Business, Community Leaders Call On Public To Avoid A Return To COVID Restrictions - Honolulu Civil Beat Over the past five days we have raised $37,000 from 718 donors. Mahalo! The delta variant has caused a House committee of legislators and business leaders to resume meeting. Reading time: 4 minutes. Hawaii business, medical and political leaders on Monday urged the public to wear masks, practice social distancing and get vaccinated to avoid reverting to restrictions on businesses that could derail a fragile economic recovery. The state is facing its most intense wave of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began more than a year ago. After a lull in cases that led some to think the worst was over, the virus now is spreading rapidly because of a highly transmissible mutation called the delta variant. Members of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness met on Monday to discuss the implications.