Hawai‘i’s leaders need to figure out what their goal is: limit coronavirus numbers or line the pockets of Pfizer and Moderna executives.
Coronavirus has exploded in Hawai‘i. We have experienced a massive jump in case numbers since Aug. 14. This is obvious to all, but what is less obvious is the cause. The current trend in media is to blame the unvaccinated.
However, the unvaccinated have been here since the beginning. Prior to February, everyone in America was unvaccinated against COVID, and Hawai‘i still had hardly any coronavirus. Relative to the rest of America, we had by far the lowest case numbers, with the extra-restrictive island of Kaua‘i perhaps the safest place on earth.
So what is the real reason COVID spread to every corner of the islands? Answer: Gov. David Ige’s July 8 declaration that vaccinated people no longer needed to be tested for COVID before coming to Hawai‘i.
Vaccinated people began arriving without tests, and within a month we had skyrocketing cases.
So why did Ige allow vaccinated travelers to skip the test? Ostensibly, it was to encourage more tourism to Hawai‘i. However, this decision was also part of a nationwide (worldwide, even) effort to give perks, lollipops and cookies to people who lined up to take the vaccine.
Hawai‘i was a prize. The islands were handed out as a reward for good behavior. Now, local citizens pay the price.
The problem is, the makers of the COVID vaccines never pretended it was 100% effective in preventing infection. Preliminary data showed that the vaccines were about 95% effective at stopping infection, which is about as effective as birth control pills are for preventing pregnancy.
As we all know, birth control is not 100% effective. Well, neither is the vaccine.
As it turns out, the COVID vaccine’s effectiveness wanes with time. While it used to be as sure as the pill, now it’s only about as reliable as contraceptive foam. As someone with a wonderful, amazing, beloved child conceived despite foam, I can tell you — that’s not particularly effective.
This means that, every day, we have thousands of people coming off airplanes assuming there is “no way” they could be carrying COVID, but who are carrying COVID. They bring it here and infect our population.
Our population which, by the way, has almost no natural immunity to COVID.
The vaccines may be effective at preventing serious complications, and that is wonderful. But they are not effective at stopping the spread. We know this. Look at the data from Israel. Just about everyone there is vaccinated, and yet COVID is raging out of control.
Now, politicians in O‘ahu will require vaccine passports (or a ridiculously recent COVID test) to enter restaurants and businesses. More perks for the vaccinated!
Meanwhile, they can continue spreading COVID everywhere they go? This is madness.
Is the goal to reward vaccination or stop the spread?
If the goal is to stop the spread, then they should return to testing all people who arrive on the islands. If their goal is to allow the vaccinated liberties that are not allowed to the unvaccinated, I cannot support their actions.
Politicians should serve the people of Hawai‘i, not pharmaceutical companies. We were safest when people got tested to come here. Now? Our lives are being put at risk in order to sell the vaccine.
It’s time to stop. Yes, Hawai‘i needs tourism. But just about every country in the world now requires COVID testing to enter. Travelers are accustomed to getting tested before boarding a plane. There’s no reason to give gold stars and special privileges to the vaccinated. They could still be carrying COVID. Even Fauci says so.
So please, Hawai‘i, let’s stop blaming one another for our current predicament. Let’s deal with the root of the problem instead: untested travelers.
Test them. Then welcome them.
It’s best for all.
•••
Jennifer Cornforth is a resident of Kilauea.
Let me guess ….. Your not vaxed?
Yea, its tourists thats causing the spread of covid through community spread of the unvaccinated residents. ……
Its not residents, traveling to the mainland, bringing back covid, and not quarantining like they should. … Nope …. lets blame the vaccinated tourists.
No one said it was tourists, you just assumed. The writer said TRAVELERS. Locals travel too you know. —from a local, vaccinated nurse.
The writer didnt use the word tourists…… but this passage give her intentions away!
Hawai‘i was a prize. The islands were handed out as a reward for good behavior. Now, local citizens pay the price.
Thank you for the explanation. I agree. It’s obvious.
