183 thoughts on “Hawaii Further Delays Reopening. Is October Even Possible?”
Lanell
Thank you for all the updates, always amazed me that you give info faster than any of the news sources that I follow.
I may need to quit reading the comments, although I usually enjoy them. Everyone needs to remember this is a pandemic and nobody really knows what to do, other than wear face masks and stay socially distant. Good luck to you all.
Lani
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Lanell.
Thanks!
Aloha.
Cheri F.
Personally, I don’t believe this is a good time for people who are planning to explore and dine at their favorite restaurants to visit HI. However, for those who have visited HI many times and have a favorite resort, it’s a great opportunity to test the “resort bubble” concept while avoiding the 14-day quarantine. This would also help put some Hawaiians back to work.
First, rental cars would not be available to tourists. This would eliminate tourists driving around before heading to their designated bubble. Hotel shuttles would be available to and from the airport and a private car service would also be available for those who wish to pay for it.
I can immediately think of two resorts on the Big Island that might be able to pull this off due to their locations The Westin Hapuna and the Mauna Kea. Both are wonderful resorts with beachfront locations and sort of a one way in, one way out setup. The room entrances are facing an outdoor corridor vs. a hallway you might find in many resorts. This keeps the air flowing between the room entrances and guests. Both resorts have an abundance of outdoor space and established restaurants with outdoor seating, thus making social distancing a breeze. Guests would make reservations in advance for a specified seating time. The max time guests may spend at a restaurant would be two hours, giving other guests an opportunity to dine. Breakfast goods and other island goodies would be available for purchase. In-room dining on the lanai/balcony could be an option. A shuttle service to local restaurants such as Merriman’s, yet another option.
Activities would include the usual beach activities (e.g.,kayaking, snorkeling – bring your own snorkel/mask from home). Beach chairs would be reserved in advance and pool time would be by reservation in blocks of time such as two hours (I’ve seen this here in SoCal). The resort bubble concept will take a bit more planning, but this should help HI get ready for October 1st.
You’re welcome.
John J
Tulsi Gabbard tipped her hand. To impose the national guard on covid cases and criticize the health department while the ltgov says they require 10 times the resources they are currently working with. Outragious!
Bob L.
I find it interesting how many people are trying to get to Hawaii without the required quarantining, and seeking 3-day testing. I understand returning residents and those with property wanting to return home or get to their second homes and rental property. But I do not understand why tourists would want to go to Hawaii right now even if they could. Friends of mine in Kauai tell of the dire situation, business closures, restaurant closures, no excursions, restrictions around the resorts, and so on. What kind of (expensive) Hawaii vacation is that? Even though we have reservations to visit Kauai in February 2021, we are seriously thinking of canceling until everything is open again, which may be a year or more from now. Not everyone will agree, and that is fine, but for us, we will be willing to wait so we can enjoy the full Ohana spirit Hawaii offers us.
Dave R
Here’s one reason a tourist with lots of time (to spend the first 2 weeks in quarantine) would go to Hawai’i now: no people. I loved Waikiki in the 50s and early 60s. Later it became so crowded as to be unpleasant. Imagine walking on a virtually empty beach, instead of vainly trying to pick your way among the towels and umbrellas. Imagine strolling or biking along Kalakaua – or even Kuhio – with no huge tour buses, only a few cars. Imagine surfing Waikiki with a dozen other people in the water, instead of a hundred or more. At night, peace and quiet – you could once again hear the sound of the waves. If we still owned our condo there, I would definitely consider going. Safeway in Honolulu (Kapahulu Ave.) will deliver groceries. Cook in your unit. Relax on your lanai. After 14 days, enjoy it all!
Mike S
That’s assuming you have a condo you can go to! In the time share industry, due to the pandemic, it’s almost impossible to book a unit for 2 weeks as in years past. My present reservation for January is 3 days, 8 days, then 11 days all in different units. Pretty difficult to quarantine for 14 days (nor would I want to!)
