kthpence

Hmm idk if this is correct re the rapid test not being accepted for departure - I took a rapid test at GoHealth Urgent Care in the Bay Area (a "trusted partner") and it was sufficient for my trip to Hawaii last December. Also, aren't the tests that are done at the departure airports rapid tests?

grizindabo24

He is correct but didn't stay it well. The arrival test is the rapid antigen test which isn't accepted for the departure pretest.

denver19

Here is the Mauinow story on the "soft opening":
https://mauinow.com/2021/05/07/soft-...hului-airport/

2,500 tests, across 4 days and no (zero) positives. But Dr. Wu said it was 1% infected after the pre test? So, it seems like Dr. Wu may be incorrect, because you would expect to see SOME positives across 2,500 tests if 1% were infected after the pre-travel test.
And, I highly suspect that Maui is not getting this done for 25% of what the island of Hawaii tests cost (as is the county's story). This has nothing to do with disease prevention, and everything to do with looking like the county is aggravating visitors and keeping the base happy(ish).

LIH Prem

I don't think it's fair for you to assume that.

You have an agenda also.

The visitor numbers are not going to go down in any significant way because of the arrival test. I'm sure the actual numbers will show that. Have you seen significant cancellations?

-David

Weatherboy

One stat that surprised me was that Maui reports 30% of inbound trans-Pacific passengers are vaccinated, thereby exempt from this second test. This compares to a vaccination rate of 80% that the Big Island is reporting. I wonder why there would be such a big difference between the islands.

1KChinito

Perhaps age group?

scottinaz

Perhaps many people don't know to bring evidence of vaccination and therefore aren't counted as vaccinated.

denver19

That disparity seems really unlikely to me. Maui County, and their expert Dr. Wu, seem to be throwing a lot of numbers around that seem rather fantastic.

Today, Mayor Victorino announced new, looser county wide restrictions, including increased hours and occupancy for restaurants, higher capacity for tourist boats, bigger social gatherings and resumption of sports practices. This is the same week that we instituted a second, arrival test of recently tested visitors. Does this sound reasonable, and well thought out to anybody?

BlueZebra

Its the usual pressure to blame everything on tourism...

1KChinito

You cannot have it both ways. Tourists contribute to Hawaii State and Maui County tax revenue. If there is a tax revenue short fall, either residents have to pay more or services have to be reduced or eliminated.

denver19

Well, it is really two giant problems: First, tourism is what we do. The diversification into "high tech" or agriculture is just a lot of talk right now. So, as you say our taxes come not only from GET and TAT, but properties classified as short term rental pay a very high rate of property tax. Tourism pays the bills on Maui.

Second, obviously, with Mayor Victorino loosening restrictions across Maui, he doesn't have concerns about stressing the medical system beyond capacity, as is the normal reason given for Draconian measures in response to covid here. We are wasting large chunks of money with the arrival test, and Maui doesn't have money to waste. There is some reason, other than disease prevention for the institution of this latest test. The timing, the fact that it isn't needed, the expense when the County doesn't have the money, something doesn't add up.

I dropped someone at OGG last night for a flight to the mainland. He texted saying the terminal was jammed with a line up of people waiting for the arrival test to be administered. Indoors...

mtofell

It probably just looked long because everyone was standing at least 6 feet apart

grizindabo24

My buddy arrived last night and said it took 2 hours to clear. Mentioned that there was no one checking for vaccination proof until you proceeded through line for a significant time.

mtofell

Wow, that's a bummer... I was thinking it would be similar to the wristband program where you just walk out. I've been coming/going through OGG once every 2-3 weeks since Covid started and the lines can be really bad when things backup. When groups of planes come in it overloads the number of workers and the wait can be bad. Before the program to avoid quarantine with a test was around I waited 2 hours once.

denver19

Ah jeez. This is so unnecessary, so contra to what you would do to fight COVID, so poorly thought out and instituted. I really cannot fathom that this is Maui's response.