Finkface

And perhaps that just might be the point? Slow down the huge numbers coming in by making it more onerous?

dhuey

Hear that? It's the sound of tourism dollars flushing down the toilet. Money from fully-vaccinated folks who pose no significant risk of spreading coronavirus on Maui.

Weatherboy

But there's no volume of concern. You're talking about less than 10 or less than 5 on some days getting a positive/false positive test that would be hassled out of thousands of arrivals. On the flip side, the healthcare system is so fragile that just 5 positive people stopped is a huge win for the island that is trying to get daily positives down to a more manageable single digit number.

As far as confirmed positives on a plane, you're at risk of infection by simply flying...and at risk of being quarantined for being near a positive. HIDOH reaches out to all passengers a few rows in front/behind of a positive person on a plane and puts them into 10 day quarantine. However, HiDOH doesn't require the vacinnated to quarantine due to exposure anymore since the latest CDC guidance.

So if you're not vaccinated and test negative everywhere, you may be quarantined or even infected because of a positive person rows away from you on-board.

Small odds, but risks of flying during a pandemic to an area with a stressed healthcare system.

MCO Flyer

From the Maui mayors press conference yesterday it sounds like they left a big loophole for people to avoid the second test by connecting in HNL first. The Mayor stated they will only test those on arrival who came directly from the mainland so it sounds like they will be doing the testing at the arrival gates from mainland arrivals and those coming from HNL first won’t have a test, even if they only connected in HNL. At KOA they have it set up different as they funnel all arriving flights into one “checkpoint” to check your QR code, etc and then it splits of to two lines to either get the test or no test for those doing a 10 day quarantine or for those who came from a neighbor island (this doesn’t include those who just had a layover on the neighbor island as they will send you to the testing line if you came from the mainland).

nsx

Something is missing or incorrect, but that procedure is impossible for Southwest flights. Seats are not assigned.

scottinaz

Small odds works both ways, you are so unlikely to detect someone who actually poses a threat to the island that it is certainly not worth the cost. I just looked and the 7 day average of cases for Maui has been declining since March 30 and is now at 23 cases per day from a peak of 30 per day with a positivity rate of 2.7%. So there is no increase in cases to warrant extra screening. This certainly looks like a purely punitive measure aimed at the tourists wanting to visit.

You mention this does not apply to those that have been vaccinated. Can you provide a reference for that? My understanding was since there was no way to verify your vaccination they were not making exceptions for those with vaccination cards.

nsx

I reiterate this prediction. The proposed policy is beyond the eye-rolling threshold.

The mayor's office has surely been getting phone calls from hotel operators who have seen the wave of cancellations build this week.

Weatherboy

This is quarantine for exposure to someone that's positive, not someone seeking exemption from travel related quarantine. If HIDOH contacts you to quarantine through contact tracing efforts after being exposed to someone positive, your vaccination gets you out of that, per the CDC policy change a week or two ago. But that is totally different from travelers seeking exemption from quarantine ...for now.

As far as Maui numbers, they are quite high and their current active case count is very high relative to the overall pandemic. These are Maui's numbers from the state:

Source: HIDOH

LIH Prem

You misinterpreted what I said, which was (paraphrasing) most visitors won't care about Maui's positivity rate or number of covid-19 patients in the hospital which has very limited resources and a rising covid-19 case load.

You care about not being subjected to another test on arrival where that test might result in a false positive.



In a short month or so, Hawaii is already back to 70% of pre-pandemic visitors. On Maui for this month, we've exceeded the number of pre-pandemic visitors.

https://mauinow.com/2021/04/10/preli...-kahului-maui/



-David

scottinaz

Here is the current graph on the Hawaii Department of Health Covid Dashboard at: Disease Outbreak Control Division | COVID-19 (hawaii.gov)


As you can see this looks a little different from your chart although I believe the numbers are the same. It clearly shows the number of cases in Maui county has been decreasing in spite of increasing number of tourists.

Sorry if I misinterpreted your comment on whether or not people will care. I had read your comment as saying people arriving would not care about the additional screening.


Here is an even more revealing chart, also from the Hawaii Covid Dashboard. It shows the number of travel related infections are trivial and the number of visitor (non resident) travel related infections are almost non-existent. This chart is specific to the island of Maui. Clear evidence there is no purpose of further testing arriving visitors.

gaobest

I’m still adjusting to the 72-hour test with anecdotes of lost tests resulting in ruined vacations, which have a lot of built-up expectations by nature. This new rule sounds so unfun. I could justify it with a $100pp Hawaii gift certificate - something from the state which can be used for a meal or groceries. Then the business can use the certificate for reimbursement from the government - maybe a payroll tax discount? The government funds these certs with existing tourism taxes. “Test negative, get $100 of tourist dollars”

Ugh - while I understand the concern, I find this so inconvenient for me the vaccinated traveler that I’d prefer to save the $10k travel costs and just not bother anybody. Others can have my seats and lodging.

agreed - hope your client can agree with your logic; this is the time that I would pay for the client to meet me elsewhere if they didn’t want the online meeting.

yep and I’m also booking with United because a HA travel credit really won’t help me. I’m not in the mood to fly 5 hours in luxury and then spend hours in queue with fellow impatient travelers. I’m genuinely fearing a future of buying tickets and canceling due to unexpected rules.

scottinaz

For people who have not booked vacations in Maui they can save the $10 and not go as you say. But for those of us who have booked travel to Maui with the expectation of just the 72 hour pre-departure test this is a bigger deal. If I could get a refund on my vacation I would.

seawolf

Could you clarify bolded? I'm currently booked in J for June and booked 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A since it is a 1-2-1 configuration. Should I be booking 1A, 1D, 1H, 1L to minimize bolded from happening?

gaobest

agreed - it’s a huge deal esp if HA. With United I could fly to other states. We usually stay at grand wailea so hopefully that’s a Hilton credit... this new rule is just super unfun. Why bother with the 72-hour test if we still need this test? Tbh I didn’t see this arrival test coming. I thought the vaccination would allow one to more easily travel with less needs for tests.

gl gl with your thoughts and the vacation dilemma. I love vacation and prefer low stress vacations.

seawolf

Not just fully-vaccinated. What about kids? Spouse and I are vaccinated but kids will not be. A risk of being being quarantined after flying >11 hours from East Coast despite negative tests prior to departure will certainly make me rethink our plans.