Yesterday, the CDC advised that now three of four Hawaii counties are now in the red, or high-risk category for Covid infection.
That came following last week’s announcement that Kauai was marked as having a high Covid incidence rate. At this point, only Hawaii County (the Big Island), is not in the high-risk group.
The CDC recommends that those in high-risk areas wear a mask indoors as well as on public transportation. That’s true regardless of one’s vaccination status.
While none of the county’s mayors plan to immediately implement an indoor mask mandate, Honolulu’s mayor is questioning what to do.
The CDC uses the following metrics to guide these determinations: admission rates for Covid at hospitals; the percentage of beds in hospitals used by Covid patients, and the rate of Covid cases.
Honolulu may consider implementing a mask mandate.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also said he may consider reimplementation of an indoor mask. That came Wednesday, following eight straight weeks in a row of Covid increases. The decision on whether to return to mask mandates will depend on hospital capacity as well as the state Department of Health. He said, “Anything remains a possibility while we’re still in this pandemic.” The state DOH said, “At this point, we have not recommended to the governor or any of the mayors that we reinstitute a mask requirement.”
Hawaii hospitalizations for Covid were 126 earlier this week, whereas that total was over 400 during earlier Covid surges.
Even without a mask mandate, do you plan to wear one?
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
My daughter just returned from Missouri visiting friends. She is fully vaccinated and boosted and got a break thru case of Covid while there. Obviously they dont wear masks there. She did but got it anyway. We have to take this seriously and put this thing to an end. Cases are skyrocketing all over our nation and something has to be done. I hope Hawaii goes back to requiring negative covid tests and or vaccination to come to Hawaii. I know that is not popular but we must kill this thing off
When the government says don’t worry about masks I’m using two !
It has been proven that Masks do not work
Wake up and stop the nonsense. It’s more healthy to not wear a mask .
actually no it has Not proven that masks dont work. Problem is many are not using the right masks. Get a good N95 mask and cover that with an additional mask. Pulling your shirt over your face does no good. So stop spreading your lies please.
The problem that I find with this strain is that, for me, I didn’t know I was sick. I thought that it was allergies and jet lag.
At this stage everyone should know what they have to do to protect themselves and especially others. So, although I will always comply, I’m not a fan of mandates. I think that we all should be responsible and considerate of others, especially on the Islands where healthcare is limited.
The problem Lopaka15 is that too many are not responsible enough for anything. This is why mandates are needed. The mask is intended to protect not you but the person around you. If they dont wear a mask your at risk. I wish I could agree people would just be responsible but most are not.
Absolutely will wear a quality n95 mask, not a cloth mask, when we’re there, it’s proven to protect others as well as yourself. I work in healthcare, it is how we keep people safe.
Now do Florida and it’s vast amount of green Covid counties
Healthy people wearing masks is just ridiculous. Sick people staying home until they are well? Hmm, there’s a option!
We just returned from Hawaii . We are in our 70’s so we double boosted and quarantined weeks before we left home. We wore masks at the airports and mostly on the planes. We wore masks Almost everywhere in Hawaii except open air areas.WE felt great while we were on Island , but a day, or 2 after we returned home we felt sick and, as a precaution we tested and both tested positive for COVID.
As experts have said all along the vaccines do not protect from getting the virus, just help prevent from serious illness. So they worked. I feel like I have a cold, but am isolating. I have friends on the Island who got very sick from COVID. Very few people, both residents and visitors wore masks.
Wear an N95 on planes, it’s likely the place you picked up C19
From reading the comments it looks like the “It’s All About Me” aren’t willing to look out for the betterment of all and doing what they need to do in order to travel to the beautiful Hawaiian islands.
I guess 1 million+ loses doesn’t count towards trying. Guidelines and rules are a small price to pay in order to experience this great world.
Aloha!
Absolutely, thank you Bob!
In the past 30 days all 28 members of our family from a 1 year old to 88 year old great grandmother have caught covid and recovered within 4 to 6 days. Half were vax’d half not.
So go back to masking cause everyone is catching a cold?
Over 80 percent of all ICU covid patients were and are obese.
You notice that they don’t talk about how many ventilators they’re available. Reason, ventilators have cause more harm than good when treating covid.
Ignorance is not helpful,
Two things
1. Over 80 percent of all ICU covid patients were and are obese. This is just flat out False. I have researched and while yes some are the vast majority are not.
You notice that they don’t talk about how many ventilators they’re available. Reason, ventilators have cause more harm than good when treating covid. Richard. Do you know When they use ventilators? When its the last option to keep you alive. Facts please find some
Gotta love those who have difficulty understanding that asking for masks in indoor spaces and large gatherings is nothing more than loving your neighbor as yourself. Or have all those challenged by common sense decided that there are no neighbors?
Guess playing the CV-19 lottery is the new Squid Game.
No – let people choose the level of risk they are comfortable with! We have to live with the virus at this point… everyone I know who is fully vaccinated are dropping like flies with Omicron… everyone else is fine.
Right so dont give a _ about your neighbor or friends who you infect because you choose not to wear a mask and share the virus. That is not how any of this works. The mask is to protect Others not yourself but they do provide great protection both ways if your using the right masks.
See this is the entire issue. SO many even you dont understand the mask is mainly to protect others. So if no one wears a mask we are sharing this _ with everyone. Some of the sharing happens when someone thinks they have a simple cold and dont get tested. Have the virus and share it with others. So I 100% disagree with you. Your not a doctor nor am I.
The vax doesn’t work, the booster don’t prevent from catching covid, I know several people whom are vaxed and double boostered and are still recovering on day 12 of the start of their illness. They are obese, diabetic, smokers and eat crappy.
Perhaps the Governor should read the studies on masks and how ineffective they are unless it is a tight fitting N95 mask before he issues anymore mandates.
Yeah, right because they masking, distancing, and vaccines worked so great the last go round. So will it be another 2 years to smooth the curve again!?
Not wearing a mask!
So the Mayor came out with this statement on Twitter a few hours after that press conference:
“My administration is not considering the reinstatement of any coronavirus restrictions at this time, including mask mandates. We will always work with our partners in the healthcare industry to consider all possible solutions to any situation that warrants a response.”
He said as much at the Spotlight show after he initially said something about reimposing mask mandates. I get the feeling that many are taking the first statement to be the truth and not the follow-up statements that he has made. I don’t think they are going to reimplement mandates unless other cities and states do, first. Philadelphia PA tried and one weak later pulled it.
Stan,
This is Hawaii not PA. Hawaii is 2800 miles from the nearest USA mainland. Political pressure to not put mandates in place from money makers in Hawaii and elsewhere is intense. I for one will not be taking any chances. My daughter just had covid. With masks, social distancing non stop cleaning of all high touch surfaces my best friend and I have managed to get her back to health and not catch it ourselves. I understand your not taking a stand here either way just pointing out what the mayor said later but being a small series of islands in the middle of the pacific ocean they cannot treat it like mainland usa