One visitor asked us if this was reality TV or what. Sadly it’s the truth here in Hawaii.
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103 thoughts on “Hawaii Chaos: Lt.Gov Says Open, But Has Covid – Gov Says Wait!”
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One visitor asked us if this was reality TV or what. Sadly it’s the truth here in Hawaii.
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Comments are closed.
The problem with relying on testing is all the false positives. They are not 100% accurate and with data proving that many tests with NO samples come back positive. I don’t want to be locked up to quarantine to find out my test was actually false.
Worse yet, how about all the false negatives. If you really stop and think about it, if a test comes up positive, how can you be sure the test is even capable of detecting the virus in the first place?
I think this whole thing is ridiculous. My county in California,Placer, had the board of supervisors just vote to drop the emergency declaration, and in the town of El Cajon, I think the city there did the same thing.
Mahalo
Bill
Hawaii should bite the bullett an invest in the latest(24hour covid test at the airports.if a person fails they have to return or quarantine in a designated hotel.
Hit nail on the head !
Why have you deleted my comment recommending Hawaii to look at Sweden which had no lock down? It did not have any profanity or links. Thanks.
Hi Erdogan.
It was not deleted. We moderate all comments as we have the time. It is now live.
Aloha.
You might want to RE look at Sweden.
Governor Ige’s lack of direction is something that we have all come to expect. He is certainly not an honorable man or a man that has empathy for his constituents. His lack of direction is totally unconscionable! I’m a frequent visitor to Hawaii. I’m very disappointed that my family and I haven’t been allowed to visit. However, the bigger picture is the state of annihilation that Ige has inflicted upon Hawaii’s economy and its people.
Hawaii’s people are suffering greatly due to the inaction of the elected local government. I’ve read extensively about increased suicide, domestic violence and drug overdose due to the continual quarantine that Ige has imposed. One must also wonder about the long term health affects that this lock down of the economy will cultivate. Being locked down for over 5 months with no end in sight must certainly take a toll on the physical/mental health of almost all Hawaii’s residents.
Those of us that live on the mainland can only imagine being trapped on a island with little or no income, wondering how we are going to pay our mounting debts, wondering if we are going to lose our home or be evicted from a rental. How to pay utility bills and if they will be disconnected for non-payment when the lock down is lifted. Will our job/business will be there for us when we are allowed to resume life again. SO much worry with no end in sight!
Even though Ige has term limited out and can’t run again, I hope that Hawaii’s residents have realized how important it is to vote and to vote responsible, intelligent people into office. It’s kind of like choosing health insurance; until you use it you don’t realize that the “cheap” policy you were so happy with doesn’t cover your needs or protect you until it’s too late.
I hope the Hawaii soon opens to tourism. It’s high time the people of Hawaii are allowed to live life again!
Aloha & Mahalo
TJ
Hi TJ.
Thanks for your more than three dozen comments.
Aloha.
Hawaiians should look at Sweden,
Today Sweden has one of the fewest per 100000 infection rates in Europe. Sweden did not lock down. It just banned gatherings of more than 50 people and asked people older than 70 AND in risk groups to self isolate. Otherwise the population was asked to respect social distancing and work from home if possible, which most did. While initially they had higher death rates than their neighbors ( Denmark, Norway, Finland)it was still below that of the countries that imposed lock downs: France, Italy , England etc. Today it has a much lower infection and death rate than its neighbors. death rate is zero over a 7 day average and only 19 COVID patients are in hospitals for a nation of 10 million. They also did not have a second surge like US and most European countries that had lock downs. Their experience has shown that lock downs do not work and are not economically or psychologically sustainable.
Lock downs appear to simply kick the bucket to a later time as evidenced by the COVID 19 rates in all countries that imposed lockdowns. There are differences with Hawaii of course: Sweden has gutsy and knowledgeable politicians who trusted their health care policy makers as well as having one of the lowest obesity and diabetes rates in the western world. Unfortunately Hawaii in particular and USA in general is severely lacking all three.
absolutely dripping with irony. The guy who says open up Gets covid19………….. And yall still are demanding they open.
it’s just too obvious for people to understand
What is up with Governor Ige??? Does he want Hawaii to fail??? Why are the people of Hawaii putting up with this?? Sometimes too much protection ultimately hurts than cures. Bite the bullet Ige and get off the pot!!!!
Thank you BOH for the info!!! You rock!
Aloha
Hi Pam.
Thanks for your 20 comments!
Aloha.
In reading all these threads, what I find interesting is that most people seem to be focusing on exactly what MSM want you to focus on, which is the “number of cases”, rather than the actual death rate per capita. You can’t just shut down an economic system and expect people to just “suck it up”, as you ruin their lives. Eventually you will get backlash, and the bubble is going to burst…it’s not going to be pretty when it does.
Mahalo, BoH, for keeping us updated! Question…Have you heard anything, or do you expect to hear anything soon on lifting the inter-island quarantine?
