LIHU‘E — Mayor Derek Kawakami participated in a five-person-panel, Zoom discussion Tuesday, “Restarting Hawai‘i’s Tourism Industry.”
The panel also included John De Fries, CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority; Sherry Menor-McNamara, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i; Pono Shim, president of the O‘ahu Economic Development Board; and state Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Technology Committee.
During the segment, the panelists were asked to forecast the future of Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i tourism.
The tourism industry is down considerably from the 2019 fiscal year.
HTA statistics show a total of 22,344 visitors traveled to Hawai‘i by air in August 2020 compared to 926,417 visitors during the same month in 2019.
Menor-McNamara doesn’t anticipate a sizable increase when the 14-day, mandatory quarantine is lifted in mid-October.
“We aren’t going to see a surge of visitors coming to Hawai‘i, which is going back to personal responsibility and that everyone does their part if there is a surge,” Menor-McNamara said. “I am sure that will prevent and change the minds of many of the visitors who put an emphasis on health and safety. That is what it will take to become a safe place to visit.”
Menor-McNamara said she felt Hawai‘i is in a state of transition and will have to focus on creating other industries so the state isn’t as dependent on tourism to sustain a sturdy economy.
“We are a crossroads, and this is a defining moment for Hawai‘i visitors,” Menor-McNamara said. “This highlights the need to look at other industries and focus on economic diversification.”
Kawakami focused on Kaua‘i, and promoting the island to a specific market because of the emphasis on safety as Hawai‘i moves closer to re-opening to mainland travelers.
“We can’t compete with islands like Maui or O‘ahu as far as volume,” Kawakami said. “For visitors, they want to come to a place where they are safe and healthy, and these measures of inconvenience (to travelers) are only temporary.”
Kawakami said Kaua‘i aims to market itself towards a demographic of wealthy visitors. “We don’t want to be a budget destination,” Kawakami said. “We want to offer that premium experience to people who can co-exist with our way of life.”
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Jason Blasco, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or jblasco@thegardenisland.com.
I completely agree with Menor-McNamara, Hawaii as a whole cannot and should not rely on tourism alone to keep it afloat, that is not a sustainable way to operate. I don’t agree with Mayor Kawakami’s viewpoint, I don’t believe Kauai is a place to “market” to anyone, he speaks of offering a “premium experience” like this is a spa, Kauai is about family and unity not luxury. Not having tourism these past few months, though it has been a huge upset on the economy, has been so refreshing, residents can actually enjoy the place we call home, there isn’t terrible traffic, we can go places and finally find parking instead of giving up and going home, it stopped feeling like Disneyland. The islands have been catering to tourists for so long, it’s time to start focusing on the residents and making our home a home instead of just a vacation destination
What? There is still plenty traffic and no parking. Walmart is always packed, Safeway, too. Still traffic coming down Wailua Homesteads, and stuck at the light on Kapule Rd by the airport to turn left going to Kapaa.
“We don’t want to be a budget destination,” Kawakami said. “We want to offer that premium experience to people who can co-exist with our way of life.”
That statement is disgusting.
Have you ever heard of Quality vs Quantity? Everyone is always complaining about having too many tourist even though our economy basically runs on tourism. This is just one way to cut back on the traffic, crowds, and living spaces that could be used for local families. Not everything is class warfare.
But this IS. He said it right there in black and white.
King Kawakami only likes to mingle with the rich. All you poor people are not welcome here. Dividing people one label at a time, gross.
Most of us common people of Kauai can’t afford to go on vacation, even when the economy is going well. We LIVE here, day in, day out and, especially now no one has extra funds to go anywhere. Precautions taken to protect our island residents is simply a great idea. Thank you Mr. Kawakami and local government officials for putting the safety of our residents first. Its very clear we do not have the hospital beds or resources to accommodate any kind of large surge of hospitalized cases of COVID-19. The facts are the facts. If there is a surge, we will lose lives. All nations are working feverishly to finalize a vaccine. We need to put energy toward helping the State and Federal Government to come to an agreement on a stimulus package to support the economy until we can get this vaccine administered to the general public. This is a very complex phase in the timeline of humanity where working together is more important than ever before. Lockdown your spending, live with only the essentials, and take this seriously. We are not out of the woods yet.
WOW, way to stick it to the average tourist. It really must be nice to be RICH and be wanted. I will have to reconsider visiting Kauai again. My money apparently isn’t good enough for you.
