HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige said Thursday he’s inclined to extend his “safer-at-home” order through the end of June to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Ige said he also plans to maintain the state’s requirement that travelers arriving in the state observe 14 days of quarantine.
The governor explained his intentions during a talk streamed live on Facebook following the state announcing no new cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaii. It marked the second time in a week that no new cases of the coronavirus were reported in the Aloha State.
The total number of positive cases identified since Feb. 28 stands at 637. The figure is less than Wednesday because one of the positive cases was dropped after a “laboratory reporting error” was discovered.
With no new cases Thursday, Hawaii County marked its third day of having no active cases of COVID-19. To date, 75 people from Hawaii County have tested positive for the disease. All have been released from isolation.
Of the cases statewide, 564 people have recovered and been released from isolation, according to the department. Statewide, the coronavirus-related death toll stands at 17 — 11 on Oahu and six on Maui.
Ige also said Thursday that he would be examining in the coming days allowing more businesses to reopen, including hair salons, barber shops and restaurants with dine-in service.
These activities carry more risk for spreading the virus than activities already allowed, like golfing and take-out restaurants.
Ige said the state would look at guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information on how to keep employees and customers safe.