Jennifer, thanks for your excellent thoughts. Truth about Covid testing has slowly emerged! Thanks to recent announcements by the CDC and FDA, the current unlicensed test for Covid, being used under Emergency Use Authorization, will be retired at the end of this year [https://tinyurl.com/2kc7fnr]. Lets hope the new test provides useful and reliable information so we can all make better decisions to maintain the health of Kauai!
How many of our Covid patients in Hawaiian hospitals are unvaccinated? 95% or more? That’s the real issue. Get vaccinated. If there are breakthrough cases that are just like a cold, who cares? Why should we sacrifice our economy just because some people refuse to get vaccinated? I’m over caring whether I give Covid to someone who is not vaccinated other than someone who can’t get it like small children and those with health issues that make them not eligible. I’m tired of restrictions. If everyone who could get vaccinated does so, we will be done with this thing a lot sooner.
“Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Josh Green said there are now 414 people hospitalized with COVID statewide. Of those hospitalized, 348 are unvaccinated. The others are either partially or fully vaccinated. ”
That means 66 partially or fully vaccinated people were in hospitals on that day. Does not look like 95% to me, but I’m not a math major.
Great article Jennifer, please submit it to Civil Beat!
Huge difference between partially and fully vaccinated by the way. Yes, some breakthrough cases are in the hospital that are FULLY vaccinated but very few, around 5%. We would not be having a hospital crisis and talk about shutting down again if it weren’t for these people who refuse to get vaccinated then get Covid and need hospitalization.
Very true letter. It was the opening of tourism without mandatory testing/quarantine that put us where we are.
It’s about time someone pointed out that the vaccinated are spreading the virus. The media and politicians avoid this topic to continue to encourage people to take a vaccine that studies now indicate is only 29% effective.
The flaw in this article is calling for more tests. Face it people ! Covid is here to stay. The vaccine doesn’t work good enough to end Covid. We need to get back to life as normal and ride this out. We can’t live in hiding and nothing has worked. We only have delayed the inevitable. Open everything. End all restrictions and mask. Stop this vaccine non sense because it has only increased spread of the virus and doesn’t protect people well.
Our cases skyrocketed as soon as the con-man and streetwalker Ige decided to stop all inter-island testing. I believe Kauai’s consistently low numbers were making Oahu look bad and this was intentional. Every day, we are importing the virus, unchecked, from three other islands, in addition to a percentage of vaccinated, infected, and untested tourists.
Our leaders are impotent, Kawakami included. Only the opinions of major donors, namely the pharmaceutical and tourist industries, matter.
Our leaders must, at minimum, bring back Inter-Island testing now… but they won’t until the death counts FORCE them to. It is a shame that there is no recall mechanism in Hawaii for corrupt politicians. Our lives and health are secondary to the profits of the business class, and it couldn’t be more obvious. Ige and Green are directly responsible for the deaths of numerous Hawaii residents through their horrific inaction and dismantling of protective measures.
Just remember, wanna be governor Green wanted to stop all the testing earlier than Ige did, and made the comment that keeping kids under 12 who are not vaccinated safe from Covid would be the problem of their parents, not his or the state’s problem in his rush to cater to the tourist industry. Remember that and VOTE!!!
Jennifer – I have no problem being tested even though I’m fully vaccinated. My wife and I were fully vaccinated and had to show a negative COVID test to visit St. John USVI in May. But to clarify, Israel is about 75% fully vaccinated, so “just about everyone there is vaccinated” is just not accurate. And even testing has it’s accuracy limits. Whether you believe in vaccines or not, the simple reality is the hospitals in Hawaii and throughout the US that have their ICU’s being overrun with COVID patients are reporting over 90% are unvaccinated patients. What does that tell you? Testing alone isn’t the answer.
Very well done article. They tell residents not to travel, only so that tourists can travel here??? Doesn’t even make sense. And what, they’ve twice caught fake very very obvious vaccine cards, one of which was reported to them and not even caught. Don’t tell me there is not thousands.They aren’t checking it against any data base like they said they would originally.