I’m glad you’ve grown accustomed to having whatever you want, whenever you want it. The sad truth of our reality is that Kauai is a relatively small island that simply cannot survive an onslaught of thoughtless masses.
Well then, Mr. Mayor, you better open up vacation rentals outside of resort areas because the weathy do not want to stay at any of our mediocre hotel properties.
Have you seen some of those illegal vacation rentals? I really don’t think the uber wealthy care to make their own breakfasts, either.
Wealthy visitors are happy to pay for services. That’s what they do all the time.
Wealthy visitors want to rent cars and come and go as they please.
Wealthy visitors do not want to ride a bus or shuttle.
Got it?
If there was a limit on volume, there wouldn’t be a need for shuttles and buses like there was a year ago.
Pick your poison. Got it?
Actually the super rich want to be driven. How about the county establishes a fleet of luxury cars to be driven by local drivers? Voila! Less rental cars on the island and more jobs for locals.
Just to be clear, I like the idea of wealthy tourists. Tax and fee them in every way possible. But, we need to provide the experience. We need to use that tourist tax money to catch up on the islands infrastructure. We need to give them a place to park. Our beaches are vast and never crowded. It’s the parking that frustrates all of us.
whose “way of life,” exactly? if my way of life includes a business that provides an opportunity for visitors to experience Kauai at a discount, am i included?
or is this another elitist “i was here first” exclusion of some and favoring of others?
“OUR” is a collective term.
So, the rest of Kauai must confirm to whatever business model you personally chose? I see. Elitist, indeed!
Our island leaders have no understanding of business. Aim towards wealthier visitors ? Are they going to support our local businesses? They will stay in their 5 star hotels and not spread the wealth where it’s needed. Kawakami would be happy to keep tourists out for good so we all starve, meanwhile he is sitting on a fortune. Who do you think will benefit from continued economic downfall? The wealthiest family’s on island will buy up all your businesses and homes , then turn around and sell them to the highest bidder.
So you want to open up immediately for all or nothing at all? perhaps the tiered, staged opening process is too much to fathom?
Dear Mayor, we’ve made it this far due to your good decisions. To keep COVID at bay, please require a follow up test upon arrival. That is what works. It’s possible to do rapid testing here – make it happen and keep Kauai safe. If the University of Illinois can do 345,000 tests for its campus, we can do 25,000 for the tourists.
You must be a Biden supporter. To naive to see the big picture get off my island with your liberal view point. MAGA
Share the aloha! Whose island is it, again?
Come on, TGI, filter out such drivel!
You must be a tRump supporter, one of a very few here on Kauai. Too myopic to see the big picture. Why don’t YOU get off MY island with your tRump viewpoint?
Your unsafe negative view of a follow up Covid test probably goes hand-in-hand with your reluctance to mask up and socially distance. NOT a good neighbor…
“only wealthy visitors who can coexist with our way of life”???
Please explain who “our” is?????
The Hawai’ian Kingdom is A Nuetral Country presently occupied by the billegerant USA. We as protected persons UNDER THE GENEVA CONVENTION demand equinimity and observance of our rights to decide who can reside in our Country per US and Hawai’i Constitutions dictating The Rules of Law. The Mayor is a fraud.
The Rules of War are the law at present and NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
HAWAI’IANKINGDOM.ORG
HAWAI’IAN ? That word cracks me up… thanks for the laugh 😆😂🤣
Did you know, or do you care… Hawaiian Language in its written form, is Not Hawaiian? It’s Hapa-Haole 😳
Lmao, because we didn’t know how to write before that 🤣🤣🤣 there were only petroglyph symbols.
Kauai, the destination of the elite? Does that sound like Kauai?
Kawakami is completely out of touch with our Ohana.
Agree. For me, returning to Kauai is to visit my family and to visit all the local establishments that I can. Don’t make it so far out of reach that we can’t visit.
So, how many visitors do you think is safe? 100 a day? 1,000,000? Do you think the island can handle some unmitigated volume of tourists, or do you want to protect the aina?
Since when is Kauai a budget destination? Mayor has lost touch with reality, with his citizens, and his economy. People who save for years and come here as a “budget destination” (if there was such a thing) would have more in common with the people of Kauai and would probably “co-exist” better with us than the rich pigs who disrespect us and disrespect our island.