F B
It would help everyone calm down if we quit counting positive tests as “cases”. A case is someone who needs to seek medical attention for Covid symptoms be it from their clinician or a hospital. A positive test is only that. No symptoms, no case.
Looking at the most recent data from Covid Tracker, Hawaii has 166 active cases currently. A far cry from the thousands reported as “cases”
Dave R
Clearly you are not a medical professional. Typhoid Mary did not require hospitalization. She infected dozens of people and at least three of those died. She was definitely a case.
F B
Dave: I may not be a medical professional, but I know when I’m being bamboozled by the media. You may live your life in fear if you want to – That’s your choice.
Paula J.
If the Governor of Hawaii thinks that they can keep the Islands closed, shutting down tourism completely, with no financial support to the businesses and unemployed residents THAT IS LUDACRIS!!
Mexico has opened some of their states for tourism ( with limits to #of hotel rooms booked etc.), they still have “shelter in place ” effective for anyone that does not need to report to a job. They have implemented amazing sanitization practices at the larger chain hotels ( not sure about small independently owned) and its working. By doing so they are able to continue to bring some revenue into their states and keep a percentage of people that work in the tourism industry emoloyed. Hawaii must figure out a similar plan.
Dave R
The death rate in Mexico from C19 is appalling. Maybe not the best model. I recall seeing comments on this site a few weeks ago about how Florida was doing such a great job while opening up. Now the Florida death rate is appalling.
Well-run states will do whatever it takes to keep their citizens from dying en masse. Makes sense.
Shirley E.
Thanks for information
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Shirley.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Judy S
Our daughter on Oahu (who works as a contractor for DOE) said they announced yesterday that they have 18! contact tracers working. Out of about 300 trained. Totally crazy. And still no decision on how they plan to have school – which normally would have started the beginning of August. Total lack of leadership.
Dave R
The school issue has flummoxed every state and school district in the US. Why pick on Hawai’i?
Sheila B.
Dave R, you do not know what you are talking about. Some school districts are doing ok.
Cindy R.
The endless extentions to the travel ban and the uncertainty are why I finally cancelled my Hawaii plans completely. My husband and I may or may not try again in a few years, but for the near future we’re going to shift our focus on other destinations.
Dave R
Good luck on finding any safe destination that hasn’t changed their restrictions multiple times as conditions warranted. At least you won’t have to worry about Europe, ’cause they won’t let Americans in anymore.
Marcia
I thought I’d share my recent experience as it may be helpful for someone else, like your reader with the Marriott cancellation:
A friend and I had planned a late Sept. visit to Kauai, but then the owner of our rental had so many cancellations that he simply decided to cancel the rest of his bookings and take it off the market. With the pandemic getting worse and the quarantine in place, we decided not to book elsewhere. In the meantime, however, our plane fare (not cheap; we had upgraded to first class as a “bucket list” item) was still in the coffers of Alaska Airlines. All we could do is wait and see if they would cancel the flights closer to our reserved dates, which would mean we could get full refunds instead of vouchers. I didn’t expect that to happen, if at all, before Sept. 1, and I’ve followed your closure updates closely.
Then this past weekend we received messages that our flight schedule had been “updated”. I anticipated that meant a cancellation but the update was simply that the plane to Kauai was taking off a bit later. However, the agent then told me that our returning flight to the mainland WAS canceled.
Turns out that if you have roundtrip tickets, and one way of that roundtrip is canceled, you can get a full refund for the entire roundtrip regardless of the status of the flight that has NOT been canceled. That was welcome news! I don’t know if this is just an Alaska Air policy or more industry wide (I’ve never needed a flight refund before), but it was a huge relief to get that money back, and hassle-free at that. They fully refunded my credit card within two days. Bravo Alaska!
