It isn’t just weird in stores; it is strange just walking around now. So long as the CDC guidelines on mask-wearing were in place, people largely followed the rules. Then the rules seemed to change all of a sudden, everywhere except here in Hawaii. Hmmm.
Hawaii and New Jersey stand-alone in states still retaining mask mandate.
Despite this week’s CDC guidance no longer requiring masks in most situations, Hawaii visitors and those of us who live here try to follow the state’s ongoing mask orders. The same is true in New Jersey, while in California, it is soon ending. In an interesting contrast, however, between these holdout states, New Jersey has the densest population in the country, whereas Hawaii, largely based on Honolulu’s population concentration, ranks just 13th. And while New Jersey has 9+ million residents, Hawaii has just 1.5 million.
To say the least, it is confusing to have the federal government say one thing and the state appear to say the exact opposite.
Governor Ige said that Hawaii would not remove its mask mandate at this time.
The mandate states that everyone wears a mask when it isn’t possible to maintain six feet of distance from anyone not in their household. That is true without regard to vaccination status.
Ige said, “At this point in time, with the majority of our community not vaccinated, and we are not able to determine whether someone is vaccinated or not, we will continue to maintain the mask mandate here in the state of Hawaii. The challenge is it’s impossible to determine who’s vaccinated and who’s not vaccinated.”
It is estimated that 40% of Hawaii’s residents are currently fully vaccinated.
Still pack your masks for Hawaii.
This may well not continue for long. But in the interim, we all need to keep our masks in hand—the order mandates mask-wearing at beaches, parks, and even on hiking trails.
Here’s what we see on hiking trails and beaches.
We’ve both been hiking a lot lately here in Hawaii. And guess what, there are almost no masks in sight anywhere. That is until people need to pass by you in the opposite direction. Some mask up when that happens, but most others do not. At beaches, most people do not mask anywhere, from the parking lot to the sand. Mostly because it’s easy to keep that 6-foot distance. At Hawaii farmers’ markets, we see some visitors going without masks which becomes an issue when approaching a vendor and when in line.
A complicated situation in stores and businesses too.
Stores prominent in Hawaii, including Costco and Walmart, have already announced they have dropped their mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers. But not here in Hawaii. Here, masks are still mandated in all of their stores.
So the burden of enforcement has fallen on businesses ill-equipped to manage the fast-changing situation and the enforcement burden. But I guess no one in the government thought about how this was all going to play out on the street. So, as a result, we’ve heard not only of violence on Hawaii flights but there have been problems in typically peaceful shopping environments.
Governor Ige has no idea what he is doing or the damage to the Business Community that pays the State Taxes, a State that is 98% Tourist and Military driven. The Bureaucrat’s in Government, all remain employed, receiving un-interrupted Paycheck’s, Benefits and hence have no idea what the Citizenry is going through. At a time when Herd Immunity has been reached and is the real Science, debating Vaccine’s, while having those travelling to Hawaii take a Test showing Negative results with-in 72 Hours, at an Add-Collect of $192/Head additionally should facilitate a speedy entry. Travelers, minimally are travelling 10 hours masked from the West Coast, possibly 20 or more from the East Coast breathing their own carbon dioxide, for what is a greatly diminished experience, that Ige wants it both ways.
Arrived in Maui earlier this week and experienced worst process I’ve ever seen. Take the COVID process away from the Hawaiian govt. We waited in line for 1.5 hours to have my QR code processed. Finally got to the 1st station and the clerk scanned the code and then manually typed in information with ONE finger for each family member while 3 other clerks watched not practicing social distancing.Then we were sent to another station and asked for vaccine cards? It was not a requirement per my understanding (maybe metrics). We showed the card but they did not even check the names! Then we were given a little tag and went to the next station and had to put the tag in a basket? Then a security guard said we could go. After 2 hours we were finally done. A monkey with a tablet good improve this process. Hawaii residents need to recall there governor before he destroys the Hawaii economy. Once out of the airport it gets worse. We saw cops giving tickets to tourists for not wearing mask while homeless people were all around begging and not wearing mask.
Ugh. Coming in two weeks. I wish I had postponed this trip another year but we are coming! I will comply with what I am asked to do but outdoor masking is ridiculous as is the testing I am forced to pay for despite being vaccinated.