Our trust fund mayor should try living on a budget of someone on unemployment or someone living on donations from food lines. Then maybe he could understand our stress and maybe then can better “co-exist” with his citizens.
Only upscale tourists wanted? The ones with fancy luggage and “wardrobes”?
We are middle-class visitors. We save our hard earned cash to visit. Then we buy, and ship home, at least 15 boxes ( per trip), of local goods to give as gifts for our family. We may wear aloha shirts from ABC, and slippers from Longs, but so what?
If the mayor does not want our kind, after so many trips with and without family, then fine. So much for aloha.
If you are shipping “at least” 15 boxes off the island every trip, congratulations, you are not middle-class.
Either you are misrepresenting who you are and what you do, or you are so out of touch with reality that you probably don’t know what aloha is. So much, indeed.
hahahaha, wealthy folks do not fly on southwest…..and they for sure are not going to wear resort bubble bracelets……
Ah yes, the voice of authority. Thank you for that valuable input.
I bunch of rich people pandering to other rich people – all on the backs of the impoverished masses who serve them.
WAKE UP KAUAI! Tell Kawakami that you REFUSE to risk your life and health just so a few millionaire hotel CEOs can increase their bottom line.
What kind of statement is that aim the market toward the wealthy . There’s all kind of people steming from all lifestyles . Talk about profiling . I hope your. Plan takes a bite out of your ass. Then your next step is to do to who lives here .you want to make this california west go ahead the west coast already ruined the island. For over 44 years I came back to kauai every year because of the people there was a Hawaiian loved a feeling u don’t get anywhere else. In the past few years that feeling is gone . It’s like being on the main land. Alotof localsive come to know are gone .i hope the mayor gets his way in the next five years there probably high rises on the beach also .
Nobody else has any money to spend. Yacht to rent out. Vocational rentals to stay in. Cars to rent. And buy a big screen TV for the 6 months they’re staying. You’re looking at poor people for the rest of the population.
If the mayor is of the mind to allow Kaua’i island a rejuvenation from mass tourism, sustainable water, atmosphere, transportation and energy – then he may have a good plan.
We are approaching an end to global commerce on the scale which destroyed many environments. It is proactive to plan sustainability now and capitalize on a paying segment of visitors who value Aloha, natural lifestyle and bountiful nature, all of which are in desperate need of redux.
To return to the Garden Island of agriculture and natural lifestyle is a dream come true, and one of very few places on earth where that dream may come true.
Limiting tourism yet promoting the visitor experience in sustainable low-impact and slow paced living is exactly what this island community needs.
When you live in the real possibility of a natural sustainable abundance of nature, you don’t need every tourist in the world.
You just need the few of those who will visit in respect and to enjoy the rare community of Aloha.
If we take care of ourselves here with roads fixed, traffic manageable, young people able to purchase a home and sustainable businesses flourishing the world will beat a path to our door. If we are together on this and have such an environment we will be able to say no to over tourism, welcome those that do come and go about our lives with envious visitors in our midst instead of chasing the almighty tourist dollar. Now is the time, while we are forced to look around to see our beautiful island for what it is and can be, to make some changes.
PEOPLE Pay TOLLS upon entering Kauai County when leaving the Harbor or Airport.
Non Resident fees:
Charge $2000 for a couple/family of 2-4, $2500 for 5, $3000 for 6 etc.
Private Plane/Charter: (you want to be special and burn obscene amounts of jetfuel to come to Kauai, OK $250K annual pass for flying in and out on your jet. $10K to $100K for a round trip if you are just visiting.
Small Private jet under 10 passengers $20K round trip
10-20 $40K
Over 20 $100K.
Non Resident Travellers who don’t have accommodations (Hotel Reservation etc) and are either homeless or plan to camp in parks pay $2000 per person or are returned on a plane to Oahu Directly.
If you are a non resident and staying at someones home as a guest the same charges for a person camping.
Those who don’t possess a Hawaii Drivers License but, own a second home here have to show papers with their name on the TMK (LLC, Trust, or Company owned property doesn’t qualify as these entities receive other special treatments) They can pay the fee or qualify as a Hawaii Resident like everyone who actually lives here and apply for a Hawaii license/State ID.
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO PAY FOR RESORT STAFF BY OVERSTAFFING AS WE MOVE TO HIGH END STATUS. LET THE RESORTS SORT OUT HOW THEY UP THEIR GAME.
