from the bedroom of his rental house. So he headed out for a close-up view with his wife.

“We just wanted … to come see this as close as we could get. And it is so bright, it just blows my mind,” Brown said.

The lava was tumbling slowly down the slope and was about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the highway known as Saddle Road. It was not clear when, or if, it would cover the road, which runs through old lava flows.

The road bisects the island and connects the cities of Hilo and Kailua-Kona. People traveling between them would need to take a longer coastal road if Saddle Road becomes impassable, adding several hours of drive time.

Ken Hon, scientist in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said at current rate of flow, the soonest the lava would get to the road is two days, but he added that things could change.

Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. The current eruption is its 34th since written record keeping began in 1843. Its smaller neighbor, Kilauea, has been erupting since September 2021, so visitors to the national park were being treated to the rare sight of two simultaneous eruptive events: the glow from Kilauea’s lava lake and lava from a Mauna Loa fissure.

Abel Brown, a visitor from Las Vegas, was impressed by the natural forces on display. He planned to take a close-up helicopter tour later in the day — but not too close.

“There’s a lot of fear and trepidation if you get really close to it,” Brown said. “The closer you get, the more powerful it is and the more scary it is.”

Officials were initially concerned that lava flowing down Mauna Loa would head toward the community of South Kona, but scientists later assured the public the eruption had migrated to a rift zone on the volcano’s northeast flank and wasn’t threatening communities.

The smell of volcanic gases and sulfur was thick along Saddle Road, where people watched the wide stream of lava creep closer. Clouds cleared to reveal a large plume of gas and ash rising from a vent on the mountain.

Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation to allow responders to arrive quickly or limit access as needed.

Lava crossed the Mauna Loa Observatory access road Monday night and cut off power to the facility, Hon said. It could move toward the county seat of Hilo, he added, but that could take a week or longer.

Meanwhile, scientists are trying to measure the gas emitted from the eruption.

“It’s just very early in this eruption right now,” Hon said.

Hawaii National Park Gets Land Where Ancient Villages Stood

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was given new land on Tuesday in a deal that will protect and manage a pristine white sand beach and ocean bay area that is home to endangered and endemic species and to rare, culturally significant Native Hawaiian artifacts.

Endangered Hawaiian hawksbill sea turtle rests on the beach of Pohue Bay on Hawaii's Big Island.

Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit land preservation group, transferred its ownership of Pohue Bay and surrounding land to the National Park Service.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has the world’s largest and most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Most of the coastline where the bay is located is made of ancient lava flows, black rock and sea cliffs that dart out into the ocean.

Pohue Bay, a rare and idyllic oasis in an otherwise rugged landscape, is home to endangered hawksbill sea turtles, green sea turtles, endangered Hawaiian monk seals and other species found only in Hawaii. The area houses anchialine ponds — landlocked pools with a mix of fresh and salt water — where rare Hawaiian red shrimp called ʻōpaeʻula live.

The area is also culturally significant because it has remains of ancient Hawaiian villages, petroglyphs, burial sites and the largest known abrader tool quarry in the state, according to the Trust for Public Lands. Abraders are ancient tools used for sanding, smoothing and grinding.

Park officials hope to eventually open the area up to the public, but the 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) of land will remain closed to visitors as national park staff consult with local experts and residents to better understand the various cultural sites.
The addition brings the total park size to 554 square miles (1,425 square kilometers), almost as large as the entire island of Oahu.

While the park has recently acquired a few small parcels of land in the same area, the donation is the park’s largest addition since 2003, when about 156 square miles (404 square kilometers) of land was incorporated.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh in a statement called the Pohue Bay area “an incredibly precious and culturally significant landscape that needs to be protected.”

She added: “The park is working to develop an interim operating plan for Pohue that explores opportunities for public use compatible with resource protection.”

Trust for Public Land acquired the privately owned land on Tuesday and gave it to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park the same day.

The parcel stretching from the southwest coast of Hawaii Island up to the national park was purchased for $9.4 million with funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and a donation from the Wyss Foundation. The land had previously been the target of several resort proposals, Trust for Public Land said.

