What Gov. David Ige had said last week is that this was not the time for casual, carefree vacation travel — not for visitors, not for local residents, either.
The delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has lowered Hawaii’s capacity for socializing, whether in public places or just among friends. All of that is true, and it’s crucial that everyone understand what’s at stake: the health of a community beaten back by a virus.
But because it wasn’t stated emphatically enough, what most listeners heard was much less nuanced. “Tourists, please don’t come right now” was the too-simplistic takeaway theme. This was news instantly picked up around the country.
And that unsettled visitor industry leaders already anticipating a seasonal decline in the rush of pandemic-weary tourists arriving at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
They had a point: Until then, the messaging from Ige and from Health Director Libby Char had been that the current surge of COVID-19 cases were spreading primarily because residents who were infected were gathering in various groups and sharing the highly contagious virus. Tourists, they said, tended to keep to themselves and so were less likely than local residents to be fueling the worrisome spike in cases and hospital admissions that threaten to crash the health care system.
The sudden focus on tourism, then, seemed to contradict that finding — sparking howls of criticism from pro- and anti-tourism interests alike.
What state leadership should be saying about tourism is that Hawaii overall is in serious trouble. The thousand-plus case count announced on Friday was another stunner; more severe curtailments of activity are looming as a way to bend that curve back down.
Does that sound like a dream vacation spot to anyone? Many tourists likely get the right message and already are postponing their trips.
Still, those tourists who do come regardless bring some additional measure of exposure to COVID-19 to the mix of people here, even if it’s much less of a factor than the community spread by isle residents.
The delta variant has changed the risk calculation for infections, even if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t updated its guidance on vaccinated travelers.
Ideally, an added layer of protection would be for every traveler, visitors and returning residents alike, to get tested at some point after their arrival to guard against additional spread of the disease. The capacity of the state to provide tests post-arrival for everyone who touches down is the problem.
But if the local spread of COVID-19 among residents is the primary concern — and it is — there are avenues for adding that protection. Oahu residents still can get a free test through Saturday (register at oahucitypass.lumisight.com). There is more information on free testing options at the state Department of Health portal (808ne.ws/freetests).
There are low-cost home kits available for purchase at drug stores. These COVID-19 “antigen” detectors are typically less reliable than the nose-swabs known as PCR tests. But any test, properly timed, could provide crucial health information to help protect the health of family and friends.
The CDC advises a viral test three to five days after travel, but seeking medical guidance on proper use of the particular test would be wise (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html).
In fact, what would help tremendously would be pointed messaging from the state on how residents who travel should protect themselves and others, once home. In the meantime, the CDC link also leads to basic post-travel advice.
Even if you test negative, it’s prudent to stay home and quarantine for the full seven days after arrival. A positive test means isolation to protect your household.
Far too often, what’s been happening is that people who travel get home and then resume their normal lives. Gathering to share stories and gifts from the trip. Returning to routine events and regular circulation.
Even if it’s difficult to isolate for a full week, it’s smart to keep interactions to a minimum, and for travelers and recent arrivals to wear masks when they do interact.
For the visitor under the current Safe Travels Hawaii regimen, the industry should reinforce its message about masking and social distancing. Enforcement of the recent restrictions against large gatherings must be carried out in tourism and social venues, as part of the overall awareness of heightened infection risks.
Clearly, the hope is that the state weathers this crisis and that tourism, appropriately refocused on long-term sustainability, can recover properly. The new $270 million airport concourse that opened last week should be seen as a commitment to a healthy visitor industry as foundational to Hawaii’s economy.
While the COVID-19 crisis rages, though, we are safer at home than out and about. That means when Hawaii people do travel, they need to know the risks, and how to steer clear of them.
