LIHU‘E — To date, the Kaua‘i Police Department has issued nearly 60 citations for breaking state and local stay-at-home orders. Of these, 15 have been to beachgoers.
Spending time on the beach to sunbathe, picnic or hang out are explicitly against mandates enacted to restrict movement to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
County-owned parks and beaches remain open for limited outdoor exercise activity, and that’s had an effect on the number of beachgoers.
In April 2019, 150,856 visitors went to county-beaches. In the past two weeks, there have only been 10,187 visitors to lifeguarded beaches, reported Kalani Vierra, Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau Chief.
“So, the number has dropped a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic started,” Vierra wrote in an email Monday afternoon.
The drastic drop in beachgoers, along with stay-at-home orders and quarantines, can also be chalked up to the substantial drop in tourists coming onto the island. For non-Hawai‘i residents, beaches require paid day-use permits and parking passes.
Vierra said beach enforcement remains at its regular staffing levels, with some personnel working from home.
The department follows social-distancing practices and requires staffers to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), but those only allow for protection when on land.
“Our biggest concern is, if we have to swim out to rescue someone in distress … our PPE only protects us when onshore,” Vierra said.
Beaches remain open for exercise, like walking, running, biking, surfing and swimming, according to county statements.
“Lounging and or sunbathing on the beach or in a park does not constitute exercise,” one press release reads.
On a quiet Wednesday afternoon at Lydgate Beach Park, Ocean Safety Officer Kainoa Lum said he’s mostly seen surfers and elderly couples walking along the paths.
As of Tuesday, the KPD has doled mostly citations for breaking curfews. The KPD has also arrested three people for violating the state’s 14-day quarantine order which went into effect on Mar. 26. In Honolulu, police have issued over 300 stay-at-home violation citations and over 4,600 warnings as of Monday.
“Our officers are conducting routine patrols in all locations around the island,” a spokesperson for the KPD said. This includes island-wide checkpoints and responding to tips of rule-breaking.
Quarantine and stay-at-home violations can result in a misdemeanor with fines up to $5,000 and/or up-to one year in prison.
“During this uncertain time, we encourage all beachgoers to stay at home and follow the stay-at-home rule issued by our Mayor,” Vierra reiterated. “When in doubt, don’t hang out.”
Hey, you had a writing @ photo of Pierce Brosnan @ the beach. Did Pierce also got a violation for sunbathing like the rest of these beach goers?
There is no virus. The 1% has launched a global control plan being implemented by each government. Educate yourself RIGHT NOW!
Since the only affordable, FREE, way to undergo ESSENTIAL FOR COVID19 19 Flu virus as BOTH PREVENTION and FOR TREATMENT, is to lay out in the sun for several minutes a day, of course safely distancing yourself by a good 10’ is also recommendedMid you are in the public, like parks and beaches.
For many if not most people Wanting to lay out in the sun, it is not practical at home. More people should be taking Vitamin D treatments at the Beach and public parks.
Sunbathing with only the use of bathing suits is recommended for adequate skin exposure to the sun’s rays, and thus a minimal amount of skin manufacture of the ESSENTIAL nutrient of Vitamin D, along with laying horizontal both face up and then face down. Vitamin D does so many things for a healthy body and aids in maintaining the body’s Homeostasis, an equilibrium, throughout the entire body.
Walking upright with regular clothes On is not a substitute for Sun Bathing and your Vitamin D.
In addition it is a fact that darker skinned people require longer period of time in the sun for skin exposure to the sun, as dark skin blocks the sun’s penetration of the sun’s rays entering your skin, this requirimg more sun time.
Beaches allow for almost unlimited amount of room, 6’ to 10’ apart For people laying in the sun. There is no reasonable or sane reason to restrict people from beach sun bathing with social distance spacing themselves.
Any order, rule, mandate, or political nonsense, even from the Government Depts., flies in the face of reason of the need to combat or treat CoVid19 with the important need of Vitamin D, and it’s starting to look like Population control Nazi-ism and Communism, which the Chinese version of the latter has suspicion of as to starting this whole CoVid19 flu thing.
Besides the facts speak loudly. There is little fear and little Real prevention of the seasonal flu yearly epidemic that kills annually up to 35,000 Americans, and kills 650,000 Worldwide. That’s right check the statistics, making CoVid19 Flu Virus just another yearly Epidemic…#1
Seasonal Flu Epidemic #1, that no one seems to fear or the media Fails to sound the alarm, Is the regular year after year winter flu just mentioned above that kills up,to 35,000 in the USA, and 650,000 Worldwide. You never hear a daily total on that killer flu…why’s that…?
Epidemic #2 wherein 5,000 people a week walk into US Hospitals, walk in, not ambulanced, and are DEAD Within 1 day to a few to several days, Due to medical error, that’s 260,000 Americans die from different hospital errors Every year, far outnumbering the deaths of the CoVid19 flu virus, of mostly the elderly minority, especially those already with underlying diseases…but the media is not complaining about Or weekly totaling those 260,000 deaths, nor is the public aware of it or apparently not concerned.