“We are grateful the National Park Service will steward the area, ensuring the history, culture and natural beauty of this place are protected for future generations,” Trust for Public Land Associate Vice President Lea Hong, who leads the Hawaii division for the organization, said in a statement.

Hong emphasized the role locals have played in preserving the land, fighting off pressure from developers and others to keep the area natural.

“It’s really a testament to decades of community concern and love for that area,” Hong said. “It’s a testament to the community’s dedication to conserving the coastline that this project will happen.”

By CALEB JONES

Hawaii Sees Return Of Tourism As Pandemic Concerns Ease

Hawaii’s tourism industry is starting to see a rebound as people return to travel and coronavirus concerns ease.

Data from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism shows March domestic arrivals have been on par with 2019 levels, Hawaii News Now reported Friday.

A record 10 million people arrived in the state in 2019.

When the pandemic hit, Hawaii was the only state in the nation to require negative COVID tests or vaccinations to avoid quarantine, effectively ending tourism for most of 2020 and much of 2021.

The new numbers are still without much tourism from Japan, one of Hawaii’s largest markets.

“We know there’s pent-up demand,” said Mufi Hannemann of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. “People want to be able to travel because they’ve been cooped up.”

The high demand is being met with Hawaii’s limited supply, driving up costs.

“Normally there would be much more inventory available,” said Bruce Fisher of Hawaii Aloha Travel. “And now they’re asking premium prices for the same thing that you would’ve gotten a lot cheaper before.”

Airplane and rental car gasoline prices are also high, increasing costs for potential tourists.

Hawaii To Lift Last US State Mask Mandate By March 26

The last statewide mask mandate in the U.S. will be lifted by March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday.

No states will require masks indoors after 11:59 p.m. March 25. Hawaii is the last to drop the pandemic safety measure, with indoor mask mandates in Oregon and Washington state expiring at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

Ige said Hawaii’s COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations are decreasing. The seven-day new case average is about 140, he said, while a week ago it was more than 300. There were 48 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday. He said that’s the first time the number has been under 50 since around last summer.

He said he expects the downward trends to continue.

Since April 2020, the state of Hawaii has required face masks. At first, it was both indoors and outdoors.

Ige, a Democrat, said Hawaii’s culture of caring for others, especially kupuna, or older people in Hawaiian, helped the state tolerate the mask rule for so long.

“I do believe that we are the last community to release the mask mandate because we care about each other and we care about our community and we are all willing to sacrifice to keep each other healthy and safe,” he said.

Hawaii health officials still recommend wearing masks indoors at schools, hospitals, prisons and other “congregate living settings.”

Sen. Kurt Fevella, the lone Republican in the state Senate, said he gives credit to the governor for not lifting the mandate sooner, even though he knows many of his constituents are ready to take their masks off.

“People would come up to me and tell me to take the diaper off my face,” Fevella said. “People being rude and disrespectful ... doesn’t help anybody.”

When people make those kinds of comments, he explains that he wears a mask to protect his 83-year-old father who lives with him.

He said when the mandate ends, he and his family members will continue wearing masks depending on the circumstances.

“If we don’t know the crowd we’re with, we’ll wear the mask,” he said.

The end of the mask mandate coincides with when Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers. Starting March 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. won’t have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid sequestering themselves for five days.

Ige said these rules have contributed to Hawaii having among the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country.

Bronx, New York, resident Pamela Aquino said her Hawaii summer vacation wasn’t hindered by wearing a mask indoors.

“It was so strict there. Pretty much everywhere we went we had to wear masks,” she said. “It makes sense for them. It’s an island. I totally get it. You don’t have a lot of hospitals.”

Kauai resident Sheila Herr said she will continue wearing a mask when indoors around people, like at the grocery store, even if it’s not mandatory.

“The majority of my friends on Kauai agree that we should wear masks to protect each other,” she said.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said many people will keep masks on.

“Some will do it out of an abundance of caution. Others because they are at risk,” she said. “So please encourage those who feel more comfortable wearing masks to continue to do so.”

