Hawaii Should Soon See At Least $1.7 Billion In New Federal Pandemic Relief Funds…But a new deal to help Americans get through the financial turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic falls far short of expectations for Hawaii’s political leaders.
WASHINGTON — Hawaii is poised to receive nearly $2 billion as part of the latest round of federal coronavirus relief aid, but it’s already clear it won’t stave off future financial pain.
The island economy was among the hardest hit in the U.S. in large part because of strict travel restrictions that effectively shut down tourism, which is the state’s biggest industry.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige acknowledged that while the relief package helps, it won’t be enough to save government workers from summertime furloughs due to what’s estimated to be a $1.4 billion budget shortfall for each of the next four years.
