COSPILOT

In fairness someone told me we had some delayed tests because of the hurricane that results finally came in, bringing the average inline with normal days. Second hand info so take it with a monster grain of salt.

Boraxo

As we can see everywhere (except maybe Iceland) the virus will come and go in waves - even in countries that formerly had success. Hawaii "objective" measure for re-opening is as ambiguous as CA Governor's criteria for re-opening schools. In short, it won't happen absent mass civil disobedience or pressure from big business. In CA there is no pressure because the tech companies can all function without offices and the big retailers are allowed to stay open. I guess HI tourism industry has no juice with the Governor so they're gonna end up like Puerto Rico soon - nobody working, massive poverty except for the retirees.

Klxp2016

I just listened to that Mayor Victorino reversing privileges on Maui interview, and it was disappointing. I’ve been to Maui once, and had planned on going back this year with my family, but everything got shut down, resorts and all due to COVID. This man did not sound like he was in a hurry to open the island up to anyone in the near future. I forgot how layed back Maui was, and you could tell it in his voice. He sounded like there was no hurry or reason to open up now, until a vaccine has been proven to be effective. To be fair Hawaii is far from the mainland and if something should go left there, it would potentially wipe out a population. This is why the strategy should be to get more supplies, equipment, and man power resources in alliance with Kaiser permanente. At some point we gotta reverse this mentality of closing, hiding, and not figuring a solution to this problem. Stopping tourism, and inter-island travel is not a solution Governor/Mayor. Mask, distancing, and preparation within hospitals is a good start. 14 day quarantines are stupid. First of all the airlines should not even fly to the islands if it’s that serious, but they do. Therefore, open the islands up to mainland states that are not hotspots. Make some tourist money. Also, what’s the plan for Thanksgiving through New Years when all the rich people hit the beaches, will the islands be open then or closed. If they are closed, that will be a lot of lost revenue, tips, etc. Anyway, I wish the best for Hawaii. It’s a great place. I only hope that the people in power think more about the people they are affecting than the power they now have to control them.

Weatherboy

Lt. Governor Josh Green says most ICU beds are being used now and he and the president of Oahu's largest hospital groups believe hospitals will be maxed out and overrun by COVID patients within 1-2 weeks, thereby crsshing the healthcare system.

So in addition to killing the economy in March, they have not done anything over the last 5 months to prepare (or prevent) for this day.

If crashing the state's healthcare system was inevitable, they should have left tourism alone. At least we'd have money to work through the crisis. Instead we're knee deep in crisis and broke.


Hawaiipublicradio: Hospital CEO Warns Hawaii On Track To Exceed Health System Capacity.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/po...ystem-capacity

747FC

You do realize that no one could have "left tourism alone?" Certainly you have seen what is happening all around the country and world--people are choosing not to get on an airplane, dine in restaurants, or go to hotels. Economic policy is not driving our revenue problems, but behavioral psychology (self-preservation).

Hawaii is not alone in wanting to avoid COVID-19 infestation: Have you looked at the number of countries which prohibit Americans from traveling to them? If anything, Hawaii is in step with the world, not an outlier as you depict.

DELee

1. So long as there are humans on a land mass or even an island that has some connection to the modern world, there's no "wanting" to avoid CV-19. It will and already has spread.

2. Prohibit all you want - Americans, New Yorkans, Californians, etc. - someone else will bring it with them.

3. As Weatherboy is pointing out, avoidance of the problem is not and will not help Hawaiians going forward. Hoping is a poor substitute for planning and executing the plan to address how to cope with CV-19 in the modern world.

As is being shown with the current tests, the virus and its mutation strains are propagating in and amongst the islands, tourists or no tourists. It would have been better to be thinking ahead and be ready for this spread.

Even the 14 day quarantines for visitors isn't doing much at this point WRT the community sharing.

David

nnn

That doesn't follow. If people were going to stay away from HI with or without the "travel ban" (let's just call it that), then why institute a travel ban to begin with? Why have these belabored discussions about whether to lift the ban? Why not just lift it?

I agree that there are some mainlanders who will not be getting on a plane to HI even if they could. But there are also a lot of mainlanders who will be flying to HI as soon as they are given the chance. That is who is being kept out by the ban. The ban is meaningful.

Sure, but are those other countries that keep Americans out as heavily dependent on American tourism as HI seems to be? It seems to me that a number of other countries that need American tourism are tending to do what they can to open up, with precautions to avoid the spread of Covid. HI does not seem to be motivated to do so. It seems like certain segments of Hawaii's population are more than content with the status quo, even if it comes at the economic expense of others.

exp

So it can't be stopped, just let it spread because it's going to spread anyways?

Weyland Yutani Corp

That is precisely my reaction. I fail to understand the notion “well...everyone’s going to get it anyway.” My friend from AZ says that, and we know how they’re doing.

nnn

Or....how about strict enforcement of masks and distancing?

747FC

The "let it spread" approach was what Sweden tried, and the results were that were a greater percentage of Sweden got infected than their neighbors and Sweden was not spared negative economic impact.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/b...ronavirus.html

rickg523

Aren't you damning yourself for your success?

Weyland Yutani Corp

I don’t think that some of locals are down with that. A friend that lives in Waikiki sent a video within the last 2 months of a bunch of local gathering at the beach. No one had masks on. Amazing.

DELee

I didn't say just let it spread. I said - manage it since it is already here, there and everywhere humans are. I also said: hoping is not managing.

Or, if hoping is your primary mode of coping and managing, I'd say that the Hawaiian Islands are going to be in poor shape as it continues to spread within its local population.

Oh, wait - it is spreading. But the state and county government did nothing except that hope and a 14-day quarantine would keep CV-19 at bay and didn't prepare for what's happening now.

David

Weyland Yutani Corp

i’m not sure if this is what you’re implying, but do you think the people that arrived on the island with a 14 day quarantine is the reason for the current spread?