Lt. Gov. Josh Green, an emergency room physician on the Big Island, said he recommended Monday that the governor and health department lift the mandate on or before March 25.

“The governor and the director of health are very conservative and it has benefited us because we’ve got the lowest case rate and the second lowest mortality rate in the country,” Green said.

But he said he’s now worried about the “collateral” effects of pandemic restrictions such as depression and alcohol abuse.

“It’s important that we begin to move toward normal because there are other considerations like people’s mental health,” he said.

Travelore News: Dangerous Storm Threatens Havoc Across Hawaiian Archipelago

HONOLULU (AP) — From the empty shores of Oahu’s Waikiki Beach to the snowy summit of the Big Island’s highest peak, an unusually strong winter storm is clobbering the Hawaiian Islands and raising the threat of dangerous flash floods, landslides and crashing tree limbs.

The strong storm over the nation’s only island state left eloping couples without weddings and tourists stuck indoors. It also threatened the state’s infrastructure with a deluge of rain and wind.

Five boys between the ages of 9 and 10 were rescued from a raging creek by Honolulu Fire Department workers, a statement from the agency said.

Weather officials warned that slow-moving thunderstorms, high winds and heavy rains could persist through Wednesday and Gov. David Ige issued a state of emergency for all of the state’s islands Monday night.

Veterans and survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago planned to meet for the anniversary celebration Tuesday morning at Pearl Harbor. Navy spokesperson Brenda Way told The Associated Press in an email Monday that she has heard of no discussion of canceling the event because of the storms.

The National Weather Service said the storm brings the threat of “catastrophic flooding” in the coming days as a low pressure system slowly moves from east to west and lingered on the edge of the archipelago. The storm knocked out power in communities across Hawaii and the worst of the rain was just arriving in the state’s most populous island of Oahu Monday evening.

“Now is the time to make sure you have an emergency plan in place and supplies ready should you need to move away from rising water,” Ige said in a statement.

On Oahu, where four shelters had been opened, most of the beaches in Waikiki were empty Monday as only a few people walked with umbrellas during passing heavy showers. Roadways were flooding in the area and cars crept through downtown as water gushed out of manhole covers.

On Maui, power outages and flooding already have been reported, with more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain falling in some areas.

The relentless rain forced three couples from the U.S. mainland to postpone their Maui elopements, said Nicole Bonanno, owner of Bella Bloom Floral, a wedding florist and boutique in Wailea.

The weather also led to delayed flower deliveries, a lei company with no power and employees braving flooded roads littered with debris, Bonanno said.

“The roads, everything are a mess,” she said. “There are lots of trees down.”

resident Jimmy Gomes was waiting for the lights to come back at his home on Monday after losing power at 6 p.m. Sunday. His rain gauge measured 7 inches (17.78 centimeters): “I haven’t seen this kind of rain in a long time,” he said.

“Last night the wind was howling,” he said. “But this morning, it came in really foggy and it rained, then it stopped.”

Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth declared a state of emergency Sunday for potentially heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Some areas south of Hilo were hit hard with extremely heavy rain over the weekend, weather officials said.

All islands still face the threat of flash flooding, lightning strikes, landslides and strong winds over the next two days, according to the National Weather Service.

Oahu and Kauai could see the brunt of the storm Monday and Tuesday. But for Maui and the Big Island, which have already been soaked, “it’s not going to take a lot of additional rain to really lead to big problems,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist Robert Ballard said.

The winter weather system known as a “Kona low” prompted emergency alerts throughout the weekend while delivering wind, rain and even blizzard conditions at some of Hawaii’s highest elevations.

A weekend blizzard warning was issued for the state’s highest peak, on the Big Island.

Snow is not rare at the summit of Mauna Kea, which is nearly 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) high. The last time there was a blizzard warning for the summit was in 2018. No residents live at the summit, but there are telescope observatories and other offices where officials work.

The weather service said there were reports of 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow on the road below the top of Mauna Kea, and officials were working to get to the summit to get more measurements. The forecast was for a foot of snow at the mountain’s peak.