OTHER LOW END PROPERTIES CAN BE CONVERTED INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOCALS.
Kauai Strong, “will we see your name on the mayoral ballot?”
Everything you suggested is right on the money!
Thanks Mango, no politician here, just a semi retired businessman. Mayor Kawakami will get it right, we just need to help him sort out the proper action! I sure hope he makes passengers take a rapid test as the get off the plane. We have a real opportunity to make Kauai even more special than it is already. Super High end resorts is the only way to support the economy in conjunction with a proper growth plan for properties that can’t go that way to transition into rentals or condo sales with county planning support! mahalo
How about a membership to visit Kaua’i. We can price it very high, around $10K/year to visit. Oh, and every resident must also pay. Comes with access to all golf courses.
I’m all for a self sustaining agricultural island but let’s be realistic this type of economy will take decades to build. People need jobs and money now. When all this government aid runs out you will all be begging for tourists . As much as no body likes tourism, it’s the only economy we have. Everything is closing , what’s left is being propped up with money that will run out. Covid is not the threat they made it out to be. It’s not deadly enough fir us to be living in a world where our basic freedoms are being taken away. This is political theatre and you’ve all fallen for it. Stop coming up with crackpot solutions and return the world and island back to normal, Not the new normal. There is nothing to fear except the politicians and leaders that continue to perpetuate this scam. GIVE US BACK OUR BUSINESSES OPEN TRAVEL RETURN LIFE TO NORMAL , STOP LIVING IN FEAR ! ALL OUR ANCESTORS ARE ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES AT THE COWARDICE OF FOOLISHNESS OF THIS GENERATION
GIVE BACK OUR FREEDOM!!!
This guy Kawakami is trying to play class warfare, he knows by doing this he will be part of the elite that won’t have to worry about feeding or raising their families, he wants it exclusive, he was raised that way. How many locals will lose their jobs because more than half the hotels and restaurants will be out of business because the volume travelers won’t be there. The uppity rich will only stay in expensive vacation rentals, they won’t patronize most of the local restaurants, there won’t be enough of them to do so anyway, their meals will be catered they’ll only eat at fine restaurants. The mayor’s elite attitude is not thinking about the average kamaaina!
Kauai Strong ; your proposal isn’t only unrealistic, it would literally bring tourism to a halt putting this island into complete poverty. No where in the world charges such absurd fees to enter. So now only ultra wealthy can visit Hawaii? That’s fair or even economical? Where do you think all the free money comes from? The government, that’s where. Stop the flow of money, stop the flow of taxes. No tax money , no handouts. No more government aid. Hungry people . Your crackpot idea though isn’t much worse then the mayors. Simple solution, open everything and let people take care of themselves. Some will die no matter what we do, there’s no stopping this not so deadly virus and we can’t just hide and close off to the world. When the fed money stops people are gonna be killing each other for food and money. Considering the islands obesity rate we haven’t hit that point yet. But if we continue down this path of closure we won’t have anything left . Who do you think will buy this island up when we all have not a penny left? You guessed it, mainlanders. We might as well change the name of the island to New California to appease our future rulers. Open up business, open up the island before we lose everything. It’s going to be a long road to recovery. Wake up people!!!
Make the entire island a County Park, everything that isn’t State Land. Either Charge a Park Fee or toll for road use based on overview I provided above!
Simply limit the number of flights into Kauai. Say back to the 2005 level. Does the Mayor get kickbacks from the hotels that the “wealthy” stay at? I like the guy but what a brain dead comment on his part.
The numbers for arrivals on United airlines, Delta furloughs, and Hawaiian Airline furloughs, along with 2020 HTA arrivals into Hawai’i as compared to 2019, looks really dismal. This mayor has nothing to do with the economy. I don’t know why you’re putting this off on him.
Interesting thing to do: stick your neck out with this kind of statement when you have zero chance of making this happen. You’d need to control the uncontrollable, how is he going to make sure that a mainland owner of a vacation rental condominium or home is charging “elite status” pricing on VRBO and Airbnb to keep the non desirables out? Legally you can’t do that.
