Hawaii is at an uncomfortably risky stage of the pandemic. There is a lot that is within the power of the people to do on their own, not the least of which is to get a vaccine, and a booster, if that protection has waned over time.

But the people also need to hear the message, clearly, that this is a very risky stage. And even after two years, with many residents still unwilling or unlikely to do the proverbial “right thing” by protecting themselves and others, a red alert needs to flash, and from a prominent height.

Thursday’s raw numbers — a record 3,484 positive tests statewide, 2,680 of those on Oahu — should scare everyone straight but, unfortunately, data doesn’t accomplish enough on its own.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, like the other three of the state’s county chief executives, now has the discretion to enact or rescind restrictions without the approval of the governor.

With the island in the midst of a nerve-wracking surge in COVID-19 infections, Oahu’s leader is watching the hospitalization rate, which is under control for now, but holding off on putting in any new official constraints based on the case counts alone.

That doesn’t set well with many people, including thousands who have waited for hours to get a test, or fallen sick after holiday celebrations or due to community spread. The time has come for more safeguards for overall public health, before severe cases surge beyond control.

In a Wednesday media conference, the mayor did say that he would act if things grew worse.

“We have the hammer in this deal, and we will drop the hammer, if we have to,” Blangiardi said.

But he can’t afford to wait until critical-care beds approach capacity to bring that hammer down. Far better would have been an announcement, now, that action is forthcoming. Curtailing social mingling and the infections they cause is crucial well in advance of any trouble for a health-care system that already has endured too much over nearly two years.

Something like the response by Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth, who just ordered the Big Island’s indoor gathering size capped at 10, certainly would be justifiable, especially given the scale of the spread on Oahu.

Critics of continuing restrictions point to preliminary indications that the omicron variant of the virus is less dangerous and lands a smaller percentage of the infected in the hospital.

The stronger counterargument? The variant may be curbed by the vaccine and is itself only slightly less virulent to the unvaccinated.

Further, omicron is less prevalent in the U.S. than had been believed, according to new data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means that, while the ultra-contagious omicron is spreading fast, there is still quite a lot of the more lethal delta variant in the community.

Finally, people are too quick to assume that all outdoor activities are safe. A cluster of cases from a recent outdoor music festival at the Bishop Museum shows that, even at events requiring vaccinations, transmission can happen.

Should more of the attendees have received their booster shots? Yes. But until the booster uptake increases, some risk factors are better avoided.

“We absolutely can influence this viral behavior,” said state Health Director Libby Char. “We are in the middle of a pandemic, and certain activities are just not compatible with a pathogen.”

In his media conference, a plainly frustrated Blangiardi repeatedly called on individuals to show personal responsibility. That is, in fact, the ideal way to navigate this disease long-term.

But we are not at that juncture yet. Signposts and curbs are still needed and, on Oahu, the mayor is the one to set them now.