Hi Jim.
Thanks for your comments (over 100). We’ll update shortly on the interisland quarantine situation.
Aloha.
Thanks Guys…looking forward to it. 🤙
as opposed to suck it up and die? I have had three personal friends die from this virus. No underlying health conditions or issues and in their mid 30s. I have shirt tale friends who have gotten it and recovered but now they have life long issues with diminished lung capacity etc.
So for you to say “You can’t just shut down an economic system and expect people to just “suck it up”, as you ruin their lives” is just ignorant and frankly not a very smart comment. Without the shut downs we would be looking at millions of lives lost.
Paul, I have heard your story multiple times, and frankly I don’t believe you. You clearly like to embellish your stories just like claiming, “Without the shutdown we would be looking at millions of lives lost”, when truthfully, you have zero facts to back it up.
You’re right Jim, it’s not JUST the number of deaths, it’s the hospitalization rate that is also very important to watch. There was a lot of discussion of this back at the beginning of the pandemic, but we have sort of forgot about it. Also, keep in mind that the death rate is a lagging indicator. If you want to look forward, you have to look at the infection rate, as well as the hospitalization rate. Looking at just one thing, no matter which one is going to give you an inaccurate picture of what happening, and what WILL happen going forward. Which brings me to my last point, and that is that a lot of the reporting that has focused on deaths, infections, etc. as just a snapshot in time. What is more important are the protections. Our ability to plan and make decisions about things like opening up is a function of the projections. Keep in mind that projections are just that, projections, but they are our best tool to put together reasonable plans. So all of this politicization of the numbers, lockdowns, opening up, mask-wearing, etc. is SO counterproductive it’s not even funny. As a matter of fact, it’s exactly why we have had so much trouble opening up, and are just generally so far behind the rest of the world in terms of managing this pandemic.
Thanks Joerg, I’ve posted many comments on this forum regarding this topic over the last 7 months, and researched for nearly 200 hours (from day one). You are not really educating me on these issues, and most of what you stated has nothing to do with my point. Maybe go and do more research on the latest CDC data regarding actual deaths caused by Covid, and not just people who have died with the virus in their system.
If indeed you have spent 200 hours, please let me know whether you know the hospitalization rate in the U.S. Please let me know the numbers intubated and/or requiring emergency procedures. You won’t be able to because, understandably, hospitalization/status reporting data comes when the hospitals are not under so much pressure to treat rather than report.
Jeorg was correct in pointing out the cascade of metrics that must be considered when opining about the data, hospitalization numbers/procedures being perhaps the best indicator of longer term consequences and economic impacts of the medical costs associated.
BTW, one can have a heart attack and a broken neck in an auto accident. Dying with COVID as a contributor is analogous. You pick if you would like, but w/o a COVID diagnosis it is certainly possible that the patient would have lived. Don’t be so eager to claim righteousness when you are only looking at one third of the pie.
The official death count from COVID as tallied by the CDC is about 183K as of today. They update this on a regular basis .
Anything else is a conspiracy theory I’m not interested in discussing.
Why can’t our state adopt Vermont’s approach? They have the lowest cases per capita with no one dying from COVID since early August. An essential difference was their implementation of a state-wide mask mandate. If we stop making each other the enemy and recognize the virus as the enemy, we would implement such a mask mandate state-wide similar to what Kauai has already done very successfully.
Aloha,
I am sorry to see so many of your newsletters repeat the stories of the problems Hawaii is having. We need more positive stories about our islands. If there are none then maybe the topic could be about some history of Hawaii. Commenting on the disagreements of our leaders does nothing to make visitors want to visit us.
Times are tough right now for everyone. This type of Pandemic has never hit Hawaii like this before. It is always a better move to look for the positive. then repeat the negative, for the future of Hawaii.
Thank you for considering these comments.
Hi Wendy.
Thanks. We do out best to provide a balance and look forward to arriving somewhere on the other side of all this.
Aloha.
I am in agreement with Wendy. It’s disheartening to repeatedly read your displeasure with dates being pushed back. This is not political, we are talking about the health of our neighbors & friends. Look up the exact percentage of Hawai’i’s reliance on tourism. Our business was tourism, since 1975, we survived thru many national & world upheavals. Tourism will survive again. Let’s be safe first. Mahalo
Hi Carole.
Thanks. It isn’t when Hawaii reopens that we are addressing. Rather, it is the lack of transparency, information, and a clear plan that would lay out the basis on which it will open, whenever that occurs.
Aloha.
Do you mean, keep you head in the sand ?
Hardly. My comments were just to suggest we need something on the positive side of life. My mom said if you have nothing nice to say, speak about improvement. With this situation going on and on, negative news is depressing. We will never get away from bad news but maybe you can just let the News People say it. If you want to eventually have people come to Hawaii they need something to look forward to.
We can agree to disagree. Thank you.
