This Independence Day did not bring independence from the coronavirus.

Hawaii slipped back into three-digit territory on Thursday with a tally of 166 cases statewide, 91 of them on Oahu. The connection between the new infections, many from the delta variant, and increased social gatherings for the Fourth of July seems plain.

And it seems the state followed the wiser course, keeping masking in place for indoor settings. Some mainland cities are reinstituting their mandates — always a harder thing to do.