Kauai plans return to tourism
LIHUE, Kauai — As the coronavirus ravaged other parts of the U.S., residents of Kauai watched safely from afar.
Kauai has been nearly impossible to visit for most of the past year, with officials bucking pressure to ease quarantine rules as the state’s economy tanked.
As a result, Hawaii’s least populated county has been one of the safest places to be. Hair salons were open, many kids went to school and played team sports, and residents enjoyed restaurants, bars and beaches without the typical hordes of visitors — or the fears of surging virus numbers. As of this week, Kauai has had only 218 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, compared with more than 28,000 statewide.
Now, local officials are loosening restrictions, saying early measures and the island’s departure from a state testing program that allowed in more people gave it time to build a strong foundation of public health. A unique “resort bubble” program also helped Kauai bring back some tourists and prepare to reopen more broadly.
“From a big picture society standpoint, it allowed Kauai to get to a baseline of sort of what the new normal was going to be in the middle of a pandemic,” said Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami.
Next month, the island also will rejoin the state’s Safe Travels program, which allows travelers to avoid quarantine with a single negative pre-flight test.
Health officials pointed to Kauai’s vaccination program as part of that decision. The county leads Hawaii in the number of residents who have received at least one dose, at 23%.
Honolulu rail authority CEO says another delay possible
HONOLULU — The interim executive director of Honolulu’s rail authority said the project could experience another delay.
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim CEO Lori Kahikina said some train wheels do not properly fit track crossings in some sections of the project.
“On the train, when we have to cross rails … it’s called a frog. It’s where the tracks cross,” Kahikina said. “And this crossing, there’s five of them on the west side, the wheels that (are) on the cars, it doesn’t fit correctly during the crossing.”
Kahikina said she thinks the organization knew about the issue late last year, but she was only made aware of it “a couple of weeks ago.”
She estimated it could potentially delay the rail project’s interim service for a year.
“I’m thinking the proper way to address this issue is to change all those frogs,” Kahikina said. “They’re very expensive, and they’re built on the mainland, and they need to be manufactured and shipped here. That could delay one year.”