This is about getting our concerns right, not discriminatory shutting down our economies, our businesses, leading to bankruptcy, recession, economic depression, loss of people’s homes, etc.. When some people who have the CoVid19 flu virus and whose Immune System prevents them even having any symptoms at all, or only mild symptoms, or need only bed rest at home as the flu typically requires.
Let’s not let this Corona Virus, CoVid19, continúe as some crazy foolish Medical FAD, that will destroy more lives, families, children’s education, whole cities’ and communities‘ Livelihood and well being. Our shopping centers are looking like ghost towns, and town main streets are empty too.
This CoVid19 flu virus is not being handled reasonably or Appropriately. Those ar high risk , especially along with being elderly, they are a minority that should be PRIORITIZED, AND MADE TO QUARANTINE WITH Complete HELP FROM THE Healthy Majority who should be all back at work paying taxes to protect the high risk Minority.
The current Backward approach to lock up the Healthy and kill businesses vital to everyone’s economy is absolutely STUPID, and destructive amd could lead to food shortage as well.
AND No SUN BATHING is a DENIAL of a fundamental essential right to personal Health Care, A care that provides PREVENTION to contracting, or becoming ill from, and even may spell the difference between living or dying from this flu.
Remember you cannot develop personal immunity from any flu without exposure to the flu, which triggers the Immune Response that can become a lifetime immunity to that particular strain of virus.
No (dangerous) man made vaccine can compete or be as good as Natural Immunity. It is better to rely on Mother Nature, she has been around successfully a lot longer than medical care and prescription drugs and their disease causing side effects.
Remember too, the scientists are saying the majority of people who get this flu either have no symptoms, or only mild symptoms , or need only some days of bedrest. Only a fraction of the people need hospitalization, and even fewer with underlying disease, advanced age, and one or more too many Prescription drugs, and Eat too much non-nutritious junk and fast food diets with added too many sugars, And too many chemical food additives.
Flu PREVENTION BEGINS WITH NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND ALL THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS NATURALLY IN THEM, EXCEPT FOR ESSENTIAL VITAMIN “D”, it comes from the SUN, AND SUN BATHING IS ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE.
In the best interest of the public, government licenses not only drug prescribing doctors, but also Natural Doctors, and Natural Spinal Doctors. There’s more than 1 Opinion When it comes to the maintenance or recovery of Health. Some doctors emphasize Disease, while,others rely primarily on HEALTH.
If you like to sun bathe or go to the beach and are unable to run, walk, surf, swim and Can only sunbathe, contact our Mayor, Council, and State Reps, and Governor…to stop this nonsense.
finally a chimknee rant i can get behind! yes charlie preach!
where are the homeless folks on Kauai doing their self quarantine ?
and the full time “campers” in the hills and valleys ?
com’on..Charlie! You have sunshine at home too! Bad, bad.
to help rebuild kauai infrastructure we need to institute sun tax. Every beach goer has to have a monthly renewable permit that is issued by county per person.
Has anything thought that the winds at the beach / ocean would carry COVID-19 further than the 6ft distance that people are told to keep? In other parts of the US, surfing and swimming is also banned because people who are asymptomatic (or have symptoms but still surf/swim) could be spreading the virus to other surfers and swimmers much further away than 6ft. Unless you are the only person on the beach, how is that safe?
“surfing and swimming is also banned because people who are asymptomatic (or have symptoms but still surf/swim) could be spreading the virus”
The reasoning behind the ban is that it reduces unnecessary contact between first responders and the public. I don’t think the concern is transmission from surfer to surfer.
Excellent post Charlie! well done. why not post this on Kauai life for others to read.
I agree what yu are saying.
staying indoors is so bad for your immune system
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie…
“For many if not most people Wanting to lay out in the sun, it is not practical at home.”
Not so. Many have yards here.
“EXCEPT FOR ESSENTIAL VITAMIN “D”, it comes from the SUN, AND SUN BATHING IS ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE.”
We do get some Vitamin D from the sun, however if you knew what you were talking about you’d be aware that our bodies cannot absorb the amount of Vitamin D required just from the sun. You can lay out there all day and your body still won’t absorb enough D. And, no you do not need to be lying down to absorb it! LOL
“AND No SUN BATHING is a DENIAL of a fundamental essential right to personal Health Care”
Nice try, but you just need to wait it out like the rest of us that are cooperating in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. And while you’re chillin’ read up on the 1918 flu pandemic that killed 50 million. History is education, at least for some.
“Remember you cannot develop personal immunity from any flu without exposure to the flu, which triggers the Immune Response that can become a lifetime immunity to that particular strain of virus.”
New York could use help. Feel free to hele on and expose yourself to COVID-19 over there.