There were also strong winds, with gusts of nearly 90 mph (138 kph) recorded atop Mauna Kea.

Other areas at lower elevations also saw strong winds, with gusts above 50 mph (80 kph) recorded at several locations across the state, according to weather officials.

Kona low is a type of low pressure system that forms near Hawaii during the winter season, and it has some unique meteorological characteristics, said Ballard, the National Weather Service’s science and operation officer in Hawaii.

“What we tend to see are a tremendous amount of tropical moisture gets drawn up from equatorial regions. Kona lows tend to move slowly and so they can keep heavy rain and thunder showers focused over one area for a prolonged amount of time, and they can also cause pretty strong to damaging winds,” Ballard said.

Hawaii has aging dams across the state that have been problematic during previous storms. In 2006, an earthen wall of Kauai’s Kaloko Reservoir collapsed during heavy rain and sent a wave of water and mud rushing down a hillside. Seven people, including a pregnant woman, were killed.

Rainfall in March caused fears that a dam had breached on Maui when floodwaters destroyed homes and inundated roadways. The same storm system brought damaging floods to Oahu and a landslide on Kauai.

Ballard said other state and federal agencies monitor dams, but that these are the conditions that people need to be cautious of.

“It’s just a situation that we need to continue to monitor and be aware of and make sure that folks understand that this is the type of situation where we can get flash flooding that happens very, very suddenly,” Ballard said.

Hawaii’s Governor Welcomes Travelers As COVID Counts Drop

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations have declined to the point where the islands are ready to welcome travelers once again, the governor said Tuesday.

Gov. David Ige said vacationers and business travelers are welcome to return to the islands starting Nov. 1.

His announcement comes nearly two months after he asked travelers on Aug. 23 to avoid Hawaii because case counts were surging with the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant and hospitals were becoming overwhelmed. The state didn’t impose any new travel quarantine restrictions, and Ige’s plea was a mere request. Even so, it prompted thousands of travelers to cancel plans to visit Hawaii.

In the intervening months, Hawaii’s seven-day average of daily new cases has plummeted from 900 to 117. COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped from more than 400 to about 100 statewide.

“I think we are all encouraged by what we’ve seen over the last several weeks with the continuing trend of lower case counts,” Ige said in a remarks at a ceremony opening a new airport facility in Kailua-Kona. “Our hospitals are doing better, and we have fewer COVID patients in them. Most importantly, our health care system has responded, and we have the ability to move forward with economic recovery.”

To avoid a 10-day quarantine upon arrival, travelers must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their departure for Hawaii.

The governor said Hawaii was seeking information from the federal government about its plans to require foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. to show proof of vaccination beginning Nov. 8.

Hawaii which is one of the state’s biggest employers, has said it will be crucial for Hawaii to match its travel policies with federal rules on international travel to avoid confusion and eliminate redundant screening.

Most visitors to Hawaii during the pandemic have come from the other 49 states, in part because countries like Japan still have strict quarantine requirements for those returning to home after traveling abroad.

US Bans Swimming With Hawaii’s Nocturnal Spinner Dolphins

HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. regulators on Tuesday banned swimming with Hawaii’s spinner dolphins to protect the nocturnal animals from people seeking close encounters with the playful species.

Swimming with dolphins is a popular tourist activity in Hawaii. Several companies offer tours that take swimmers to areas frequented by dolphins with the aim of giving them an opportunity to get in the water with the animals.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rule under the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits swimming with or getting within 50 yards (46 meters) of a spinner dolphin that is within 2 nautical miles (4 kilometers) of the shore of the main Hawaiian Islands. The rule applies to boats, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, drones or other objects.

NOAA also is proposing a regulation that would prohibit entering certain areas between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. in parts of the Big Island and Maui that are considered essential daytime habitats for spinner dolphins.

Spinner dolphins hunt in offshore waters at night. During the day, they use areas close to shore that have optimal environmental conditions to socialize, nurture their young, hide from predators and rest in preparation for nightly hunting.

