We stand with you, mayor
Dear Mayor Kawakami;
Thank you for requesting to opt out.
Please, this time, do not take “no” for an answer.
We are many who will ALL be behind you.
Phyllis Albert, Ph.D., Koloa
Please, visitors, wear masks, be mindful of those around you
To those who are coming to Kaua‘i:
Within the start of the coronavirus many schools had shut down and many of the schools sent the students home to begin distance learning. Over time the coronavirus began to die down on the island of Kaua‘i because of the many procedures we had gone through to keep our island safe.
By early October they began to allow tourists back onto the islands for many businesses to be up and running again. When that happened our cases spiked up and many things are being taken away again. For students, their face-to-face learning was taken away, and we don’t know if it will start up again after all these cases that just keep going up. For big families, the ability to go around each other and have get-togethers is limited.
According to, kauai.gov, “A 14-day mandatory quarantine will be required for all travelers arriving WITHOUT a confirmed negative COVID test approved by the Safe Travels Program.”
I believe allowing the tourists back wasn’t a bad idea, but the fact that many of them are staying and refusing to use masks and going around spreading the virus is what is not OK. Even though they had taken the test prior to coming, they could have very much caught it once again, or they could have had it and when they are supposed to take the test at the end of the 14-day quarantine again it could have come out positive.
The 14-day quarantine for those who haven’t already tested prior to going isn]t always the best or smartest option, and that’s what many don’t see. The virus is taking over again slowly by slowly. The Thanksgiving that we had this year was minimized to only so many people, and originally so many families get together to have a Thanksgiving dinner, but this year and all the cases that were taken away, and soon enough if it continues to go this way, our state will once again be on lockdown and our island will go back to having curfews and many, many rules among the island.
So to those who are traveling to Kaua‘i, I, along with the entire island, ask you to wear a mask and be mindful of the island and the others around you.
Sassaley Aviguetero. Makaweli
Tourists have not been responsible for any of the community spread.
Tourists don’t have family gatherings.
Residents are the real violators of the rules and common sense.
For the last 11 days we have averaged 2.7 new cases per day (Kauai website). Why are we not in Tier 3?
Why does our government not follow its own rules?
Thank you Mayor Kawakami for taking the right step.
Hey John, can you feed the workers that lost their jobs, please?
Mayor Kawakami has put a nail in the coffin of many small businesses, and a few large ones, that rely on our major financial engine, tourism. Is he prepared to take a cut in salary, along with all county workers, or to begin furloughing County workers? Is he prepared to forgo property tax payments from any and all who can show that their businesses are impacted by this radical shut down of Kauai’s economic driver? Is he prepared to do ANYTHING that will lessen the loss of our livelihoods? And is he prepared to assuage the sadness of all those who expected a visit from their mainland family members, but can no longer come without having to stay in quarantine?
Please everybody ask the Mayor these questions.
Let me guess Phyllis. You are retired, possibly medically compromised, and have a nice retirement package salted away. You do not have children living here who are being impacted by the lack of tourist dollars. You lack empathy for all the local people who have no stimulus check to look forward to and whose unemployment is running out.
Opting out suddenly, just before the busy holiday season and asking the tourists who wanted to come spend money and those who benefit from their largess, is a cop out to people like yourself. You can stay at home and lock yourself away like a hermit. Many of the rest of need to earn a living.
Let me guess, you live off unemployment, have plenty kids so you can get lots of benefits, and spend that money on your lifted yota. Then you come online and talk about earning a living. You probably buy into all the fake news and lying left media, yet like to come onto the forums and regurgitate fox talking points. You lack empathy for those that are impacted by coronavirus , because you believe it is made up by the government to control the population. etc etc
Local residents: Aloha also means goodbye.
Oh boy. No federal stimulus package coming. Unemployment funds about to dry up. Tourist dollars shut out, except for a few idiots foolish enough to buy 14 days at a “resort bubble”, which benefit only the owners of 5 resort properties, and the workers desperate enough to work there . A sudden decision with 3 days notice and no end date in sight, leaving thousands of Kauai bound holiday travelers scrambling to cancel bookings, change flight reservations, and a myriad of other issues. Kauai is about to go underwater financially. All the locals impacted by the lack of funds will be unable to pay their mortgages, rents, and property taxes. Good luck surviving Kauai. Maybe we will meet again in another life on another planet. Hopefully things will be better then.
Thanks for the comment. Kauai’s future is derelict historic towns, a proliferation of food trucks without restroom access and formerly-employed homeless. But the retirees will be joyful.
Sassaley,. I agree except some of our neighbors are also not wearing masks and social distancing.
