Gov. David Ige said Monday that the delay in implementing nonquarantine procedures for trans-Pacific travelers to at least Sept. 1 actually was a big factor in the decision to reopen schools as planned on Aug. 4.

“We do not want to reopen our schools and receive more travelers simultaneously,” Ige said. “A phased approach will help ensure a safe return for our students and minimize other factors that could lead to the spread of COVID-19 that we have been able to carefully manage so far.”

The governor had originally called for allowing travelers to fly into the islands and avoid a two-week quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test Aug. 1. He pushed the date back earlier this month, citing increases in cases in key tourism markets.

Ige held a joint news conference Monday with state Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park, Board of Education Chairwoman Catherine Payne, and state schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto.

Earlier this month, the Education Department announced its “Return to Learn” plan, offering different options for schools to select that involved face-to-face and online learning and rotating when students come on campus.

While students return Aug. 4, teachers go back to their schools July 29.

“The planning process has followed CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendations and DOH guidance on ohana bubbles, masking and distancing variations by age,” said Park. “These measures will not completely eliminate possible cases, but they will reduce the risk to students and control the spread of illness in schools.”

To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Health Department has advised the Education Department to use a symptom screening checklist for staff and students, which is included in the DOE’s “Return to Learn Health and Safety Handbook.”

The guidance includes interviewing and visually inspecting all individuals (from at least 6 feet away) using a symptom checklist, which includes temperature, coughing/sneezing, sore throat, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, headache/stomachache/nausea, muscle pain/unusual fatigue and new loss of taste or smell.

“The importance of our students’ mental health cannot be lost in this conversation. The department’s distance learning survey findings made clear that parents have had great concern about their children’s social emotional well-being during these extended school closures,” said Payne. “School closures have caused major disruptions to learning and development, exacerbating preexisting issues of access and equity.

“Last school year, our students lost 46 in-person instructional days, and each additional day will only increase the learning gaps for our students.”

At his news conference Monday, Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino said he supported the reopening of schools.

“I think we need to open up our schools,” he said. “Our children are looking forward to that.”

He said that distance learning isn’t effective for the long term but worked for short term and supported alternating groups of students to physically attend class while also doing distance learning at other times.

This system of “pods” of students could help eliminate the spread of COVID-19, although they cannot stop all cases, Victorino said.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.