Governor: With COVID cases steady, no immediate plans to reinstate mask mandate

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. David Ige said he has no plans to reinstate the mask mandate amid a rising number of infections on the mainland.

Philadelphia has announced it’s bringing back its indoor mask mandate, and the mandate for airplanes is expected to get extended.

But Ige said Hawaii hasn’t seen a surge in cases since lifting its mandate in March.

“We did expect a slight increase in case numbers after spring break, and we have seen that in the last week or so,” Ige said, in a statement.

“However, we are not seeing the kind of surges that are currently happening on the mainland. Hospitalizations continue to be low here, and we are in a good place.”

Ige added that if there is a big spike in cases, “we may have to revisit masks.”

Even without a mandate, many people are continuing to wear masks.

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