I have seen un Covid safe behavior in restaurants and kids going to private parties where drinking and dancing are encouraged. Older folks, these are your kids, grandkids, next door neighbor helping you with the lawn or what have you. So it’s not just the visitors but the people who help visitors not wearing masks .
The behavior I have witnessed and heard about makes me very happy that we are taking measures of safety before it is too late
The federal government needs to step up and compensate those who are asked by society to quarantine for the greater good of all. It is only fair.
Hey Narc! Mind your own business dougless. You can’t force people to comply. Crawl back into your bunker to the 24/7 stream of cnn fear porn you love so much. It’s almost as if you enjoy the government telling you what to do and feel the need to narc out anyone going against our governments guidelines.
Is it fair to have the younger generation pay? This is going to happen.
I agree absolutely that visitors should wear masks. But so should we! A recent letter by a visitor mentioned their perplexity that they were expected to wear a mask while many Kauai residents were going massless, even though the virus is now spreading within the community. I can certainly see their point.
I agree absolutely that visitors should wear masks. But so should we! A recent letter by a visitor mentioned their perplexity that they were expected to wear a mask while many Kauai residents were going maskless, even though the virus is now spreading within the community. I can certainly see their point.
Yep.
As a small business owner here, I am definately NOT behind our Mayor’s decision for a 14-day quarantine. This decision will absolutely force more small businesses to close and put more people out of work. My business may not survive. If I have to close my business, will the Mayor (county) compensate me for my loss because of their choices? I have no say in their process, yet I, and many others, have to pay the price.
A sign of a strong, good leader is one that makes decisions and choices for the greater good of the majority, not for the minority (resort owners, county/state workers, people not involved in tourism, part-time residents and more). Our mayor is amongst the group that will not suffer any loss or pain due to the damage caused to the visitor industry. His asperations are much higher than being our Mayor.
I understand that COVID is a valid concern for many, but please understand that by essentially closing the island, more harm will be done than simply continuing the job of wearing masks, keeping social distancing and being considerate of others. The virus will continue to survive regardless of the quarantine.
Maybe the mayor has sold out.
Common sense, you’re exactly correct. The mayor lacks any empathy for small locally owned businesses. This rescinding of the virus waiver program will likely be the final mail in my wife’s business. Way to go Mr. Mayor. I believe that with the reduced revenue the county coffers are receiving that the Mayor and his office should mandatorily reduce their salaries, wages and other compensations by 80% just to level the field and perhaps become more responsive to the needs of the businesses on island.
Dr Albert, many agree with Mayor Kawakami standing firm for the health of our Kauai residents and getting the OK to opt out, thereby implementing the 14 day automatic quarantine, beginning Wednesday .
Along with those of us fully supporting him and this temporary measure will be those who do not, so it could not have been an easy decision for him. Sometimes it must be a thankless job.
Government does not have the solution for all of our problems…we the people do. Don’t take our individual freedom away, is the one most precious right we got…Life, liberty and property. Closing the island for business because of a virus with a 99.7 ‰ of survival rate… And with a vaccine of 94% effectiveness… Doesn’t make any sense… Open Kauai for business!… government… Give the power to the people!
I hv empathy for all trying to make the best judgements concerning COVID. I was surprised at the Mayor’s request to essentially cut tourists out. I may hv misunderstood, but what he said was that he wanted to keep Kauai at tier 4 especially to support athletics. Several things:
× When you first plan a system, you reevaluate it’s success. Right now he is only supporting one group. What about the small businesses including condo owners who are out in the cold because of financial implications? Perhaps, he might redesign the tier system so that it still protects, but also is a little more realistic.
X wearing of masks and keeping your virus circle small is important. Just because a person is part of your extended family does not mean they are negative for COVID
x Lt.Governor has come up with a screening system that should put your mind at ease. Let it be implemented. It is sound medically and doable. Visitors are screened within 84 hours of arrival and then rescreened at the airport. This would address the business issues and provide more indepth screening. Now just wear your mask. Thank you.
Carol Bagley, RN PhD
Aloha Kauai. We will not be back again. After forty years of visits we will go to a more friendly place. I feel sorry for the people being out of work. Maybe now they will vote for better leaders in the future.
Former frequent visitor…. the voting of elected officials on Kauai is nothing more than a “popularity contest”. It’s extremely rare that we elect anyone that really knows first hand how to run government. You wouldn’t believe what goes on when it comes to local government trying to make the right decisions. All we can look forward too now is plenty of division on what’s right and what’s wrong. Omg my friend…
Hopefully the Mayor has a plan B to save the local residents from financial devastation. Hopefully it’s soon.