KOLOA — Thursday marked Jose Balintona Jr.’s first day of freedom since he landed on the island two weeks ago. Sort of.
Balintona arrived in Lihu‘e on Mar. 26, the first day of the state’s 14-day mandatory self-quarantine in effect to mitigate the spread of the respiratory-targeting coronavirus.
State and local stay-at-home mandates remain in effect, limiting travel around the island, so Balintona can’t get the haircut he would like or pick up some seeds from a friend for his garden.
He had been traveling for health and work, and to visit family. His original plan to come back home had him flying from Anchorage to Portland to Lihu‘e, but that flight was canceled. So he flew from Anchorage to Seattle, then to Lihu‘e.
On the plane, he declared he was a resident coming back to his home of over a decade. Over the last two weeks, he had expected there would be some oversight to make sure he wasn’t leaving his lodging, but there was none. Not even a call.
He hadn’t left his property since he got back, and spent time quarantined by himself away from his wife. Luckily, he said, they have a niece who works in the pharmacy at Safeway who brings them groceries and runs errands.
During his two-week quarantine, Balintona, 75, has kept a routine. He wakes up daily around 6:30 a.m., reads National Geographic and some local news, then harvests produce and tends to his garden, all before breakfast. He misses watching sports on television, but gets by with some internet use.
“If it was not times like this, I’d be watching golf,” he said.
Balintona left the island last month for Pheonix to attend a doctor’s appointment. The day he left, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order that detailed what is considered essential services, one of the first stages of the state’s own orders to stop the spread of COVID-19. Then, when Balintona was leaving Alaska, the state announced its own self-quarantine orders.
“I’m not alone,” he said. “It’s necessary for the common good of the country and the world.”
On the first day of the state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine, 1,589 passengers arrived into Hawai‘i. Only 18 of those flew into Lihu‘e, 10 residents and eight crew members.
Between April 1 and April 8, an average of about 619 people have flown into the state, about 22 coming to Kaua‘i. All of these residents and visitors, and those who come in through the end of the month, have been subject to the same self-quarantine as Balintona.
Thursday, like most days, Balintona woke up early. He tended to his garden and prepared pork belly intended for dinner. He has a new issue of National Geographic that he’s ready to read, and intended to make some calls to friends and family. He’s content with how he’s kept busy thus far.
“I wonder when this is going to end,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get used to this.”
Balintona has a list of errands. He’s ready to go to the bank and pick up some supplies at The Home Depot. Other items on his list he’s deemed aren’t essential, so he’ll wait until stay-at-home orders are lifted.
“I can tough it out,” he said. “I keep busy. That’s the philosophy for a long life.”
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
Poor man just wasted 2 weeks of his life.
are the homeless on Kauai and full time “campers”, being required to shelter in place ….on lock-down somewhere ?
or just roaming around ?
if not, this is also a danger of spreading;
In the last few days I have had to go to the Lihue Post office to send out packages&yes they are roaming freely about the Lihue /Rice Street area from what I saw! Also they squat in the Kukui Grove area by Longs & the UPS store.I mentioned to a security guard that a man talking to himself was trying to open car doors &that he had wandered into the back area of the mall by the bathrooms. My advice is that if you need to go to either of these stores to lock your cars doors even if it’s only for a short trip inside!