Governor Ige’s pre-flight test mandate dangerous
Governor Ige’s pre-flight test mandate dangerous
Brilliant-as-the-sun Mayor Kawakami wants a post-travel COVID-19 test because he knows all tourists will want to come to Kaua‘i, where it is safest from COVID-19 and thereby boost Kauai’s economy. The American and Hawai‘i governments are blocking Kawakami from enforcing a cost-effective, second COVID-19 test.
They are offering foolish plans like requiring a COVID-19 vaccine before travel. Why foolish? Although the vaccine can protect that vaccinated person, nevertheless that person can still pick up and spread the COVID-19 virus, even more dangerously because they may never have any COVID-19 symptoms. Thus, without a post-flight COVID-19 test as Mayor Kawakami wants, the vaccinated person could carry and spread the COVID-19 virus, maybe for months? No one knows for sure yet.
If the leaders of America and Hawai‘i could escape from promoting such dangerous strategies, they could make America have the lowest-possible COVID-19 spread rates, like so many nations with unsurpassed brilliant lady presidents and lady prime ministers, like New Zealand, with the lowest COVID-19 spread rates. America is a COVID-19 super-spreader. President Biden and Governor Ige should call Mayor Kawakami and Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, for advice.
Will Davis, Lihu‘e
No one is blocking Kauai from requiring a second negative test upon arrival. The State has simply said the County has to pay for it. Big difference.
Last i checked we are in the United States of America and not a sparsely populated island nation. By being a citizen of the United States you are given inalienable rights. The right to move freely whether you like it or not is guaranteed. If you want to be number one in living in fear that’s up to you. Not for you to decide for the rest of us. The government is not here for our best interests, sorry if you believe that. It’s a huge machine that requires tax dollars, federal grants and funding. You know who pays the most in taxes…tourists. Unless you want to start kicking in 30% tax on your lodging, income, etc. I suggest you start embracing personal freedoms or kick rocks.
I agree with Will Davis. We need a second test.
We went through all this at the beginning with a foolish plan for tourists to come back and take a couple of hours off their earned privileged vacation for a post arrival test and they, vacationers, wouldn’t do it.
It is all so confusing but I made a trip into town and saw someone do a U turn right in front of me, someone trying to pick up a to go order from jack in the box and not understanding the worker and I had to fight my way out the exit at Walmart as 4 tourist were trying to come in.
They’re BAAAACK!
Wow what a sensational story. You should work for cnn since you’re clearly spreading propaganda opinion with no evidence to back up your claim. SMH.
There are just as many full-time Kauai residents who drive carelessly, text while driving (witness it every day I drive a few miles on Kuhio Highway), do not use blinkers, do not stop at a stop sign, etc. There is a loophole with the quarantine option for Kauai. There were numerous COVID cases on Kauai over the past year where a local Kauai resident had traveled either inter island or to the mainland, brought back COVID and quarantined in their home with family members who had not traveled; subsequently the family members were out and about in the community-working, running errands, etc. Doesn’t make any sense. What is the point of one member of family who has traveled outside of Kauai quarantining if none of the same members of the household quarantine? Both Jake and Moba have presented accurate information.
USA has always had public health rules ( mandated isolation, mask use and more) in place for disease management- ( tuberculosis, measles and others)- unfortunately covid disease management needed massive rules for the best protection of our citizens!!!!!
No it doesn’t. And no we don’t. The least deadly pandemic in the history of the world doesn’t need to restrict our freedoms and. Rights. Sorry
How do you figure that it is the least deadly pandemic in history? Where did you get your info? 560,000 people have died in case you need a correct number.
Dude the Spanish flu killed 675,000 in the US and 50 million world wide. And that was when our population was much lower 1918. That’s a super high percentage.
moby is correct— persons with certain communicable diseases have specific rules in place to protect the public- check out HRS
They’ve included everyone in this pre and post arrival test for COVID-19. The arrivals have not been there for Kauai. And since April 2020. Tourism is a big part of Kauai. Unless this picks up, a lot of unemployed people and money not circulating the economy. High interest rate, and lots of loans unpaid. This is including government being in the deficit mark. A lot of people out of work. Only the few rich ones will rise above this. They’ll remain with their yacht. While others struggle with poverty. Including your local government. So, I suggest you find another job if you’re a tourist related job. Do something else.
To Will Davis …
We finally returned to our 2nd home on Kauai, a year after being told by the mayor our rights as taxpayers and property owners didn’t matter. We’ve been vaccinated, we’ve taken multiple tests, and jumped through every obstacle placed before us. It has been lovely to return, but the last year has revealed the true nature of Kauai (at least according to the many anti-everybody who post on social media) and we are … reluctantly … giving it up. We will invest elsewhere where we are wanted and welcomed. Keep living scared Mr. Davis, the rest of us will continue with our lives.
Whatever. One of the problems on Kauai is the large set of investors like Steve here whose only commitment to the community is their 2nd home investment. Most avoid paying income tax here altogether as part time residents. Property values are up, so now they’re selling.
Mr. Skeptical,
You need to educate yourself before writing and showing how uneducated r you are. I own a home on Kauai. I pay 3 times the property tax rate you do if you own a home there. I pay 15% tax to the state on every guests that comes there. I hire local help and create jobs. My guests easily spend 3 times more in a week than you do. The state takes my property taxes and pays your teachers salaries with it. Last time I checked no guest ever sent their kids yo school there. You bash tourists but you forget the county shut down Poli Hale st. Park because of the damage that was done there. NEWSFlASH for you sparky, it had nothing to do with tourists! How many monk seals have washed up on shore while no tourists were there?