And with pre-testing COVID-19 arrivals along with a 14 day quarantine mandatory for those who tested positive, no tourist would consider Kauai as a vacation spot. It’s harder for tourist to get to Kauai. This does not make it better for the so called UH football team on which the media is hyping out. From August to September, in one month period or so, the death count of COVID-19 for Hawai’i has nearly doubled. From 55 deaths to 133 deaths. 2.41 times the amount in nearly over a month. No tourist will be coming to Hawai’i with the COVID-19 death toll. 133. This is a lot.
In 1970, my first trip to the islands, I was introduced to local Hawaiians and decided, that I would never move there and be a part of destroying their “lands”. I wanted to move there and still do, but to fast forward and see how the islands have over grown, is very sad. BUT, today, in my 70’s. I can not afford to visit and pay exorbitant prices. It is very very sad to me that I have done my part through the years, but to continue enjoying Hawaii should be a no brainer for me for my sacrifice. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISCONTINUE MY VISITS BECAUSE IT WILL BE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I CAN EVER AFFORD TO VISIT. Age equality is just as important as all the other movements today. I just want to visit, and soak up the beautiful views. It should cost so much to do this in my golden olden years. A very sad post today .
TOURIST TOLL BOOTH…….CHARGE TOURISTS $1,000 to $2,000 PER PERSON (based on staying at resort, friends home or camping) TO USE THE ROADS UPON LEAVING THE AIRPORT!
Mayor Kawakami has been given an impossible task that no one would or should have to face. The decisions he is making benefit Kauai’s less fortunate not the rich, so be it as they are in great need. We also need to eliminate homeless from moving here. Do you know how many new homeless are moving to Kauai right now? Do you know how many locals are going to become Homeless over the next year? The numbers are and will be staggering. Moving to Mainland may not even be a feasible solution as its cold there and the prospects of employment are dismal there as well.
Kauai County needs to do whatever it takes to generate revenue, ESPECIALLY from THE WEALTHY who don’t reside on Kauai. GO BIG, ON RAISING OUT OF STATE HOMEOWNER Taxes (IT IS AN EMERGENCY CREATE THE REQUIRED LAW/RULES)
Kauai FarmMan,Right now mainland is paying cash for properties all over Kauai, sight unseen, wiring funds. Only doctors, lawyers, inheritors, trust funders, business owners can afford to bring a family to Kauai pre covid19, they will happily pay an extra $2,000 to $4,000 to visit this, what could be, a covid free national park. I predict half or more of the people who get Covid19 will die within 5 years from a blood clot, little know fact, well after they get it. This virus is only going to get stronger, there will not be a vaccine that works.
I lived in CO and MT for 20 years, nuts the number of private jets that started showing up. GET THE MONEY! people have it and its a small price to pay for a covid19 free vacation. USE THE FUNDS TO PAY LOCALS, helping resorts subsidize payroll.
GET EVERY DOLLAR THEY ARE WILLING TO GIVE, THEY ARE WILLING AND ABLE. BECAUSE OF INFLATION/WAGE STAGNATION KAUAI (THE WORLD) IS IN A REALLY difficult position.
NOTICE I DIDN’t SAY CHARGE A FAMILY OF $10,000. HAVE YOU HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF GOING TO DISNEY LAND\World lately. HOLY RIDICULOUS……KAUAI IS A CHEAP TRIP COMPARED TO THAT DISGRACE.
20,000 Kauaians could loose their rentals/mortgaged home in the next two years. WE HAD BETTER FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THEM PAID AGAIN
WITH RESPECT, TRUST ME THE MONEY IS THE RE AND BUSINESS WILL BOOM BUT THE COUNTY HAS YO START CONVERTING PROPERTIES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING RENTALS NOW, not next year👍
KAWAKAMI NEEDS TO HAVE THE COUNTY PARTNER WITH A FEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS, oneS that builds really nice projects. FROM SCRATCH BUILDS OR CONVERSION.
KauaiStrong,I don’t believe you have a basic understanding of business or economics. Nothing about Kauai is high class , the type of wealthy person that has an extra $2000 to visit a destination isn’t coming here. There’s no upscale restaurants, no high end amenities , no high end shopping or services. It’s the common folk that come here that use all the same businesses us locals use. The common traveler is what keeps all the island businesses running. What about the families of residents that live here? What about residents that moved to the mainland for work, now that they reside in another state they have to pay an amount that most could never afford to to come home to see their family. This proposal is unrealistic and will never happen.