The homemade masks that better than 50 percent (a low estimate) of people are wearing have been proven to be far less effective than just maintaining a reasonable distance, and are predomanently ineffective at preventive transmission of disease. In fact, with the exception of someone coughing, spitting or sneezing on you directly, they are pretty much useless. The micron particles of Covid will sit on, and get around most masks that don’t have a respirator system the prevents molecules of this size. Even those must be changed or cleaned frequently.
The stone cold reality is that most people don’t change (or wash) their masks frequently enough, and they become a breeding ground for germs and potential viruses.
Most of you pushing “the science” you claim to know are only spewing rhetoric you have bought in too. There are several scientific studies compiled over the decades on the effectiveness of masks. The clearly don’t do as much as most think.
What has been most effective is people are actually sanitizing and washing their hands more frequently. The amount of nasty people walking out of a public bathroom without washing their hands has diminished drastically over the last year…incase you haven’t noticed, and people are actually making an effort to step aside or walk around, rather than brushing by you, when there is space to do so.
It utter ridiculousness how far some people have gone, off the deep end “Howie-Mandell-ing” their new germaphobia. People driving in their car, walking, or even running alone, while wearing a mask that’s inefficient at best.
Only in Hawaii do you have to wear a mask through a drive-thru, where there is a plexiglass shield, yet they still give you back your change in a cup that they and others have to touch, with the money that literally hundreds of others have already touched…yes, they do this at Taco Bell.
This kind of nonsense just proves to me that far too many people have no clue what the science actually says or is…
Don’t like the rules don’t go. Pretty easy
Good grief. Why do doctors wear masks?
Before 2020, had you *ever* seen a doctor wearing a mask outside of an operating room?
Shoot! I thought I had woken up from this nightmare. I must still be asleep.
Go back to sleep. Hawaii still has several more months of Covid panic to get through. Try again in the fall.
When is HI going to pull their butts out of their behinds? This is ridiculous. On top of all the other ridiculousness. YOu will accept a test from a drug store but not a hospital. You arrest people for not wearing masks outside…dumb dumb dumb. Now HI knows more than the CDC
States rights are something we enjoy in America. The beauty is if you don’t like what a state does you have the option to go somewhere else. I understand Florida is wide open for business if you don’t want to wear a mask. Current covid cases a day in Florida = 2,983 and 60 deaths a day as of May 20, 2021. I personally prefer to wear a mask in Hawaii. God bless America! Aloha!!
Correction – According to the FL Dept of Health, Florida had 6 deaths (not 60) on May 20, followed by 1 death on May 21 and 1 death on May 22. And that’s with a population of 21.6 million compared to Hawaii’s population of 1.45 million. You simply can’t compare the two states. Here’s the reality. You can’t keep COVID-19 out of Hawaii unless you stop ALL travel including Matson shipping and lock everyone inside their house forever. Hawaii needs to get their vaccination rates over 70 percent of the population to create the “herd immunity”. Aloha
No problem wearing mask despite being vaccinated weeks ago. What sort of Covid test or documentation is required at the airport on arrival on Maui? Thanks in advance.
Hi Vicky.
Be sure to comply precisely with the requirements found here. https://hawaiicovid19.com/.
Aloha.
Hi Vicky.
As others have reported, yes it is.
Aloha.
Hawaii is an island with limited resources nearby unlike the other states mentioned. Plus around 30k plus people traveling here each day it puts Hawaii in a unique category. With the strict rules that have been in place here all year I am not surprised by this at all. Plus our numbers have remained the same for quite some time. Not really improving or getting worse.
I don’t give a rip about masks. If they will let me travel on my vaccination passport and want me to wear a mask. So be it, just let me travel to Kauai without all the hassle
Hi thanks for the article , I am in Waikiki now and most everyone is wearing a mask outside . My hotel will immediately send you out to street or to your room if you don’t have a mask . My hotel also made me read and initial the guidelines regarding no non hotel guest allowed on hotel property . Hotel has a warning sign on front door of hotel and elevator door . I was also in Waikiki in January and thinks now are about the same as far as restrictions at stores and restaurants. I have no problem with this but it does make it difficult to get into some restaurants due to table spacing . If these restrictions bother you it might be best to not come to Hawaii now .