Let’s exhale, cautiously and slightly, a collective sigh of relief that the dengue fever outbreak seems to be waning, with the total halted at 260 cases as of Wednesday. All cases are no longer infectious, and all had been contained to Hawaii island.

It’s certainly welcome news. Governmental and community efforts have helped contain the outbreak that began in October, and it’ll take sustained vigilance to keep the disease and its virus-spreading mosquitoes at bay. Folks can do their part by clearing standing water that is a prime breeding spot for the mosquitoes — which, in addition to dengue, can also spread Zika fever and chikungunya.

Police keep the peace in Chinatown

Usually, a lot of police officers gathered in your neighborhood would be cause for concern.

But not in Chinatown. More officers walking the beat has lifted the spirits of local residents and businesses.

“The reason why this all looks so nice and smells so much better is because of you guys,” said Ruth Bolan, president of the Hawaii Theatre Center, gesturing to officers standing at Sun Yat-Sen Park, which had been a magnet for homeless people.

Police Chief Louis Kealoha made the right decision to add 12 officers to patrol the historic district on foot. It should make one of our most cherished neighborhoods safer and more inviting for all.