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The city is also still trying to determine how much it might owe to Honolulu police officers and other union members who worked during the pandemic.

Even well-established eateries are struggling with high food costs, a shortage of workers and fewer Japanese tourists.

Much of the back pay was negotiated by Gov. Josh Green’s administration for state employees who reported for work in person during the emergency from 2020 to 2022.

Two-tiered settlement with the Green administration awards government employees back pay of either $10,000 or $20,000, depending on how many days they worked.

Honolulu has a much larger police force, and the city might have to put up considerably more than the $13 million that Maui agreed to pay.

HGEA estimated that the arbitration decision could cost the state as much as $150 million.

Expected settlements could put a significant dent into county budgets. The state, meanwhile, has yet to enter into negotiations with unions over the issue.

More than 2,000 applicants for household assistance were rejected, resulting in more than $9 million in unmet needs as the city prioritized small businesses, a report found.

Covid cases in Hawaii have remained relatively low but increased slightly in August. 

So far 58 prisoners have tested positive.