The battlefield metaphor for the coronavirus crisis is not always a perfect fit, but sometimes looking at it through such a lens can be useful. People with the misfortune of living in a war zone know that to venture outside can be dangerous, but they can reach a point at which taking measured risks simply becomes critical to survival.

Last week introduced some turbulence into the planning for Hawaii’s Aug. 1 reboot of tourism, the state’s principal economic engine, almost entirely shut down for more than three months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

After imposition of a broad business lockdown and a 14-day quarantine for all arriving flight passengers, Hawaii had suppressed the viral infection rate to a low level. Providing a waiver from that quarantine for those testing negative for COVID-19 in advance of their Hawaii-bound flight seemed the next logical step.

Then the population let down its guard, setting aside face masks and the discipline around hygiene and distancing precautions. The impulse to flock back to socializing, with guardrails down, led to spikes in infection counts.

The viral “enemy combatants” were out there on the battlefield, and they struck. And on the mainland, it’s worse. Even greater indulgence in congregating has caused the pandemic to spiral out of control in some hot spots.

Now people here, worried that any resumption of tourism would make things worse, wondered whether they should delay things a bit more.

The answer? As of late Friday, state and county officials were still debating the way forward. Gov. David Ige said in a statement at week’s end that his meetings with the county mayors about the “pre-travel testing program” had been “productive.”

“We are assessing the current situation in Hawaii and on the mainland, and we’ll make an announcement when we are satisfied that the plans will protect the health and safety of our residents and guests,” Ige said.

In the meantime, however, business leaders, especially in the visitor industry, have been making their own assessment, and it is this: Hawaii is past the point when it can hang back and wait for conditions to improve to a set threshold.

The truth of the matter is that, while there is palpable risk in restarting tourism, that risk almost certainly will be part of the landscape for the foreseeable future, due to factors beyond Hawaii’s control.

The existing risk, which still should be manageable through testing and contact tracing, must be weighed against the further loss of jobs and businesses that enable families to keep food on the table.

Based on what’s known at the present juncture, it does seem that Hawaii’s best hope of rebuilding its shattered economy lies in pushing ahead. It still should lie within the grasp of leadership to secure safer ways for travelers to come without subjecting the community to needless risk.

The ones who make that argument most persuasively are the owners and managers themselves at businesses on the brink of failure, many of whom have been proceeding with reopening plans. Their employees are on pins and needles, as well.

Nicole Niau, one of thousands who have suffered from layoffs, told Honolulu Star-Advertiser writer Kristen Consillio that the trickle-down effect of a tourism shutdown has touched everyone.

“The locals are here but we all say home,” she said. “We don’t go out, so there’s not enough money being generated to survive.”

It’s hard to ignore the desperation expressed by Niau, and so many others.

There are many elements still to nail down about the reopening plan, of course. For example: The availability of test kits has been a problem, known to anyone who has seen visuals of long lines of cars filled with people hoping to get a test, especially in one of the mainland areas where infection rates have surged.

But there are steps that can be taken now, to prepare. One challenge in the few coming weeks is to find incentives to encourage the pre-flight testing and finding additional partners to provide access to test kits across the country. The existing agreement with CVS as a test site is a good start.

Strengthening enforcement is another key component. The state Health Department took another important step in announcing that it would close businesses that are not following guidance. The placement of placards noting a business’ compliance communicates resolve as well. And Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has said police are starting to cite and issue warnings for public maskless violations.

The strategy should be one that enables a controlled, supervised clearance for travelers willing to follow the rules. The industry, given the green light, can be called on to add layers of safeguards.

As for the rest of the state’s residents: Go back to basics of sanitizing and distancing, staying away from crowds whenever possible.

In the end, it’s the community itself, through its own capacity to conduct its business and socialize safely, that plays the most pivotal role in the success or failure of this rescue plan.