Weatherboy

The way the emergency order is set, Ige has final say.

finlandia

Ige's original plan to do nothing and hope someone solves this for him is now unexecutable. He won't give into the mayors now because he knows we can no longer afford to pay people to sit at home. Kudos to Green for having the guts to remind everyone that reasonable mitigation of risk is the best we can hope for.

mtofell

Green has done some live interviews in the last couple days and I like his stance on things (let's just hope it doesn't change). The narrative of managing risk while re-opening Hawaii's economy to tourism is a real breath of fresh air. It's nice to hear him mention/consider the impact the shutdown is/has had on local families. Up to this point I don't recall any government official even mention or be aware of this concept in any serious/caring context. I particularly like the fact that he repeatedly acknowledges a second test, 3-6 days post-arrival, is statistically of minimal relevance and would absolutely kill any hope of tourism.

This is obviously still a very fluid situation but the chances that on 10/15 you can arrive and be free in Hawaii with a negative Covid test look as good or better than a week ago.

Weatherboy

Green changed his tune once he became COVID positive and his worst symptom was when he was tired for a few hours one day.

However Hawaii's Kim is still fighting Ige about opening at all. It doesn't sound like todays call went well but Ige is still planning to hold a press conference on the issue this week.

The other thing to point out is Oahu is still under the strict tier close-down and will remain so after 10/15. They won't be able to meet the criteria for opening up more.

philemer

"On Monday, Gov. David Ige gave each county the option to opt out of the program that would allow travelers who test negative to avoid the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine....."

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/...sting-program/

aoconnor

So I know the Lt Governor has discouraged trying to travel to more than one island, but... as things stand now, should it be possible to fly direct from the mainland to Kauai, spend a few days there then continue to Oahu since they aren't subject to the inter-island restriction?

Aware that it can't work the other way around and that things could change 10x in the next week. I guess it's a question of whether the QR code you get in Kauai would still be valid in Oahu.

nomad420

This article is strange and a bit confusing (two of my employee's have read it now as well). Is it just Oahu and/or Mainland? Well this is a not great for me, reading this it now sounds like the Big Island is dropping out of the pre-testing program. My office is unfortunately there so once again I am back to scrambling with my plans. My partner just arrived a few days ago and is in quarantine now, so that actually ended up being a good move as from what I see Oct. 15 date is now off for the Big Island. Depressed!!

JNelson113

The article is confusing because the leadership in Hawaii doesn't seem to have a clue what they are doing. The governor has his opinion, the lieutenant governor seems to have another opinion, and then the mayors each want to do things their way. Also, it seems like anytime there's an announcement it's always with "details to follow", but we all know that details are everything.

If I were Ige I would ask each mayor to fly to HNL two days from now and all the mayors plus Ige and Green sit in an open air space and hammer out exactly what is going to happen and when. Then one unified message is delivered.

Weatherboy

Not sure why 747FC has an axe to grind over my sources, but it is what it is.

KOA, ITO opt out of Pre Travel Testing Program

nomad420

Certainly it is not your fault.... LOL don't blame the messenger! As JNelson113 states, they literally need to get there act together. Appreciate the feed back I get here both negative or positive, indeed it is what it is at this point.

Weatherboy

There's no interisland quarantine for arrivals into HNL. And of everything going on, I think odds of that changing are low for at least the next 6 weeks. So you should be fine visting LIH and then ending your Hawaii trip in HNL. There is a quarantine in the reverse order though so no one should start their Hawaii trip in HNL if they plan any other island.

Once HNL hits 150+ fresh cases, though, I suspect they'll turn off the pre-testing travel program even there. Which is why the 10/15 opening could close a month later.

KeaauFlyer

As a long-time Hawaii resident, I can tell you all that this pretty much sums up the topic. With our history of waffling on reopening tourism, the Big Island's opt out of the current plan, a one-way interisland quarantine out of Oahu, and remaining restrictions on which attractions and businesses are open, how could anyone book a trip here with any confidence right now? My advice is "don't do it."

nomad420

I guess that is fine (not really) for leisure travel but I need to go there for work/business reasons and this has been killing us now for months. May head back in November and quarantine AGAIN..... ARGGHHHHH!!!! My partner is there now under quarantine and was waiting for her family to arrive on the 15 to visit her post quarantine. Really messed up, these seemingly day to changes screw not just leisure travelers but is killing business in and out of the islands now. Just horrible!

Weatherboy

As much as I want Hawaii to get some tourism revenue into the coffers again, I agree: unless you're health is in tip-top shape, you have no kids, you're not elderly, and you have lots of time, patience, and money, avoid Hawaii for now. Beyond the ever-changing pre-arrival test program rules, there are always-changing rules/restrictions on each island ...many of which aren't rooted in science nor logic.

Finkface

Well not quite. Which is why links and sources matter.

https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2020...sting-program/

County Mayor Harry Kim has not made a decision to opt out of the Oct. 15 pre-travel testing program.

“A definitive decision has not been made yet — it’s forthcoming this week,” Maurice Messina, Kim’s executive assistant and chief of staff, said Tuesday morning. The mayor’s decision on whether to participate will be made after receiving information from a team being set up to “address logistics for a second test” for arriving passengers from the mainland, said Messina.