Tonight at midnight, the clock will tick over to a new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic for Hawaii, which is until that point the last place in the U.S. with a statewide mask mandate for all indoor public spaces. Any venue may then choose to require masking, but they no longer have to — a transition many people have eagerly awaited.
It also will mark the end of the Safe Travels Hawaii program, the screening for testing and vaccine clearances among domestic arrivals. Already the counties have relaxed other mandatory restrictions, such as the vaccine or test checks at restaurants and other venues. Also assuming a more relaxed stance, the University of Hawaii has suspended its testing and vaccine requirements.
The coronavirus is still circulating widely, including a higher percentage of cases caused by omicron BA.2, a more transmissible version of the omicron mutation that was rampant only weeks ago. Employers should take note of that. They won’t be under a government mandate, but they still should be mindful that workers benefit from safety precautions.
There is reason to take some comfort in steps toward normalcy, though, in Hawaii and elsewhere. There are now more protections. Vaccines and booster shots have blunted the sickness that comes with an infection, therapeutics are available and hospitalization rates have plummeted. The fear level surrounding this disease has notched down.
But the degree of help government is providing is notching down, as well.
Hawaii is no exception there. Starting March 30, the city will trim its free COVID-19 testing operations at the airport from a daily service to five days a week, closing Sundays and Wednesdays and holidays. The other two city sites, Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale, will cut hours to 10 a.m.-1 p.m., open Fridays in Honolulu and Wednesdays in Kapolei.
On Wednesday, Hawaii County announced that it will suspend all of its county-sponsored testing operations, starting on Saturday.
That is something residents need to consider, before having a celebratory mask-burning ceremony. There still will be cause to wear them for some time to come. The decision over protecting their health will be largely a private matter, going forward, but so will the costs, in many cases.
On Capitol Hill, an impasse over continued federal funding for vaccines and testing has left these free programs in limbo. And for people who have assumed they could always get a free ride should they decide later to get vaccinated: That’s not a safe bet, especially not for the uninsured.
If this sounds like a strong suggestion to go now for that long-delayed booster, or that first dose, it is. Hawaii’s immunity level is relatively high, but only when compared to states with vaccine uptake that is uneven, or uniformly low. With another virus subvariant in the wings, and much that is still unknown about the extended effects of “long COVID,” now is the time to reinforce defenses.
Mandates for masks in public transportation, including city buses, airports and planes, are remaining in place until April 18, under current federal rules.
However, airlines executives are turning up the heat on President Joe Biden, asking for an early end to these rules.
The president can and should take time to gauge the impact of omicron BA.2, whether the U.S. mirrors the experience in the U.K. and other western nations, where there are new spikes in disease. It has done so in the past.
Every American, meanwhile, should make some attitude adjustments, protect themselves and those they love. Everyone feels exhausted by this virus, but the virus still has lots of energy left.
