Story at a glance
- Hitting its economic sector hard, Hawaii halts its tourism reopening program.
- A mandatory 14-day quarantine is still required for incoming travelers.
Gov. David Ige (D) of Hawaii decided to further delay tourist travel into the islands — one of the pillars in the state’s economy — as coronavirus cases rise along the archipelago.
Hawaii News Now reports that the state’s plan to reopen the tourism industry has been delayed to Oct. 1. The program would have incoming tourists arriving in Hawaii test negative for COVID-19 prior to arriving on its islands.
Despite the pinch this has caused on the economy, the daily new case count peaked on Aug. 11, and health officials are working to suppress it.
“We will continue to monitor the conditions here in Hawaii as well as key markets on the mainland to determine the appropriate start date for the pre-travel testing program,” Ige said at a news conference Tuesday.
Tourists continue to flock to Hawaii, with the state recording 2,305 people arriving, including residents returning home, military personnel, visitors, and new residents.
The prior two days saw a total of about 3,345.
Across its four counties, Hawaii has a total of 5,349 confirmed COVID-19 infections, with most centered in Honolulu County, home to the state’s capital city. The state health department says many new cases have been linked to bars reopening, gym exercise or small private gatherings.
Health department data indicates that about 6 percent of cases have required hospitalization, and the state’s epi curve is exhibiting a sharp decline following a peak in early August.
Published on Aug 19,2020