Now is not the time to visit Hawaii.
Amid the continuing surge of COVID-19 that has overwhelmed Hawaii’s health care system, Gov. David Ige today emphatically asked visitors and residents alike to avoid travel to the Aloha State.
“I think it’s important. I’ve stressed with the airlines and the visitor industry that now is not a good time to visit Hawaii,” he said during a livestream. “We have limited capacity in the restaurants. We see continuing case counts here. … I’m asking even residents to restrict travel to essential business purposes only.”
According to Ige, many of the travel-related COVID infections stem from residents who travel elsewhere, get infected and return.
“So I’m asking all residents and visitors alike to … curtail travel to Hawaii to essential activities only.”
Ige said he spoke last week with the airlines about Hawaii’s current COVID-19 situation.
“And I did ask, and all the airlines said they would look at what they could do to amplify the message,” he said.
According to the governor, the hotel industry also recognizes the state’s health care crisis.
“They certainly don’t like it, but they are supportive of helping us get that message out.”
Ige said when he first asked travelers to refrain from visiting Hawaii in March 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a 70% reduction in traffic to the islands over the subsequent two weeks.
Shortly thereafter, a lockdown and mandatory quarantine requirement stopped nearly all travel to the state.
“This is a different environment,” Ige said. “Now that many in our country is vaccinated and the CDC believes that vaccinated individuals should be allowed to travel, it just gets a lot more complicated to order a shutdown.
“So all of the (state’s) partners have committed,” he continued. “They understand. They’re part of our community in many instances and they want to be helpful in stemming this surge of COVID cases.”
Email Stephanie Salmons at ssalmons@hawaiitribune-herald.com.