COVID-19 has dealt a shock to so many routine activities, not the least of which has been accessing government services the public needs — from offices the taxpayer has financed throughout.
Setting aside legitimate security concerns that have mounted during these times of political tension, there is generally no justification for excessive restrictions on public access. These services to the public simply have not recovered to the degree that they should — meaning, not to the pre-pandemic status quo.
As the rollout of vaccines and other protective measures progressed over the past 2-1/2 years, government agencies nationwide found alternative ways to function. Remote access through the internet was one positive development, revolutionizing how people were able to testify at hearings or witness government actions.
Last year, the Associated Press surveyed state legislatures and found most did not allow people inside the chambers. Some states did not allow remote access, either, accepting only people’s submission of written testimony.
In Hawaii, by contrast, even as the state Capitol began reopening, the Legislature continued remote access as well as in-person testimony. That’s been an immense help to many on neighbor islands or facing other constraints on attendance.
But on the whole, “functional” is not an apt term to describe what many taxpayers encountered, especially in administrative agencies.
The situation may not be as bad as it was in 2020, the worst days of the pandemic, when barriers around agencies such as the unemployment office were almost impenetrable. Even so, some of those stringent pandemic policies have persisted for far too long.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser writer Andrew Gomes took stock of the various rules, notable for their inconsistency from one department to the next. For example, security personnel at the lobby of the State Office Tower recently gave advice that a prior appointment was needed to access the Land Use Commission, even though the agency had no such requirements.
Elsewhere, those entering the Princess Ruth Keelikolani Building, where unemployment, labor and tax offices are, only have to show identification for entry.
However, a sign points out the exceptions for exclusion: Those who tested positive for COVID-19 or had close contact with someone who did within the past 14 days, or has traveled outside the state within those two weeks, or who has coronavirus symptoms would not be admitted.
This is preposterous, given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government’s authority on public health protections, eased restrictions significantly (see 808ne.ws/CDCadvice Opens in a new tab).
In August, the CDC streamlined its guidance to clarify risks and protect themselves. These advisories, which are much less strict though recommending masking in some circumstances, apply to the protection of employees in government buildings as well.
Security measures have been in place long before the arrival of this coronavirus and should continue for the protection of employees whose duties don’t include direct dealing with the public. And they are necessary in contentious settings — a conflict-ridden school board meeting in May about mask requirements comes to mind.
When the new state administration comes into office, however, protocols should be reviewed and brought into some rational alignment. Counties should do the same.
To do otherwise, by letting government agencies pursue their separate rules about public access, merely prolongs and adds to the confusion that has been a hallmark of the pandemic. That keeps the public from getting the services they need and deserve.
