- Florida has the fastest spread of COVID-19 infection in a major Tourism State today with 25991 new cases or 1210 cases per million population. 27 people died or 1.25 per million
- Hawaii is the deadliest US Tourism State with 4 dead or 2.17 per million. Hawaii recorded 845 new cases or 584 per million
- Hawaii is a Democratic State, Florida a Republican State.
Millions of American say YES to a vacation, …. but now?
It really doesn’t make much of a difference to the COVID virus if a US State is run by a Republican or Democratic Governor.
Do Florida and Hawaii Love Visitors to death?
Opening a State to Tourism may however be a formula that also opens up the State up to record high COVID infections. Florida is wide open for tourism, and so is Hawaii, welcoming visitors with open arms.
92% of LGBTQ travelers in the U.S. are vaccinated. Fortunate both States are LGBTQ friendly.
Both states are taking turns competing with each other for the last few weeks on who has the worst outbreak in new COVID-19 cases, and both States refuse to call for more meaningful restrictions on its money-earning visitor’s industry.
Hawaii opened up to vaccinated visitors this month, and to visitors with a negative test since October 2020.
Hawaii relaxed mask and social distancing requirements in restaurants, hotels, and other indoor settings, and COVID is spiking while tourism is booming.
Florida got away in avoiding most restrictions, kept on advertising as a good travel destination, and COVID is spiking.
Both states Florida, and Hawaii have in common, that the spread of COVID is at an all-time high at this time scaring many locals to hide in their homes.
While Hawaii still has sufficient hospital beds at this time, in Florida emergency rooms are spread out to hallways already.
In the past week, Florida has had more COVID cases than all 30 states with the lowest case rates, combined.
Both states have more than 50% of their population fully vaccinated, and both States know the danger number is in the nonvaccinated camp.
Both States also need the tourism economy to flourish and won’ consider stiff restrictions. Hawaii Governor Ige put some more symbolic restrictions back in place. He requires restaurants now to only sell 50% of their space.
Since the United States is still closed to most international tourism, both States rely on domestic tourists. The European travelers are missing in Florida, while Japanese, and Koreans are no longer seen in Hawaii’s restaurants, shops, and beaches.
Domestic Tourism however is compensating for this loss and has been booming like never before.
Ironically Governor Ige in Hawaii told tourists there is no need to travel at this time, and the Hawaii Tourism Authority had been trying to make travel to Hawaii as uncomfortable as possible. All of this remains on death ears.
The justification by officials that tourists really don’t mingle with locals is laughable, and everyone knows it.
Hawaii and Florida actually became closer to each other after Hawaiian Airlines introduced non-stop flights from Honolulu to Orlando.
The “rest of the story” is not yet known. It’s frightening to even think about the outcome, Unfortunately, some sentences are already written on the wall.