We’re clearly not the only ones who were/are stuck in that limbo, as your readers indicate. Your updates have been such a help as we’ve dealt with this situation. Hoping to get there in 2021!
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Marcia.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Comments are closed.
Aloha!
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Thank you for all the updates, always amazed me that you give info faster than any of the news sources that I follow.
I may need to quit reading the comments, although I usually enjoy them. Everyone needs to remember this is a pandemic and nobody really knows what to do, other than wear face masks and stay socially distant. Good luck to you all.
Lani
Hi Lanell.
Thanks!
Aloha.
Personally, I don’t believe this is a good time for people who are planning to explore and dine at their favorite restaurants to visit HI. However, for those who have visited HI many times and have a favorite resort, it’s a great opportunity to test the “resort bubble” concept while avoiding the 14-day quarantine. This would also help put some Hawaiians back to work.
First, rental cars would not be available to tourists. This would eliminate tourists driving around before heading to their designated bubble. Hotel shuttles would be available to and from the airport and a private car service would also be available for those who wish to pay for it.
I can immediately think of two resorts on the Big Island that might be able to pull this off due to their locations The Westin Hapuna and the Mauna Kea. Both are wonderful resorts with beachfront locations and sort of a one way in, one way out setup. The room entrances are facing an outdoor corridor vs. a hallway you might find in many resorts. This keeps the air flowing between the room entrances and guests. Both resorts have an abundance of outdoor space and established restaurants with outdoor seating, thus making social distancing a breeze. Guests would make reservations in advance for a specified seating time. The max time guests may spend at a restaurant would be two hours, giving other guests an opportunity to dine. Breakfast goods and other island goodies would be available for purchase. In-room dining on the lanai/balcony could be an option. A shuttle service to local restaurants such as Merriman’s, yet another option.
Activities would include the usual beach activities (e.g.,kayaking, snorkeling – bring your own snorkel/mask from home). Beach chairs would be reserved in advance and pool time would be by reservation in blocks of time such as two hours (I’ve seen this here in SoCal). The resort bubble concept will take a bit more planning, but this should help HI get ready for October 1st.
You’re welcome.
Tulsi Gabbard tipped her hand. To impose the national guard on covid cases and criticize the health department while the ltgov says they require 10 times the resources they are currently working with. Outragious!
I find it interesting how many people are trying to get to Hawaii without the required quarantining, and seeking 3-day testing. I understand returning residents and those with property wanting to return home or get to their second homes and rental property. But I do not understand why tourists would want to go to Hawaii right now even if they could. Friends of mine in Kauai tell of the dire situation, business closures, restaurant closures, no excursions, restrictions around the resorts, and so on. What kind of (expensive) Hawaii vacation is that? Even though we have reservations to visit Kauai in February 2021, we are seriously thinking of canceling until everything is open again, which may be a year or more from now. Not everyone will agree, and that is fine, but for us, we will be willing to wait so we can enjoy the full Ohana spirit Hawaii offers us.
Here’s one reason a tourist with lots of time (to spend the first 2 weeks in quarantine) would go to Hawai’i now: no people. I loved Waikiki in the 50s and early 60s. Later it became so crowded as to be unpleasant. Imagine walking on a virtually empty beach, instead of vainly trying to pick your way among the towels and umbrellas. Imagine strolling or biking along Kalakaua – or even Kuhio – with no huge tour buses, only a few cars. Imagine surfing Waikiki with a dozen other people in the water, instead of a hundred or more. At night, peace and quiet – you could once again hear the sound of the waves. If we still owned our condo there, I would definitely consider going. Safeway in Honolulu (Kapahulu Ave.) will deliver groceries. Cook in your unit. Relax on your lanai. After 14 days, enjoy it all!
That’s assuming you have a condo you can go to! In the time share industry, due to the pandemic, it’s almost impossible to book a unit for 2 weeks as in years past. My present reservation for January is 3 days, 8 days, then 11 days all in different units. Pretty difficult to quarantine for 14 days (nor would I want to!)