The truth…the sobering truth. The government of the State of Hawaii has managed to already spend its 2021 budget- yes, that’s next year’s money. They are deliberately crashing our economy now with the desperate hope of a federal bailout They closed a freeway and tested for the virus- only to be disappointed with so few cases. They are doing everything they can to portray the worst case scenario and will be begging for a handout. It’s all they have, it’s all they know. And no, those government officials haven’t even considered taking a pay cut…while the rest of us have been kicked so hard and wonder how we will get up. Time to throw ALL of them OUT
Comments like this are just dumb. I am sorry. They are working hence why they get paid DUH> And please show proof (yes I searched) that 2021 budget has been spent. Deliberately crashing the economy. That is also an ironically dumb statement. Desperate for a bail out? please Stop
Amen !
Thank you for keeping us updated on the status of the “opening”.
Pre-travel testing and arrival quarantines don’t serve the purpose. They are political gestures to demonstrate authority and government action. At best symbolic. The infection rates mushroomed in August despite arrival quarantines and next to no tourism.
Do away with arrival quarantines and allow tourists back, but focus on social distancing, wearing masks, limit indoor commercial activities and social gatherings, and ramp up contact tracing … allow visitors to decide for themselves if they still wish to come knowing these C19 measures are in place.
Hi Jon.
We appreciate your comments.
Aloha.
Mahalo for your continued updates.
As a resident, one thing I have yet to see is our state coming up with some economic plan that doesn’t rely 90% on tourism to support our economy. If our state wasn’t so reliant on tourism our economy wouldn’t have seen as severe of an impact as it had these past 7 months and into 2021 (perhaps longer as reports have stated that it will be at least 2025 before we can reach pre-COVID dollars from tourism again).
I’m not saying tourism is a bad thing, but I am saying that it’s a plan for disaster when you base your income almost solely on it. I understand that we won’t see manufacturing as a feasible option due to the costs, but if our state was a bit more small-business friendly it could help fill the gap. I would love to see some forward thinking people in our government actually work toward a more balanced economic plan – one that opens options for other business models complimented by tourism.
Your thoughts Beat of Hawaii?
Hi Millie.
We certainly concur regarding a diversified economy. Agriculture in terms of the way it was in the past isn’t ever coming back. Technology was tried and thus far has failed. We don’t see any such planning emanating from the state so far and are left thinking it will need to come from the private sector.
Aloha.
I suspect you are describing only Oahu when stating that agriculture and technology are no longer options to diversify our economy. You should research the investments that are now underway on Kauai. On the north shore check out Common Ground’s agriculture development programs, Kilaeua Ag Parks farmers training/ support programs and the Hanalei Initiative’s new business incubator program. Kauai welcomes tourists that respect local values and will work with us to protect our spectacular environment but we believe we can successfully balance our small isolated economy with other sustainable businesses.
Here is the real problem…look at that last sentence…
Mayor Kirk Caldwell is widely expected to run against Lieutenant Governor Josh Green for governor in 2022. Current Hawaii Governor David Ige has termed-out.
As an outsider, the Governor does not have to worry about his job. It’s almost over. I don’t understand how there Cannot be testing? We live in Atlanta and I can get tested 3 times a week if I want. Why can’t they get testing in place there? We get results in 72 hours. Of course that is right now. Who can guarantee I will have access to that kind of testing come February 2021 when I’m supposed to come to Hawaii. So there needs to be an option for me there. Otherwise I risk $1800 worth of plane tickets! Shreek!
I live in San Diego. The County has managed to keep our cases at 1,285 per 100,000 with no blocking of tourists, or pre-covid tests. We managed by a concentrated effort to understand the risks, and as appropriate shut down or reduce operations within restaurants, bars, gyms, etc.and test – test – test/contract tracing. Oahu has a rate of 998 with no tourists. Until the last month or so with little restrictions, contract tracing and testing.
What metrics are being used by the state and local politicans and health experts to close or open businesses, or travel from the mainland? If you have them, can you share as I cant find them.
Mahalo,
Hi Stacey.
The state hasn’t provided any metrics for determining the opening or closing that we have ever seen.
Aloha.
Governor Ige should open up tourism 1st and foremost because he said he would, Period! A man of integrity would make that happen simply because he said he would, but I digress!
Ige clearly has no idea what it is like to have your hopes raised and dashed as a business owner, employee, and yes, a tourist. It is absurd, heartless, reckless, foolish, and immoral to prolong the misery of thousands of people and their families with this asinine travel quarantine! Mandate a negative test prior to traveling and open up to tourist. It is one more piece of paper to hand the checkers when you get off the plane. No negative test, you must quarantine. The structure is already in place! I love the “businesses need more time to get ready”! Trust me, business owners who make important decisions every single day and will be more than ready when customers arrive! Cut ALL of the Bureaucrats in this states salary by half until the economy opens, and i am guessing they can come up with a plan in a hurry!