Business will not boom, Kauai is about blue collar as it gets. This place is not set up for the ultra wealthy . The stars that come here hide away on their compounds and bring their own staff with them.
Here’s the reality, open this island up now and end this political theatre . Locals are going bankrupt fast. The entire island will be owned my mainlanders in 10 years. Kauai or at least the people that make it up will be a blue color neighborhood somewhere outside of Reno.
Kauai Farm,
#1 SMARTEST THING MAYOR KAWAKAMI CAN DO IS MADATE A SECOND TEST UPON PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT. THE RAPID TESTS HAVE ACCURACY ISSUES BUT, THEY WILL HELP. THEY SHOULD MANDATE USE OF THE SAME TEST THAT CVS AND OTHERS GIVE AND REQUIRE QUARANTINE UNTIL CLEAR RESULTS ARE RECEIVED BY COUNTY OFFICIALS.
OUR ONLY HOPE IS TO KEEP KAUAI COVID19 free. OUR IGNORANT MD LT GOV JOSH GREEN STATED PEOPLE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO TEST UPON ARRIVING ON KAUAI. I had respect for him until he made this 100% completely ignorant statement.
THE CARE HOMES IN HILO THAT ARE HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MULTIGENERATIONAL HOMES WITH THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES. THESE FOLKS CIRCULATE IT AMONGST EACH OTHER AND THEN END UP UNKNOWINGLY INTRODUCING THE VIRUS AT WORK.
How many Kapuna do you have as family on Kauai? I ask because if between you and your wife still have 4, half of them will die along with a number of your friends if we proceed with your plan. You are going to see in coming years this virus will end up being a great deal more deadly than you can believe as its mutating (do push ups) with the many carriers who have had and will get it in the coming year. There will not be a vaccine. Think of people as big petri dishes walking around in public and spreading it as the person has no symptoms. The same person will die in a few years even though they had exhibited no symptoms due to later complications. (Blood clots in heart or brain)
Blue collar on Kauai is dead as the many commercial farms no longer exist. Kauai can’t compete with south american and Mexican farms.
The only hope for Kauai industry is going to be COVID19 tourism. These are the facts. THE ISLAND HAD BETTER EMBRACE IT OR WE ARE ALL IN BIG TROUBLE AS NO ONE WILL COME HER IF THE VIRUS STARTS CIRCULATING HERE ON KAUAI.
Kauai Farm,
#1 SMARTEST THING MAYOR KAWAKAMI CAN DO IS MADATE A SECOND TEST UPON PASSENGERS ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT. THE RAPID TESTS HAVE ACCURACY ISSUES BUT, THEY WILL HELP. THEY SHOULD MANDATE USE OF THE SAME TEST THAT CVS AND OTHERS GIVE AND REQUIRE QUARANTINE UNTIL CLEAR RESULTS ARE RECEIVED BY COUNTY OFFICIALS.
OUR ONLY HOPE IS TO KEEP KAUAI COVID19 free. OUR IGNORANT MD LT GOV JOSH GREEN STATED PEOPLE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO TEST UPON ARRIVING ON KAUAI. I had respect for him until he made this 100% completely ignorant statement.
THE CARE HOMES IN HILO THAT ARE HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MULTIGENERATIONAL HOMES WITH THEIR ENTIRE FAMILIES. THESE FOLKS CIRCULATE IT AMONGST EACH OTHER AND THEN END UP UNKNOWINGLY INTRODUCING THE VIRUS AT WORK.
How many Kapuna do you have as family on Kauai? I ask because if between you and your wife still have 4, half of them will die along with a number of your friends if we proceed with your plan. You are going to see in coming years this virus will end up being a great deal more deadly than you can believe as its mutating (do push ups) with the many carriers who have had and will get it in the coming year. There will not be a vaccine. Think of people as big petri dishes walking around in public and spreading it as the person has no symptoms. The same person will die in a few years even though they had exhibited no symptoms due to later complications. (Blood clots in heart or brain)
Blue collar on Kauai is dead as the many commercial farms no longer exist. Kauai can’t compete with south american and Mexican farms.
The only hope for Kauai industry is going to be COVID19 tourism. These are the facts. THE ISLAND HAD BETTER EMBRACE IT OR WE ARE ALL IN BIG TROUBLE AS NO ONE WILL COME HER IF THE VIRUS STARTS CIRCULATING HERE ON KAUAI.