Hawaii’s spinner dolphins get their name from their habit of leaping in the air and spinning around. Some scientists say such behavior is not always playfulness and can instead be an attempt to alert others to danger.

Experts Eye More Travel Testing To Contain COVID In Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials are facing pressure to increase COVID-19 testing for travelers as the islands deal with a record surge of new infections, hospitalization and deaths. The calls come as federal guidelines change to require negative virus tests from both vaccinated and unvaccinated people coming to the U.S.

Despite evidence that more COVID-19 testing would help reduce the spread of disease, especially in an isolated destination like Hawaii, state leaders have resisted the implementation of a two-test policy for arriving travelers.

Earlier this summer, the state removed all testing requirements for vaccinated people.

And even with a single pre-flight test for unvaccinated travelers, experts say infected passengers can easily slip through the cracks.

Because of the incubation and latency periods of COVID-19, using just one test to prevent spread among tens of thousands of daily visitors is akin to using a chain link fence to keep out mosquitos, said Dr. Darragh O’Carroll, an emergency and disaster physician in Honolulu.

Much of that was community spread fueled by the delta variant, which was introduced through travel.

Scientists say implementing additional testing measures could help.

A study published in March in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that the risk to an overall population is reduced by only 36% through a single pre-flight test. But a two-test system coupled with a short quarantine period catches a much higher rate, in excess of 70% of infected travelers, according to the study.

Lee Altenberg, an adjunct full professor in the mathematics department at the University of Hawaii, wrote that the paper “is one of very few studies available to inform policy makers in Hawaii.”

But, he said, the research was mischaracterized as proof that Hawaii’s single-test system was highly effective at preventing spread. State officials said the study proved their single-test system would catch 88% of all infected travelers.

“The public had the wrong impression about how much protection we were getting from the Safe Travels pretest program, and you can’t make good policy if you don’t have accurate information,” Altenberg said.

“We need to get absolutely serious about our travel protocols,” Altenberg added. “And if we’re laboring under the misimpression that (Safe Travels) is preventing 90% of infections, we’re not going to get serious about those protocols.”

Altenberg submitted contributions to the Lancet study last week.

The authors of the study said that the 88% figure represents the percentage of contagious people that would be detected on the day of travel, not the overall reduction of risk to a destination population.

The difference between “infected” and “infectious” is important, said one of the study’s co-authors.

“There obviously are people that ... will develop an infection but are not yet infectious,” said Dr. Nathan Lo, faculty fellow in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. “And those people will not be detected necessarily.”

Gov. David Ige did not respond to an interview request, but the state did announce Monday that 1 million free rapid tests are being provided for routine testing of Oahu residents.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press that decisions about testing are ultimately up to the governor, but noted that Hawaii’s single test policy is more than other states in the U.S. have done, helping keep the islands safe.

“If the mayors want to do additional testing, I absolutely support that,” Green said. “Offering voluntary take-home antigen tests upon arrival for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers could offer additional protection given the delta variant’s highly infectious nature.”

Green said only Alaska had implemented a similar system among U.S. states. Alaska is also dealing with a record surge of new infections and hospitalizations.

“We’ve done more than everyone else, we’ve done a better job than everyone else,” Green said.

Dr. Mathew Kiang, an epidemiologist and professor at Stanford University, was the lead author on the Lancet study. He worries about the lack of routine travel testing as well as so-called breakthrough infections for those who are vaccinated. Experts say the shots help reduce the severity of the illness, but people who get infected could spread it to others.

“There’s a lot we still aren’t quite sure about for ... breakthrough infections, especially in terms of asymptomatic spread,” Kiang said. But “we know delta is one of many variants of concern and this is going to keep evolving over time.”

Kiang said additional testing “allows you to bring in more visitors and it allows you to ramp up the economy.”

Hawaii Creates Optional Digital Vaccination Record Program

The state of Hawaii this week plans to launch a program that will allow people to use their smartphones to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Hawaii Smart Health Card comes shortly before Honolulu and Maui begin instituting vaccine requirements for patrons of restaurants and other businesses.

