Kaua‘i Mayor Announces Establishment of ‘Resort Bubble’ Program

Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami announced a new emergency rule which establishes an Enhanced Movement Quarantine, or “Resort Bubble,” program.

Gov. David Ige signed the mayor’s Emergency Rule 16, which authorized the Enhanced Movement Quarantine program, permitting visitors to leave their hotel rooms to utilize the resort’s property during their mandatory quarantine period. This Resort Bubble concept is a voluntary program for both the resort to participate and the visitor to stay there.

“We understand the need to address the economic hardship facing our tourism-based community, while also preserving the safety of our residents,” Kawakami said. “The Resort Bubble program is an added tool to reopening our economy while we learn to co-exist with this virus. It’s not a replacement or the final solution, and we will continue to keep our community updated as we make progress.”

In order to participate, resorts must establish security and enforcement policies to protect the safety of both guests and employees of the resort. Security and enforcement are the responsibility of the resort, and all rules, such as mask-wearing and physical distancing, must be followed.

Visitors who wish to stay at an Enhanced Movement Quarantine resort must agree to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet that is tracked by the resort. Within established limits, they can utilize the entire resort property, including on-site pools and restaurants. If the monitoring unit is tampered with or the visitor leaves the resort property, hotel security will notify the Kaua‘i Police Department for enforcement.

Any person violating any rule of the governor or mayor, if convicted, could face a fine of up to $5,000 or serve up to a year in jail, or both.

Several Kaua‘i hotels have expressed interest in participating in the program, but no launch date has yet been determined as stakeholder discussions are ongoing. Updates on the Enhanced Movement Quarantine, or Resort Bubble, program will be announced as more information becomes available.