During this pandemic, we've watched as our lives have been divided into activities that are considered "essential" and those that aren't. Sometimes, these decisions have been made by state and local governments. Others have simply been personal choices that each of us has made to combat COVID-19. When it comes to transportation, however, most Hawaii residents would consider their cars essential, especially considering that concerns remain around the safety of public transportation. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell agreed, and when he issued his first "stay at home, work from home" order in March, he placed auto repair operations on the list of essential businesses. As [...]

Even as the state of Hawaii transitions to a "safer-at-home" order that has allowed many businesses in the state to re-open, COVID-19 concerns and social distancing guidelines continue to change the way most businesses operate. As part of our Local Spotlight series to highlight how COVID-19 is affecting Hawaii businesses, we talked to Justine Lee, manager of PAI Honolulu. She runs the restaurant along with her husband, Kevin Lee, who is also the restaurant's chef and owner. Through our conversation with Justine, you'll get a look into the issues facing restaurants in the state of Hawaii, as well as some insights into the innovative solutions [...]

As part of a plan to contain the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Hawaiian islands, Governor David Ige issued two orders that significantly impacted the way Hawaii does business: A "stay-at-home" order that took effect March 25. It both 1) required residents to limit trips outside of their homes to essential tasks and 2) shut down "non-essential" businesses. A mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arrivals to the Hawaiian islands, including interisland travelers. While the first order limited the kinds of businesses permitted to operate, the second order effectively limited the potential customer base in Hawaii to local shoppers. Although some arrivals from the mainland and [...]