Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii President & CEO, released the following statement in response to Governor David Ige’s delay in re-opening trans-Pacific travel:
“We’ve said time and again that businesses need as much certainty as possible to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. We have heard from many local businesses who made plans to reopen, bring back workers and invest in resources around the Governor’s August 1 reopening date.
“Now, these plans are on hold and local businesses are left holding the bag. We understand the need to put safety first, but the situation for many local businesses grows more dire by the day. We call on the state and county governments to deploy stabilization funds to help businesses survive the quarantine extension and establish a concrete screening and testing protocol. Businesses are doing their part to enforce safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. They should be able to count on government to set a clear path forward toward economic stabilization and recovery.”