In the meantime, how much longer will Hawaiians take this! Really, no church, leave the people you have been locked down with home and go hiking or to the beach by yourself, close your business, pay your mortgage on a home you cant collect rent on, and accept some of the highest taxes in the country to pay Ige and company lock down your economy! Time to revolt!
Random thoughts.
I’m currently power washing wild fire ash off my business located in Oroville California. Yes we’re on fire again this has become an annual event for us.
President Trump visited our fair state yesterday with hand fulls of taxpayer money, yet again asking our Gov Newsom to manage our forest better.
But Gov Newsom replied with the now tired climate change comment, yet many of us in my age group remember when the forest were managed dead trees logged hauled away that was until the spotted owl and the Sierra Club.
We all remember not having these massive fires, but thanks to the Sierra Club we now have BBQ spotted owls and no trees healthy or otherwise.
What I’m trying to say is I wish I were on Wailea Beach enjoying wading out in the water a little boogie boarding bobbing in the water with my wife laughing good times, but instead I’m power washing wild fire ash.
Hang tight everyone when it’s right to head back you’ll find me on Wailea Beach.
Too bad Richard it’s either/or with that view point. Surely, there’s a compromise on the forests in California where I’ve lived for 20 years. Compromise or not, no politician – Trump or Newsome- can control the consequences of a warming planet which is very real with very real and devastating consequences. ..Hope you bought an extended warranty on your power washer AND I hope you get to our favorite Maui location, Wailea, as well. See you on the beach soon. Mahalo !
I understand your frustration with not being able to enjoy an environment without ash, but you are conflating several issues. I’m sure that you have your own beliefs/opinions, but you need to also understand the facts of the issues you raised.
As Gov. Newsome and his environmental chief pointed out to DJT,
1) Climate Change is supported by most climate scientists. Just yesterday, the massive ice shelf in Antarctica is threatening to separate from its mainland. If this happens, we will experience at least a 3 foot rise in sea levels along the Atlantic. I lived in CA for 25 years during the spotted owl controversy, which at its height was in the 70’s and 80’s. Plenty of time for that sacred owl to reap the whirlwind. Don’t recall having to wash my car from ash fall.
2) Had you listened to the briefing, Gov Newsome pointed out that 97% of the land is federal lands. If DJT wanted to better manage forests, he could start with funding the NFS, rather than excising forest management to fund wildfire fighting.
Your preferred candidate’s responses. “It’ll get cooler. Just watch.” (apparently he was speaking of a regularly recurring event: winter). The he proclaimed in all his wisdom: “Well, the science is wrong.” Kinda’ like his response to CV-19…nothing.
Aloha James,
I think you need to do a tad more research rather than regurgitate what Governor Newsom says. He (like most politicians) tends to flat out fabricate statistics relying on people like You to believe him.
FYI; There are 33 million acres of forest(ed) lands in California. Federal ownership is 19 million acres = 57%. State and local agencies (including land trusts) own 3%. Privately owned forest lands are 13.3 million acres = 40%. Industrial private owners (included in the privately owned lands) are 4.7 million acres = 14%. Non-industrial privately owned forest lands (also included in the previous 40%) are 9 million acres = 26%. Also, 90+% of the non-corporate private ownerships are 500 acres or less… So, absolutely NOT, the feds have Never owned 97% of forested lands…that’s Fake News…
You do understand that the 130+ million DEAD trees have lead to the massive destruction of forests in California, right? Although global warming may (not yet conclusively proven) have some effect on the dynamics involved, it clearly can NOT be blamed for the excessive destruction being seen in the last decade or so. The activists (who started in the 70’s and 80’s), and the laws they have helped enact, have definitely ensured that people can NOT easily clear their own lands, and it’s this legislation that is primarily responsible for these catastrophic fire disasters of this century. No way you can pull the global warming card and act as if that is the major issue..that’s just utter garbage.
Max no need for a warranty it’s a 20 plus year old Honda power washer works like a champ.
James we both know as soon as the federal government moves into clear forest land the Sierra Club and other groups will go to court and file suit after suit to block the clearing of dead and dying trees.
I agree climate change is real has been since the dawn of time and will continue with or without humans living on the planet. Before human arrival climate change killed the Dinosaurs, so it is real.
No buddy is my guy or gal, I’ve never made a political donation to anyone running for office. Our local congressional Rep is a Democrat shes done a great job, so I will continue to vote for her.
Under the previous administration I along with several small business owners lost millions. Under current administration we’ve done very well, so you know who’s getting my vote.
Thank you for doing such a great job giving us up to the minute status of this sorry situation with how Hawaii has mishandled reopening.
We live on Kauai and own 2 vacation rental properties in Poipu that have been the primary source of our retirement income. Needless to say, this complete travel shutdown has not only frustrated our booked (and now canceled) guests, but also has been financially devastating to us. We’re now hearing that Hawaii may require vacation rental owners to keep their properties vacant for 2-3 days between guests when they finally decide to allow us to reopen. For so many reasons, vacation rentals are much safer than staying in hotels. Yet another devastating screw up from our government.
