On Monday, the first volunteer in a large-scale (Phase 3) COVID-19 vaccine trial was injected. This trial, administered by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, will test one of several vaccines to reach this late stage of testing.

The goal is to enlist 15,000 volunteers by the end of the week, and there are more of these vaccines that will enter Phase 3 soon. Before anyone raises a hand, there’s online information.

Check it out at coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org.

Hawaii looks good for Japan travel

In a welcome piece of good news for the visitor industry (rare these days), Japan has included Hawaii, the lone location in the U.S., on its list of sites with which a travel pact could be struck.

It doesn’t hurt that the Aloha State has close bonds with Japan, dating back to kingdom days and manifest today in its tourism presence here, and in numerous cultural commonalities.

But what really helps is the relatively low COVID-19 infection rate. Let’s keep it that way. Nothing’s set in stone yet.