The numbers are frightening.

A record 1,170 new cases on Aug. 11.

The seven-day average case count of more than 600 cases statewide over the last two weeks.

And more than 500 of our friends, family and neighbors who have fallen victim to COVID-19.

The members of the Hawaii Business Roundtable include many of the largest companies in Hawaii and collectively employ more than 75,000 residents of our state. Our members represent a wide range of industries, including hospitality, finance, health care, construction, education, energy, retail, food services and agriculture.

After careful consideration, many of our Roundtable members have made the decision to mandate vaccinations or are strongly encouraging their employees to get vaccinated. Many of our member companies are offering incentives and vaccines onsite, providing paid time off for employees to get vaccinated or taking their vaccine-eligible children to do so, and sharing fact-based information about the vaccines and COVID-19. This is also important to keeping our keiki safe and getting them back in school.

These decisions and actions were not taken lightly. But the science is clear. Vaccines are safe and they work.

We have all been impacted by COVID-19. Despite the statewide restrictions and two lockdowns over the past year-and-a-half, our employees have done a tremendous job in doing their part to help our economy recover and keep our community safe.

At the same time, our business community has been pouring resources into protecting our employees, our customers, and the communities where we conduct business. Our members feel strongly that the COVID-19 vaccination is the most important tool in our fight against COVID-19. It is saving lives.

The good news is the recent full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Employees who have been hesitant to get vaccinated can be confident that the vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality that the FDA requires.

We respect an individual’s right to be vaccinated. As private businesses, we also have a greater responsibility to our community, our employees and our customers. When a public warning is issued that Hawaii’s hospitals are at or exceeding capacity and lives may be lost, decisions need to be made that benefit the community and society as a whole.

Just a few months ago, we thought that the pandemic was under control, and we were moving toward a full reopening of our community and economy. Unfortunately, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant has endangered our state and is a major setback for all of us. And the statistics are not only clear, they’re alarming: Of the COVID-19 positive cases needing hospitalization, the vast majority of those patients are unvaccinated.

This time we have a critical advantage in the fight against COVID-19. The vaccine is recognized as the best way to beat the pandemic. And the members of the Hawaii Business Roundtable are committed to doing our part to support the mission of vaccinating all those in our community that can be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Michele Saito chairs the Hawaii Business Roundtable.