Hi Doug.
Thanks and best wishes.
Aloha.
Thanks Doug. Before you bemoan your lost income, however, (I have a vacay rental as well that has been dormant as long as yours), perhaps consider what an influx of visitors will undoubtedly have on the islands. At its peak we welcomed close to 250,000 visitors/day. At a net positive rate that matches the conservative infection rate, we would be welcoming ~12,500 infected visitors who can certainly escape detection if they wish to cheat. While I agree that vacay rentals are as safe or more safe than the pittance of salary paid by the hotel industry to its front line workers with little reason to always leave a room spotless (have you stayed in a hotel in Honolulu?), your solution will undoubtedly result in another lock down and a longer period of no rental income. Blame the Gov. if you must, but personally, I blame the virus, which must be defeated before life returns to normal.
250K x 365 days would be 91,250,000 visitors. Last I heard Hawaii gets closer to 9-10 million a year. Your numbers are off by a factor of 10. I am sad to hear that Hawaii won’t be opening to it’s fellow Americans, against the advise of the CDC, without this ridiculous quarantine. I will take my family and my vacation dollars elsewhere. It is going to take years for Hawaii to dig out of this economic hole they have created, and I expect they will try to tax and fee every tourist activity to try and accomplish a normal cash positive flow. I will miss you Hawaii, Aloha.
My, my. You are literal. You must have missed “at its peak” part of the post. Seasonal variations, shoulder seasons, make for the fluctuations. That’s why the 12,500 potential positives is the conservative (1% positive) estimate on a number closer to your annual figures. Based on 250000 each and every day. Was not what I said. Aloha to you as well, but whether it’s 1 thousand or 10,000, Hawaii would e in lock down again in less than a month.
James, this would be great if there was a consistent nationwide effort to defeat the virus. Unfortunately, effective measures like wearing masks and socially distancing have been politicized and are only sporadically followed. Here on Kauai we have almost universal observance and therefore very few cases and no deaths. Waiting for the virus to be defeated while Hawaii goes bankrupt is not an acceptable strategy. We must do what other localities have done to keep their citizens safe and still successfully open their economies.
Your Mayor has done an excellent job, I agree. What you seem to still be missing is that since Hawaii is tourist dependent, the influx of those same people who have politicized the virus, refuse to wear masks or follow any CDC guidelines will be streaming in, undoubtedly seeing their vacation as the additional opportunity to “karen” all of us.
I too have many friends who would rather work than collect unemployment. We are in a frustrating situation with no apparent course other than to stay safe as best we can. Open up the bars, indoor dining and mass congregating parties are the shame of both the U.S. and those instances in Hawaii as well where people refuse to act like adults.
I sincerely feel for your loss as I am writing that mortgage check on my vacant STVR every month along with condo association fees. Had we both been smarter we would have taken out a business interruption insurance policy with a force majure rider. Business men smarter than me plan for interruptions so that when a disaster strikes, they at least would have the insurance revenue to weather the storm.
The issue I have not seen addressed, is the mainland spread of the virus has not yet stopped or slowed. The virus should be contained where it is, and that is where the responsibility lies.
Living on Kauai where we have had virtually no cases (58, 0 deaths), we still are very consistent in wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distance. Here we have been very careful, much to the detriment of the economy.
When the virus has come to this island (primarily from O’ahu), it has been well contained and stopped quickly through prompt tracking and isolation.
So… get the virus under control on the mainland, and we can welcome you with Aloha. Until then, we have so few hospital beds and even fewer ICU beds, that we can not morally risk our kapuna. I want to be able to visit my ‘ohana in Seattle at least as much as you want to vacation here.
Deal?
Aloha and malama pono!
It could take a long time to get it under control. Probably, there will be a vaccine before that happens.
Great vision AJ. Thank you for pointing this out !
Wow, as if we needed any of this to happen.
Prayers for healing to all affected by this nasty virus.
The best news I have gleaned from the article is that Gov Ige has termed out. His negativity needs to go away when he does.
Blessings to all of our islands to survive the insanity of her leaders and the divisiveness that’s been created by the same people.
Mahalo Beat of Hawai’i for your help in understanding this mess.
Aloha to all.
Hi Pam.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Hawaii is part of the United States run by someone who lied and screwed up the Entire response to the virus. Cherry pick all you want. Just who is head of this country? But by all means spin on…
Aloha!
I would suggest that one can expect the state to reopen when your hospitals are not full of isolated patients. Have you been to a hospital lately? My husband was bit by a centipede and with outrageous arm swelling he sat outside for screening then in the hall to be treated. What if it had been a heart attack? With a surge of visitors we always see an increase in ER visits. Why endanger everyone? We are not ready to open and if you can tell us when the hospitals on every island will be clear you will have your opening date.
Mahalo.
Hi Linda.
Thanks for your many comments.
Aloha.
