Hawaii Will Not Reopen in September. Is October Even Possible?

Hawaii Further Delays Reopening. Is October Even Possible?

Hawaii’s planned reopening of travel has been delayed again. The governor just announced that the first possible opening date as of now is October 1. That date isn’t certain either as you’ll see below. Honestly, it remains unclear that the state has anything at the ready that would allow for reopening to occur.

Just when will Hawaii reopen with testing and without quarantine? Can you trust October?

We have no sense that anything will be different come October. That as the state has totally failed to plan and communicate just what the basis of reopening will be. Initially, we were told it was that we were waiting for testing. Then there was the Japan travel bubble idea, followed by the Hawaii resort travel bubble plan. Then all that messaging seemed to stopped entirely. We’ve just been left with the problem of further outbreaks in key mainland gateways. We honestly don’t know what the state is doing, and it is the lack of communication that is the greatest concern.

The lieutenant governor was asked when travel can resume, and he replied: “It’s a global pandemic. That’s why we have to wait to see what happens on the mainland before we open up again. And we have to learn lessons from other places — whether they opened schools, whether they opened society, how much testing and tracing they did, all those things.”

Hawaii lieutenant governor Josh Green M.D. forecasted the latest delay.

Green said last week, “I can’t imagine that we’ll try to inject tourism September 1 in advance of Labor Day, with all that’s going on still. I did not expect this to get to a place where we’re looking at 4,000 cases in a month. That was unforeseen and pretty incredible to imagine.”

The Hawaii travel industry has also been expecting this. Many hotels and some airline flights for September had already been canceled as you have noted in comments.

Hawaii Health Department’s failures continue to complicate reopening. 

The department’s head Bruce Anderson and its epidemiologist Sarah Park have been widely criticized by the lieutenant governor, the state’s medical community, and others for, among many other things, overstating their abilities in contact tracing and underestimating challenges they face. Green said simply “This job is too great for her… there needs to be a new executive team put in charge.” Despite overwhelming evidence, Governor Ige, said yesterday that he is still confident about the department’s leadership. It seems increasingly likely to us, however, that big changes at the health department will, of necessity, be forthcoming.

“Department of Health has over 400 trained contract tracers while only employing around 100 of them. There is no excuse not to actively employ all available, trained contact tracers, along with additional personnel from the Hawai‘i National Guard, to rapidly trace, investigate, and contain every single positive COVID case.” — Tulsi Gabbard.

How is it that in the past six months, the health department didn’t prepare, even though there has been talk of better tracing and more staffing throughout? Green says that perhaps 2,000 tracers and volunteers are needed. That will result in a manageable situation, where we “can open up the trans-Pacific travel.” Green said that’s going to take awhile.

Updated 8/18/20 330pm.

183 thoughts on “Hawaii Further Delays Reopening. Is October Even Possible?”

  1. In reading the posted comments, I don’t think the state has much to worry about in regards to being over-run with Covid-bearing visitors. Given that the state has already postponed re-opening twice, not many potential visitors have confidence it will happen Oct. 1. (Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me). Visitors are delaying their trips for, at the least, several months from now. RIP Hawaii economy.

  2. i have a naat test appt rescheduled for october now.
    there is the ability to comply with the 72 hr demand yet still we arent welcome.

    the desperation of the locals will no doubt have to morph into outrage once they are through being bamboozled by a commission that has no plan? are you kidding? how does that serve the local economy? cases are not deaths. check the recovered number while ignoring the fading tourism. so sad. meanwhile, four rebooks later , now have oct. nov and february reservations. airlines and rental managers have been sooo good to us. im with you, cheri. i truly will return to this paradise.

  3. There is a new FDA approved saliva test that is quick and inexpensive. Maybe this will be the solution to travelers being tested prior to arrival!

  4. I have done some rebooking this year, but I am the Eternal Optimist and not giving up on HI. Costco is having some amazing deals on HI beginning in November 2020 into June/July 2021. Book the package sans the flights and reserve it for a fraction of the package price, you will be billed closer to your travel date (watch the cancellation schedule). Then book your flights separately as some airlines (Hawaiian and Alaska, etc.) are currently offering no cancel or change fees. Worst case scenario, you are refunded your deposit and you’ll have an airline credit.

    For 2020, I have late Oct. and Dec. booked, and 2021 booked for Feb., April, June, and July. I think I’m driving my husband crazy. HA! Let’s take advantage of these deals and support HI.

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