Hawaii is the only state keeping an indoor mask mandate. Here’s why

Governor Ige attributes low infections, hospitalisations and deaths to state’s more-stringent guidance

Nearly every state has dropped or is scheduling to lift indoor mask requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic as confirmed infections and hospitalisations steadily decline.

Hawaii remains the only state that has not yet announced plans to remove its mask mandate, which requires face coverings in most indoor settings.

Puerto Rico, the nation’s largest territory, has also not announced any imminent plans for lifting its mask mandate.

Hawaii continues to require out-of-state travellers from the US to show proof of vaccination or negative Covid test results to avoid a mandatory quarantine upon entry.

Several states began dropping broad mandates or announcing expiration dates for such mandates within the last several weeks, broad mandates in place as the pandemic enters its third year.

More than 76 per cent of Hawaii residents have received at least two doses of available vaccines, more than 10 per cent above the national rate of roughly 64 per cent, according to Hawaii’s Department of Health.

Confirmed infections in Hawaii declined by 64 per cent from 5 February to 18 February, which Governor David Ige attributes to the state’s more-stringent public health guidance.

He told Hawaii’s ABC affiliate KITV last week that he is working with the state’s health department to “determine when the time is right” to lift the state’s indoor mandate.

“Hawaii ranks second in the nation when it comes to Covid deaths, in part because of the indoor mask requirement and other measures that have proven successful in protecting our community from this potentially deadly virus,” he said. “Our decisions are based on science, with the health and safety of our community as our top priority.”

Some requirements at the state’s local level are beginning to relax. Maui County bars, restaurants and gyms no longer require customers to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test result.

After warning that states were moving too quickly to relax mask requirements, officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the agency was working to develop “relevant” guidance while continuing to urge Americans to wear masks indoors in most settings.

“Things are moving in the right direction, but we want to remain vigilant to do all we can, so that this trajectory continues,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said last week.

“We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again,” she said. “Should things worsen, if and when we update our guidance, we will communicate that clearly and it will be based on the data and the science.”

A week earlier, she said the US is “not there yet” for updating mask guidance.

Masks are still required on public transit under federal requirements, and many states have maintained mask mandates in healthcare settings, government buildings, jails and other facilities, or have kept masking rules in place for people who are not vaccinated.

Disabled people and people with compromised immune systems have also warned against losing a crucial barrier of protection, now putting them at greater risk.