Thank you Beat of Hawaii for the ongoing updates.
I am beginning to think that the governor does NOT want to open up Hawaii to visitors at all and is playing games or that he is clueless on how to get all of the pieces in place to open up. Most certainly he has been a poor communicator. At this point the state should have a written down and detailed plan with the steps needed to be done along with the metrics to know when things are ready. Someone should be able to communicate this plan and then the state, the airlines, the hotels and everyone else can know what needs to happen to open up and all work together to make it happen. I am afraid that at this point people who were hoping to book for December and even into the new year just won’t bother because there is too much uncertainty. Losing out on income for the 2021 high season is just going to slam whatever is left of the visitor industry.
Hi AW.
We appreciate your dozens of comments.
Aloha.
Geez! What a surprise!
We have airfare booked to Kauai for late January for 11 of us. It is unfathomable that things would still be closed by that time but this crazy situation continues to amaze. How can you throttle the entire state economy over this. Maybe some other states are willing to err on the side of reduced tourism because they have other sources of revenue but this is going to turn our beloved islands to ruin. We are so disappointed in the Lt. Governor as we were counting on some common sense from him. Let’s hope this doesn’t destroy his credibility.
The Governor should simply put everyone out of misery – announce closure until January 1st. Month by month is just too frustrating for everyone. And then get their act together! or get a new team. I heard something that it is the Pacific islanders who are highly the number of victims of covid and that says to me the extended families are not with the program unfortunately.
I can also sympathize that with so many unemployed, there’s not much to do except get together with buddies whether to fish or surf, etc. No solution to that sadly.
I keep saying it over and over and over again: There is NO ONE currently in ANY position of power or authority ANYWHERE in the state of Hawaii that is competent enough to re-open Hawaii correctly and intelligently–so without a vaccine and / or without the governor and the county mayors stepping down the being replaced with actual competent replacements–Hawaii will NEVER reopen for tourism.
Again: No Vaccine = No Tourists. Period.
These fools all have their heads in the sand just hoping and praying that the virus will die out on its own before the state and everyone on it is completely bankrupt.
Think about it this way: In just the 2nd quarter of 2020 alone, state tax revenue is down at least $722,000,000 from the same period in 2019. So that’s, what roughly $1,450,000,000 (1.4 billion dollars) down the toilet so far this year–because these fools can’t get their ___ together. (Do you think the state and county have cut their expenses by $1,450,000,000 in 2020? I can assure you that they have not. Which means they’ve had to borrow at least that amount–if not MORE–just to make their huge payrolls.)
In terms of the Lieutenant Governor catching COVID, I think that’s great–because it just proves that the goal cannot be and should not be ZERO cases. That’s not the goal with the flu or any other disease that already exists in our society. The goal should be the lowest possible, reasonable mortality rate… and Hawaii already has a very low COVID mortality rate–in the general poplulation–for whatever reason. Virtually every COVID death on the big island so far has been in ONE assisted care / Veterans / old folks home–all very recently–from one outbreak.
Great comments Jared. I think at this point they are past the point of no return and will wait for the election results, hoping to either get a bailout from the Pelosi house under a Biden administration or declare bankruptcy under Trump after they default on their latest loan. Either way the citizens of Hawaii are the losers. There are some wealthy retirees who go on living life like nothing has happened, not needing to work or rely on tourism. In fact many enjoy the less crowded beaches. However, the vast majority of hawaiians need tourism to return to save their jobs or small business. In the end everyone will suffer as the state will probably need to raise income taxes, sales tax, and property taxes. Prices are already high and the cost of living will go higher. It’s hard enough to start a business in Hawaii before the pandemic. Afterward it may be next to impossible. At this point, I certainly don’t expect any progress toward reopening to tourism until after the new year or after substantial progress has been made toward getting the majority of the population vaccinated.
I read all of what is happening and immediately thought of the narration done by Rod Roddy from the TV Sitcom of the 70’s “Soap”, in which he would conclude each episode with the trademark line, “These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of…Soap.”
You can take all you put on this very good piece, add that narration voice and you would have yet another episode of “Soap” except it would be the 2020 Hawaii Political edition. A very good synopsis of what is going on. Unfortunately, it has become apparent of 2 things: 1. The political people are not listening to anything and 2. they are not paying attention to how their dictums are affecting people.
Why are the good citizen’s of Hawaii not demanding a resolution? You realize once the state really opens up, and this is without visitors, I am just talking Hawaiian residents, the rate of Covid infections will increase because that is what viruses do to immune systems that are masking in fear in homes. Look up how the immune system works and how viruses (like the common cold) spread. The best bet, is to fortify your inadequate health care system, isolate the most vulnerable (obese and/or diabetic), and let the virus run its course. Man cannot eradicate all kinds of world-wide viruses (do your own research on Ebola, HIV, MERS-CoV for example)- you learn to get on with life and live with them. The inhumane economic devastation causing long lasting implications=depression, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse, suicide etc…will take decades to overcome. 99 Hawaiian deaths (as of 9/15/20) due to Covid- HOW many were with co-mordibities? Show me the REAL data and let’s see if decades of devastation were worth it…Thank you Beat of Hawaii for keeping it honest and keep those of us who love Hawaii and the Hawaiin people aware of what is going on. Many prayers sent to the good people of Hawaii
Hi Nita.