State officials say that starting Friday, people who have been vaccinated in Hawaii will be able to upload a photo of their vaccination card to the Safe Travels Hawaii website to create a digital vaccination record. The website will crosscheck this information with data stored in the state’s vaccination database.

Gov. David Ige said this should help prevent the use of fake vaccination cards. The verification process should only take a few seconds.

Customers may show restaurants, museums and other establishments their verified Hawaii Smart Health Card in lieu of their paper vaccination card to gain admittance. Businesses will have the option to use a validator app to scan a QR code on the digital vaccination records to verify their legitimacy.

“Participation in the Hawaii Smart Health Card is voluntary. It is strictly a convenience for those residents who have been vaccinated here in the state of Hawaii,” Ige said at a news conference.

The governor said some states including California and New York have started using similar digital vaccination records.

However, people who have been vaccinated through the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or through the federal pharmacy program won’t be able to have their cards verified through the website.

Starting Monday, Honolulu will require patrons of restaurants, bars, museums, theaters and other establishments to show proof of vaccination or a negative test for COVID-19 taken within the previous 48 hours.

Maui will start a similar program on Wednesday, though patrons won’t have the option to show a negative test.

Hawaii’s Governor Says “It Is A Risky Time To Be Traveling Right Now,”

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s governor asked Monday that visitors and residents reduce travel to the islands to essential business only while the state struggles to control COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads in the community.

Gov. David Ige wants to curtail travel to Hawaii through the end of October.

“It is a risky time to be traveling right now,” he said.

He said restaurant capacity has been restricted and there’s limited access to rental cars.

Ige stopped short of a mandate, saying it’s a different time now than last year when strict travel rules that required quarantining essentially shut down Hawaii’s tourism industry.

“Last year in March, when I first asked for visitors to postpone travel to the islands, we saw a 60% reduction in the traffic to Hawaii” Ige said. “And then certainly, ordering the mandatory quarantine of all incoming visitors reduced travel to the islands by 99.5%, essentially 100% of travelers.”

Things are different now with vaccines available and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying fully vaccinated people can travel domestically.

Ige said he supports Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s announcement to restrict indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25.

Blangiardi said the rules taking effect Wednesday would apply to weddings and other events.

He’s also urging people to get vaccinated.

Hiro Toiya, the city’s emergency management director, cited a mathematical modeling tool from the Georgia Institute of Technology to illustrate risks the community faced from large gatherings.

The modeling shows there is a 20% chance that someone in a group of 10 will have the disease given the number of COVID-19 cases on Oahu now. But in a group of 100, there’s a 90% chance someone will have it.

“So when you’re looking at how transmissible delta is, we really got to control these large gatherings,” Toiya said at a news conference. “The status quo is not working, and it’s not acceptable.”

Multiple Oahu hospitals have filled their regular beds as COVID-19 cases pour into emergency rooms. The city set up a 25-cot tent outside The Queen’s Medical Center - West Oahu on Friday to help handle the influx.

Tourists Fined $500 For Touching Hawaiian Monk Seals

HONOLULU (AP) — A woman from Louisiana who was honeymooning in Hawaii has been fined $500 after a social media video showed her touching an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, U.S. authorities said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched an investigation last month and found the woman violated the Endangered Species Act, said Dominic Andrews, a spokesperson for the agency’s Office of Law Enforcement.

A video posted on TikTok and other social media showed a woman touching the seal at a Kauai beach in June. The video showed her running away after the seal snapped at her, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.

The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to reach the couple Thursday. The couple previously apologized and told the Star-Advertiser earlier this month that they love Hawaii and didn’t mean to offend anyone.

There are an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 in the main Hawaiian Islands.

Under state and federal laws, it’s a felony to touch or harass a Hawaiian monk seal. Penalties can include up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Authorities warn people must remain at least 50 feet (15 meters) away from the animals or 150 feet (45 meters) away from pups with their mothers.

NOAA also fined another traveler $500 for touching a resting Hawaiian monk seal. It is unclear when that encountered occurred, but an Instagram account shows the visitor recently visited Oahu in May, the newspaper reported.