It would help everyone calm down if we quit counting positive tests as “cases”. A case is someone who needs to seek medical attention for Covid symptoms be it from their clinician or a hospital. A positive test is only that. No symptoms, no case.
Looking at the most recent data from Covid Tracker, Hawaii has 166 active cases currently. A far cry from the thousands reported as “cases”
Clearly you are not a medical professional. Typhoid Mary did not require hospitalization. She infected dozens of people and at least three of those died. She was definitely a case.
Dave: I may not be a medical professional, but I know when I’m being bamboozled by the media. You may live your life in fear if you want to – That’s your choice.
If the Governor of Hawaii thinks that they can keep the Islands closed, shutting down tourism completely, with no financial support to the businesses and unemployed residents THAT IS LUDACRIS!!
Mexico has opened some of their states for tourism ( with limits to #of hotel rooms booked etc.), they still have “shelter in place ” effective for anyone that does not need to report to a job. They have implemented amazing sanitization practices at the larger chain hotels ( not sure about small independently owned) and its working. By doing so they are able to continue to bring some revenue into their states and keep a percentage of people that work in the tourism industry emoloyed. Hawaii must figure out a similar plan.
The death rate in Mexico from C19 is appalling. Maybe not the best model. I recall seeing comments on this site a few weeks ago about how Florida was doing such a great job while opening up. Now the Florida death rate is appalling.
Well-run states will do whatever it takes to keep their citizens from dying en masse. Makes sense.
Thanks for information
Hi Shirley.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Our daughter on Oahu (who works as a contractor for DOE) said they announced yesterday that they have 18! contact tracers working. Out of about 300 trained. Totally crazy. And still no decision on how they plan to have school – which normally would have started the beginning of August. Total lack of leadership.
The school issue has flummoxed every state and school district in the US. Why pick on Hawai’i?
Dave R, you do not know what you are talking about. Some school districts are doing ok.
The endless extentions to the travel ban and the uncertainty are why I finally cancelled my Hawaii plans completely. My husband and I may or may not try again in a few years, but for the near future we’re going to shift our focus on other destinations.
Good luck on finding any safe destination that hasn’t changed their restrictions multiple times as conditions warranted. At least you won’t have to worry about Europe, ’cause they won’t let Americans in anymore.
I thought I’d share my recent experience as it may be helpful for someone else, like your reader with the Marriott cancellation:
A friend and I had planned a late Sept. visit to Kauai, but then the owner of our rental had so many cancellations that he simply decided to cancel the rest of his bookings and take it off the market. With the pandemic getting worse and the quarantine in place, we decided not to book elsewhere. In the meantime, however, our plane fare (not cheap; we had upgraded to first class as a “bucket list” item) was still in the coffers of Alaska Airlines. All we could do is wait and see if they would cancel the flights closer to our reserved dates, which would mean we could get full refunds instead of vouchers. I didn’t expect that to happen, if at all, before Sept. 1, and I’ve followed your closure updates closely.
Then this past weekend we received messages that our flight schedule had been “updated”. I anticipated that meant a cancellation but the update was simply that the plane to Kauai was taking off a bit later. However, the agent then told me that our returning flight to the mainland WAS canceled.
Turns out that if you have roundtrip tickets, and one way of that roundtrip is canceled, you can get a full refund for the entire roundtrip regardless of the status of the flight that has NOT been canceled. That was welcome news! I don’t know if this is just an Alaska Air policy or more industry wide (I’ve never needed a flight refund before), but it was a huge relief to get that money back, and hassle-free at that. They fully refunded my credit card within two days. Bravo Alaska!
We’re clearly not the only ones who were/are stuck in that limbo, as your readers indicate. Your updates have been such a help as we’ve dealt with this situation. Hoping to get there in 2021!
Hi Marcia.
Thank you.
Aloha.