Thanks again.
Aloha.
I applied for a waiver for my husband to come in October. We have a home on the Big Island. I will be there already, doing my quarantine. He, however does not have that kind of time and the house needs repairs that I cannot physically make myself. We are not planning on bebopping all over the island, but it would be nice if he could go to the builder’s Supply to get what he needs so the elements dont overtake the house!
Tough luck for your husband. He needs to quarantine 14 days just like any other returning resident or visitor — no runs to Home Depot or super market. Why should he or anyone get an exemption or waiver? It’s people like you who come to Hawaii and end up spreading Covid to the locals. Stay home — we don’t want you in Hawaii. Don’t even think that he will not get caught breaking quarantine. The local people are quick to turn in quarantine breakers and he could face arrest and jail time. We are serious about protecting our island from the potential spread of Covid.
My husband has tested negative for the virus multiple times and would be willing to test as many times as needed. All this closing down is just foolishness. If you are not sick, you cannot spread an illness!
Ever thought of helping the local economy and hiring local for the needed work?
One of the things that makes the covid virus different and is the main reason why it has spread so far and wide and so quickly is that people will carry the virus and actively spread it to others before they have any symptoms at all. In fact there are people who have had covid and never had any symptoms at all yet have spread it to others.
It is clear these officials don’t have common sense, and quite possibly are stupid. A responsible person who is coughing would not get in a car with others. Also a responsible person would not ride in a car with someone who is coughing. They have the resources to make safe travel arrangements. No wonder they keep having new cases. It certainly doesn’t look like Hawaii will open up anytime soon. So sad.
Why are serious comments being deleted? Please contact me why.
Hi Don.
As we have been very clear, any comments that do not comply with our comment policy will be deleted. https://beatofhawaii.com/comment-policy
Aloha.
Josh Green contracting COVID proves that the state should open. Will he die from it? No. Will the people he is around die from it? Probably not. So why is everyone willing to sacrifice people’s livelihood and way too provide for their family over the possibility of someone getting a cold and surviving from it?? Before everyone became hyperactive over whether someone had COVID, people got sick all. the. time. We didn’t stop the necessary and vital businesses and routes of transportation over it! I miss my sister who lives in Hawaii and I cannot even go visit her. Everyone there has been incarcerated by a tyrannical governor who does not seem to be looking out for everyone’s interests.
I think you’re missing just how bad COVID is. It’s NOT just the flu. Also, we shouldn’t just be focused on the death rate. The hospitalization rate is pretty high, again, compared to the ordinary flu. So what you’re saying is, “Hey, some people are going to get REALLY sick, and some are going to die, too bad, we need to reopen the economy and that’s a price I’m willing to pay”. Sounds to me like your Governor isn’t willing to pay that price.
It is really frustrating to keep hearing over and over that this virus is just a cold and people should just deal with it. Even if you ignore the actual data about covid deaths, long term impairments, weeks of being sick and feeling crappy and all that, one can use common sense to see that this virus is extremely serious. Would pretty much every country in the world have imposed a lockdown to protect their citizens ? Would many of the smartest companies in the world have sent their employees home and keep them home over a cold ? Many politically different and very smart decision makers are taking the virus seriously and have not acted out of hysteria. If the argument is really that the economic cost is higher than the perceived benefit of millions of lives lost and suffering then I could understand that argument.
Hear, hear! Now if only the covidiots could hear and understand your manao.
Thank you so much AGAIN for keeping us advised. We don’t necessarily like the information we get, but it is needed. So far in the past 3 months we’ve cancelled two visits of ~4wks each to Kauai, and it’s starting to feel like we may need to cancel one in February 2021.
We appreciate the honest facts.
Hi Gary.
Thanks for your many comments.
Aloha.
is this correct in your opening paragraph “Since then he has not contracted COVID” ??? I think you meant to say he DID contact Covid- love your blog:)
Hi Nita.
Thanks so much for catching that and your dozens of comments. Corrected.
Aloha.
Thank you for the update. We miss our time on Kauai but want every one to be health. What is happening to all of the small businesses? We hope they can come back from this! I have been buying items from stores on Kauai via email. I plan to buy Christmas gifts from Hawaii. Please join me in supporting our stores on Kauai. Aloha and Mahalo
Hi Tricia.
Thanks. Yes, lots of small and not so small businesses will be gone. It’s hard to say how many, but we’d venture to say half. The longer it goes, the worse that will be.
Aloha.