Hawaii is the land of corruption and hypocrisy! Google the most corrupt state in the US. Uh huh!!!!!
Great well written response.
While you all continue to criticize tourism please remember, those individuals spend 3 times the money in a week than you do. They spend it in restaurants, farmers markets, on tours, rental cars, grocery stores, trinket and shirt shops, bicycle rentals, surfing lessons, boogie boards, shave ice, all the things most of you chooses to do for work so you can support yourself and your family because you chose to work in the tourism business. Don’t blame the tourists if you are uncomfortable with them visiting, blame your governors senators and legislators because they are the ones that created the “easy money of tourism” program. I do think all tourists should be more considerate to Hawaii in general but the ALOHA PLEDGE is just as much for locals as it is for tourists. Also, stop charging “tourists only” to go to State Parks. Everywhere else on the mainland EVERYONE pays for entry to parks if there is a fee. Charging tourists only? Talk about discrimination! Maybe Las Vegas should charge only locals extra on car rentals and services like you think is right to do in Hawaii? C-MON!
As far as off island home owners, they hire local people and create jobs. Are charged 3 times the property tax you are if you own a home and they are charged 15% of every penny they make in rentals that is paid to the state.
For a state that depends on tourism, if you keep raising the prices vacationers will find somewhere else to go. Then, who’s gonna pay to keep your parks up, pay your government so it can operate while not raising YOUR property taxes, or where you gonna work? Your politically created economy and the state will crash! and that’s a fact!!
You forgot the most openly racist State in the Union. Agree on all other points. The County’s General Fund, each year, is probably funded by 50% from off island homeowners paying 2 and 3 times the Homestead Rate.
Florida will probably welcome you with open arms. Kauai is not for everyone.
Have you been told…..?
ALOHA!!!!!!!! you won’t be missed trust me…
Science Brief: Background Rationale and Evidence for …
Apr 2, 2021 — The risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus. Vaccinated people could potentially still get COVID-19 and spread it to others.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html
So Will you were never vaccinated as a child for anything? No vaccination is 100% bulletproof.
You must not cover your mouth when you cough nor sneeze either when you have a cold….
Jake, I think you may be wrong. Dr Lee Evslin, MD, says in the Garden Island, Feb 5, 2021, regarding House Bill 1286:
“The current Safe Travels program only requires a single pretest for a traveler to avoid quarantine. It has been well proven that a single test will miss 30% to 40% of those who are infected and traveling. A single test does not pick up anyone in the early stages of the disease or people who may have caught it during their travels.
The bill and the Safe Travels program ignore the CDC’s travel recommendations, which include a pretest, a seven-day, self-quarantine, and a second test three to five days after arrival. The bill also forces mayors to ignore these recommendations…
We should not let down our guard at this junction. Kaua‘i was in the Safe Travels program for about seven weeks. During that time, we doubled the number of cases we had in the entire previous seven months.
Virtually all the new cases were travel-related. Kaua‘i opted out of the Safe Travels program and our numbers rapidly returned to less than one new case per day.”
https://www.thegardenisland.com/2021/02/05/opinion/evslin-a-really-bad-bill-for-hawaii
Travel related-yes of course! But what percentage were returning Kauai residents who just HAD TO travel during a pandemic? Either travel interisland or mainland?
Will-do your research better….
Willy, please review your 10th grade History notes……Hawaii is a State in the United States of America, since 1959.
Only people still receiving a paycheck, don’t have kids, are Trust Fund Babies, or on the Government dole, want to keep the only source of Hawaii income, aka Tourists, to stay away.
99.7% mortality rate, with a vaccine for COVID-19. Take a moment to check on the number of people that die each year in the USA due to the flu and pneumonia……and yet less than half the population gets any vaccine. Stop the madness!
Steve –
“We will invest elsewhere where we are wanted and welcomed.”
Throughout this entire pandemic homeowners could travel here, with some restrictions. Since you’re unable to appreciate that Kaua’i has been, and still is the safest place in America to be then yes…it’s absolutely time for you to hele on.
Florida was one of the first States to reopen, and the most liberal in terms of restrictions, however their cases are starting to surge again. Sounds like you’d be happier investing there. Aloha!
Dear commonsense you are also very brilliant. But inter island travelers can pick up Covid at the Hawaii airports where Mainland tourists are bringing it here. Governor Ige is not foolish to require Covid vaccines, bit Mayor Kawakami’s plan will intercept vaccinated asymptotic Covid spreaders at all Hawaii airports. This way all bright people from around the world will want to come to Hawaii because they know we don’t let in a asymptomatic Covid spreaders, only Covid clean travelers. Then Hawaii’s economy can flourish even while Mainland USA continues to have Covid spread. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern created virtually Covid free nation, even without vaccines, just using common sense, like Mayor Kawakami. My friend in Canada prefers not to get the Covid vaccine because of the well documented side effects. Thee are people in Hawaii who prefer not to get the vaccine but will gladly take the covid post travel test so they can travel inter island. I have taken my 2 Covid vaccines, but always wear my mask at work, in case I have picked up the Covid virus from our precious Divine Mainland guests who may be asymptotic Covid spreaders who were not intercepted at the Lihue Airport with a post travel Covid test.