Hawaii Islands 11 state legislators in a Friday letter to Mayor Harry Kim urged him to order an immediate countywide shutdown for the next 15 days.
Hawaii Island’s 11 state legislators in a Friday letter to Mayor Harry Kim urged him to order an immediate countywide shutdown for the next 15 days.
The letter, signed by all four Big Island senators and all seven representatives, strongly requests that Kim order an immediate closure of all county facilities and schools, send home all non-essential county personnel, prohibit all nonessential travel from the Big Island, and the quarantine of all arriving travelers at the Hilo and Kona international airports for at least 15 days.
“As Mayor, you are the only person who has the direct authority to institute these actions,” the letter read. “As state legislators, we passed and continue to support the delegated authority provided to the counties under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 127, which grants you, as Mayor, the power to act in emergency situations such as the unprecedented one we face today. The entire Hawaii Island delegation is speaking with one collective voice, and we implore you to take immediate action for the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the County of Hawaii.”
