- What part of “Hawaii is not safe for visitors” do tourists not understand when they are crowding Hawaii’s beaches with towels next to towels, making social distancing impossible?
- What part of “Hawaii is not safe for visitors” don’t they get when hour-long lines to restaurants are the norm?
- What part of “Hawaii is not safe visitors” is not understand when tourists are no longer welcome, hospitals are running at 125% capacity, and the famous Aloha Spirit has disappeared?
Tourism remains booming on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, and the Big Island of Hawaii, even though Hawaii Governor Ige, Lt. Governor Green, the head of the CDC, and John De Fries, CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, are pleading with visitors not to travel to the Aloha State at this time.
The clear message to both locals and visitors is “Essential travel only!”
The death rate today is the highest ever recorded in Hawaii during the COVID-19 crisis.
Coranavirus Cases in Hawaii
- On August 24, 2020, the State of Hawaii registered 169 new COVID-19 cases in one day, causing severe restrictions and lockdowns.
- On August 25, 2021, the State of Hawaii registered 625 new COVID-19 cases in one day. Only some minor restrictions and no lockdowns are in place.
COVID-19 Deaths in Hawaii
- On August 24, 2020, no one died in Hawaii of COVID-19. This was during the peak of the pandemic.
- On August 25, 2021, 8 people died of COVID-19 in Hawaii, the highest number ever recorded in one day since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Air Traffic Arrivals
- On August 23, 2019, 21,475 people arrived at Hawaii’s airports from US Domestic destinations.
- On August 23, 2020, the arrival number went down to 1,700. No one was vaccinated.
- On August 23, 2021, a record total of 23,548 travelers landed at Hawaii’s airports from the other 49 US states.
Counted are trans-Pacific domestic passengers from the rest of the United States arriving in Honolulu, Kahului, Lihue, Hilo, and Kona.
Vaccination
- In August 2020 no one was vaccinated.
- In August 2021 more than 70% in Hawaii received at least one dose of the Vaccination.
According to Lt. Governor Green, the hospital occupancy rate in the State of Hawaii is now 125%. People with heart attacks and other serious illnesses no longer have access to ICUs due to the high number of Coronavirus patients.
Hawaii is sick. Hawaii is much sicker than countries like the Bahamas for example that are under a Tier 4 US travel warning saying:
DO NOT TRAVEL AT THIS TIME !
Visitors should show some ALOHA to the people of Hawaii and stay home.
Tourism Economy
Tourism is the largest single source of private capital for Hawai’i’s economy. In 2019, Hawai’i’s tourism economy has recorded:
➢ State Tax Revenue: $2.07 billion (+1.4%,+$28.5 million YOY versus 2018).
➢ Visitor Arrivals in 2019: 10,424,995.
Economy vs. Health
The clear winner seems to be the tourism economy in Hawaii. Maybe this is what anti-vaccination protesters have in mind when they demonstrate in front of Lt. Governor Green’s home.