Nearly three years since the coronavirus hit Hawaii, President Joe Biden’s recent call that the pandemic is “over” reflects how life for many has returned to normal. Traffic is back. Kids are back in school. People are back in the office. But the changes and the traumas from the pandemic are still with us. Many died. Many lost their jobs. Much was lost. This pandemic, which started confused and haphazard, became all pervasive, touching or in some cases transforming all aspects of our lives. We are not the same people we were from before.

But some good things emerged. Although it may not feel like it, Hawaii performed remarkably well during the pandemic. According to the Commonwealth Fund, Hawaii performed the best in the nation against COVID-19. While people may lament Hawaii’s medical infrastructure, Hawaii even beat the medical powerhouse and runner-up of Massachusetts. Indeed, excess deaths per 100,000 was 110 in Hawaii, compared to 204 excess deaths in Massachusetts. Excess death measure is a difference between the observed and expected numbers of deaths from all causes. Had Hawaii been more like the continental U.S., Hawaii could have suffered double, or more, the number of deaths.

But being the top state performer in the U.S. should not be a cause of complacency. The U.S. performed among the worst in the world against COVID. Cumulatively, the U.S. had 3,000 COVID deaths per 1 million compared to its northern neighbor Canada with 1,000 total COVID deaths per 1 million. In Hawaii, during the pandemic, the public saw how multiple state agencies struggled in fighting COVID, whether it was flimsy data systems, or inability to staff up, or confusing communication. The list of deficiencies was long.

What does it mean for Hawaii to be the champion of the COVID D-league? It means we can do better next time. It is guaranteed there will be a next pandemic, one that is possibly more fatal. It is not a question of “if” but “when.”

We have some time to reflect and prepare. In 2020, Hawaii’s leaders saved many lives by intervening early and swiftly. Hawaii’s people came together and stepped up in so many ways, not least of which was to voluntarily follow the safety guidance, but also with many people going above and beyond what was required of their day jobs. We have much to learn from the many stories of kokua, laulima and aloha.

In Canada, a new bill has called to compel the creation of a committee that would pursue a broad study of the response to COVID. This recommendation is in line with a recent policy paper by Amanda Glassman and others from the Center for Global Development, which argued that a COVID commission, an interdisciplinary body to reflect and carry out “lessons learned,” can help prevent and mitigate future pandemics.

We are exhausted from the pandemic, and we would prefer to address other pressing matters such as diversifying our economy and making housing affordable. But if we do not use this opportunity to learn from the pandemic, when will we ever? This is a historic juncture that will critically determine whether we will be ready to mitigate the next big one.

Hawaii, too, needs such a COVID commission, one that brings together public and private sectors, different agencies and the public with diverse viewpoints. What are Hawaii’s key COVID lessons? What do we need to do better next time, and starting now?

Will Hawaii be ready for the next pandemic? We may not be so lucky next time. We should not squander this opportunity to learn and get better.