So it’s September 15 and we have no guidance from the state. No official postponement of the Oct. 1 opening. We have hotel reservations starting on Oct. 5, what are we expected to do? The leadership in Hawaii is severely lacking. They should have had a cut off date in place that if they didn’t have all their testing and guidelines figured out by Sept. 1 then they should delay another month. This is ridiculous to wait until the last minute to make an announcement. We have been planning this trip for a year, the money is all spent, and we have made work arrangements to leave. What will be the restrictions? We will not come and wear masks everywhere outside our rooms and not have access to the beach or pools or parks or? It is too much money to spend. There is no excuse for destroying the spirit of the beautiful people of Hawaii with no end in sight. I don’t care what politics are at play here, it is clear that there is no leadership. No concern for the Hawaiian people’s mental health or livelihood. I can understand closing everything in March and April, but now? It’s past time to deal with the new reality of our world. I won’t say I’m entitled to my Hawaii vacation, but certainly the people of Hawaii are entitled to a clear plan out of lockdown life. Based on yesterday’s news, we have cancelled our trip with no future dates in mind.
The Caribbean island of Aruba opened for tourism a couple of months ago and uses rigid pre-travel and on-arrival testing. Analyzing their Covid data you clearly see tourists are NOT the problem and opening for tourism CAN BE SAFE with the right testing in place.
7 infected tourists compared to 1500 infected residents
Agreed! You can also look to many other islands/destinations for successful reopening guidance: Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Bahamas, Bermuda, Turks & Caicos. Enough is enough — there ARE ways to safely reopen so that the people of Hawaii are both safe AND able to continue (literally) living & taking care of themselves/their families.
The very people these Govt officials are meant to be serving are the ones most suffering – and it’s NOT the virus that is causing all the harm. It is time for this government (Local, State and Federal) to stop politicizing the situation and Do their Jobs on behalf of the people — find a viable solution instead of sticking their proverbial heads in the sand and hoping it goes away!
All Hawaii visitors….stay away. We don’t have our act together.
Our Governor (Ige) is shoveling more stuff on all us citizens.
He and his team (?) are clueless.
We’ve been holding out for a glimmer of hope that our 10/20-29 trip to Kauai would still happen. Last week we were cautiously optimistic. Today – after reading the info from Ige – we’ve cancelled the trip and have booked a replacement trip to spend our dollars in Cancun instead. Ige can’t seem to get out of his own way with this whole thing. If 3rd world countries can figure this stuff out, how can the state of Hawaii not?? It blows my mind the level of incompetence that is running the state of Hawaii. I feel for the poor residents there that are having to suffer the unemployment, destruction of the main economic industry, and continued devastating effects of the poor leadership of the state.
Come on “Beat of Hawaii” Why not respond to the above valid comments……your “Thank You” to the few positive comments are wearing thin……
I agree with DS. Please start answering all of people’s questions. It’s so frustrating not to hear anything from you except, “thank you”. You are the boots on the ground in Kauai who can give us the nitty gritty information about what’s really happening, for instance, a list of businesses that have gone out of business so far. Thanks
Hi Kristi.
We are sorry that you are not happy with how we handle our website comments.
Aloha.
Nate, you could not have said it any better. Ige can’t seem to get out of his own way. The only successful thing he has done is scare the daylights out of Hawaii’s residents.
The trouble with pre-travel testing from the US is that the positivity rate is averaging around 8-10%. From a high of 16.6% in South Dakota (thank-you Sturgis) all the way down to 0.6 in Maine. So, that means that there’s going to be a high cancellation rate from US travelers. The other thing that means is that the virus is running rampant in the US and since we aren’t testing at very high levels we really don’t know exactly how many people actually have the virus. However, a study done here in LA by UCLA et al. shows that the number of actual cases exceeds the reported number of cases by at least 20%. So, we have 20% more cases than the 6 million reported and that’s a Lot of sick people running around! Why is that important? Well, if you test people 72 hours prior to leaving for Hawaii, and they don’t self-isolate, there is a reasonable probability that they could catch the virus during that 72 hour period. Airports, BTW, at least in the US, are the worst when it comes to cleaning. I JUST saw a story on the news where they put some kind of dust down on various surfaces at JFK and then came back three days later to see if these high traffic surfaces (like the counter at the airline) had been cleaned. Guess what? It was Terrible, they basically found every spot they put the dust on to still be here. So, even if I’ve had a test, and self-isolated for that 72 hours, passing through the airport in anything less than a hazmat suit is going to be problematic. Ok, so we have rampant virus spread in the US, and not good cleaning to help stop the spread. Add to that the politicization of mask-wearing, and do you Really think that there’s a safe way for Hawaii to reopen to US travel? If I were Hawaii, I would consider travel from Other countries, where they have the virus more under control, but right now, travel from the US mainland to Hawaii would be risking a serious outbreak.
This is getting so crazy . You can not keep extending this,please we need some young blood and people who are covid experts.Kauai has to open up!We need to be tested nothing offered here.