(BIVN) – The County of Hawaiʻi has updated its COVID-19 rules, after Mayor Mitch Roth’s Emergency Rule No. 15 went into effect immediately after it was signed on May 29th.

Rule No. 15 “opens commercial boating capacity to 100 percent, increases attendance at sporting events to 75 persons outdoors and 25 indoors, and defers all travel policies to the state’s Safe Travels program,” the Office of the Mayor says.

Mayor Roth also enacted the Eighth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation the same day, extending the current state of emergency in Hawaiʻi County due to the COVID-19 pandemic until July 28.

Both the Eighth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation and the Mayor’s COVID-19 Emergency Rule No. 15 were signed in concurrence with Governor Ige.

“With a growing number of those in our community receiving their vaccines, we feel that it is now time to begin reopening our island and loosening restrictions safely,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “Increasing gathering sizes for sporting events to ensure that parents have the opportunity to watch their keiki compete has been one of our biggest priorities. Sports and other activities are invaluable to the health, safety, and sanity of many of our youth, and we look forward to promoting the participation of their parents at their games and practices. We also look forward to allowing our commercial boating activities to return to full capacity, as we now know that the potential for spread is severely lessened when outside.”