And now with the Delta variant vaccinated people are getting sick and just as contagious. Last week during a speech by a very unliked Green we got numbers that 15% of the hospitalizations were vaccinated people.
The least they could do is to start testing travelers that come back to Kauai. Maybe residents would be more open to trying harder and felt our government cared as much about us as they do the tourist.
Aloha
What a wonderful … “spot on” article.
You are 100% correct on this madness.
What is really interesting … no one seems to get the flu or the good old fashioned common cold.
Thought … I get a 72 pre-flight test … and it is negative. Then I go to a concert, the mall or an Obama party. Then I board the plane.
Boy that is really effective.
Mahalo
Actually, more viruses are coming in this year versus last because of increased travel. It isn’t just COVID making its rounds in the schools. Ask any doctor on Kauai.
Absolutely true comment on the pathetic testing program that we have, but it was better than nothing, which is what we have now!
Very well written! Couldn’t agree more. Thank you
Excellent article Jennifer. The politicians have created this problem, kowtowing to the tourist industry and the vaccine manufacturers to the detriment of the people they were elected to represent. We were protected to a much greater extent when everyone had to be tested prior to coming to Kauai. This gaping hole in the arrival screening is causing the problem and needs to be corrected immediately.
What have they been doing at the airports? All the time. Vaccination card is a must to travel. Inter or mainland .
I’m vaccinated an I’d say your comment makes the most sense. It’s the untested travelers that are bringing the virus in. Not only tourists but locals as well. The only way to decrease the intensity of the spread is to require a negative test for travel, plain and simple.
100 % agree. Suggestion: email all the politicians directly. Not that you can expect a response, as would be so appropriate since WE employ THEM, (I have emailed the Mayor 3 times with no reply), but at least they might start to realize that we are not fooled. Remind them Tourists don’t vote!!! Pre testing before entry to Hawaii is not too much to ask in light of the horrific numbers we are experiencing.
Today September 2 at 10:30am there is a meeting on Oahu to vote on resolution 21–194 possibly mandating a vaccine passport for that island. Committee for transportation, sustainability, and health. I strongly oppose this for many reasons. I personally am allergic to polyethylene glycol and polysorbates. Do we really want to create an apartheid situation in Hawaii? Please send your written testimony ASAP. https://www.honolulu.gov/ccl-testimony-form.html?view=form&chronoform=CCL-Testimony-Form&event=submit
Hawaii should mandate vaccines to save the hospital system from collapse.
Tourists aren’t clogging up the hospital. It is unvaccinated residents. So….Want a….
– drivers license, or library card, or access to restaurant, or access to grocery store; show your vaccine card.
If you don’t want to vaccinate; you don’t have to participate in this society.
The unvaccinated are dragging this pandemic on. They roll the dice everyday, and play chicken with death. Then when they lose….society bears the burden.
Benjamin Franklin once said;
“Those who would give up essential Liberty,
to purchase a little temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
You just defined the communist world.
I have finally determined that this publication is Kauai’s version of Fox News, OAN, New York Times, Qanon, etc. Allowing misinformation and ignorance to spread. Allowing those who take no community responsibility and make up things to justify it. I gotta unsubscribe at this point. I can’t look at another article and ignorant responses about COVID anymore. Good luck to those who buy into these lies from misinformed irresponsible people.
Nice theory Jennifer but what has really happened is that the Covid virus evolved and became stronger during the time we were shut down and the variations came into play – so yes of course we were safer without travelers coming in and out of the islands.
But right now vaccination is key and testing is very important as well as is staying home once you travel before you test to ensure that you are well.
It is all common sense. Most of the spread is coming from unvaccinated people who are residents because they are gathering – going to school, church, events, etc, etc. 95% of those in the hospital with Covid as unvaccinated as well. You just cannot dispute the numbers. If you want to keep Kaua’i safe it is high time to do the right thing vaccinate and behave responsibly to protect your island community.