Thanks for being vigilant
COVID-19 a concealed silence weapon. You’ll never know if, when, and where you’re going to get it.
When travelling interisland, mainland, and foreign countries, remember to wear your PPE. Wash hands and keep social distance. And self-quarantine when you get back.
Thank you to those who listen to the CDC, our Gov. David Ige, our county mayors, and doctors in keeping safe.
We here on Kaua‘i have the lowest count of COVID-19, because we are listening.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
Valid COVID-19 questions need to be asked and answered
There is no doubt Kaua‘i, its government and our people, have done a great job of stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Yet it should still be valid to ask questions, and one of the most basic is: Could COVID-19 have been stopped with less incursions on our civil liberties which we should all hold very dear?
What was the basis for closing golf courses when people can easily social distance and it is outdoors? Seemingly why cannot this question be answered?
Last week the state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office officer stated during one of the mayor’s daily briefings words to the effect: “The standard for easing restrictions in a communicable disease is twice the incubation period from the last reported case, in this case 28 days.” Wow. To the best of my knowledge this criteria is not being used anyplace else in America, and it is certainly not in the CDC’s gate-keeping criteria for moving to phase one. And, speaking of phase one, Kaua‘i already exceeds that criteria, yet no easing is in sight. This and other questions should be sought after and considered valid in an open democracy and deserve an answer rather than being ignored and asked to “hang in there Kaua‘i; we will all get through this together.”
Mark Zieman, Kapa‘a
We can’t let our guard down
Some people who are suffering economically from the coronavirus may feel that our government officials are being too uncaring or cavalier about their economic plight.
But to let down our guard now could deliver a far-worse blow to our economy. If we don’t stick a dagger in the heart of the virus, it could easily come back for a second wave. If you think we’re struggling right now, consider the repercussions on our economy if we have to do it all again.
People who are complaining about the preventative measures that we are enduring need to understand that is not a game of “tag, you’re it.” Preventative measures such as distancing and masks also reduce the level of infection.
Think of your body as a fort. You are confronted with 100 alien invaders. Chances are that your defenders could easily repel them. But what if you are suddenly faced with a million, or a hundred million, invaders. Now it’s much more difficult to prevent them from overwhelming your defenses.
If we drop our preventative measures now, if we freely mix with each other, this will be the scenario.
Which leads to another fear. The longer we allow the virus to thrive, the greater the chance it will mutate. If the mutation resulted in a more-virulent form, the catastrophe could be far worse than we’re experiencing now.
So if you are really concerned about our economy, and our well-being, you will do your part to protect us and defeat the aliens.
John Patt, Koloa
Mark, the whole island grieves your inability to play golf during the pandemic. You keep asking “why?” and the reason is this: unlike the beach or ocean or paths, the golf course requires people to operate. It’s not worth risking those people’s lives for a game. I’m sure you’ll be able to golf again one day.
Mark, I want to thank you and your fellow golfers for the sacrifice you are making.
@John Patt People need to wake up and realize there is almost zero chance of contracting the much feared coronavirus on Kauai. We have had zero community spread, no planes are bringing potentially toxic people here, and we are in about as remote a place as one can get on the planet. Wake up and realize there is NO need for masks, school and business closures, social distancing, and especially the removal of basic freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution! It’s all an exercise in futility, and a test at how willing people are – when stoked by fear – to cower and submit to supposed authority figures such as our governor and mayor. But just who is leading THEM in their unnecessary and continued trampling of our freedoms? They are being told over and over by “authorities” – many of them mere statisticians – that the sky is falling based on wild projections, only to be proved wrong over and over again. We need to look at the most RECENT data from California and elsewhere, which suggests that the SARS-Cov2 virus is no more deadly on a per infection basis than the flu! Yet we don’t have forced lockdowns and closings every year for the flu. Flu actually kills more people on average every year than the current coronavirus – and that’s AFTER accounting for many getting the yearly flu vaccines. Please, I urge everyone to stop being afraid, and the politicians to come to their senses and lead us out of this miserable state of unnecessary tyranny. When you finally see the truth of the situation, you will be sorry for the economic disaster which has been brought on so needlessly by our leaders. I’m calling on Governor Ige and Mayor Kawakama to IMMEDIATELY end these unnecessary measures and restore our freedoms they have unrightfully taken from us.
Rick P. “ssssssssssh….Kauai has 21 cases!”……..wake up!
The reason that the golf courses were forced to close was because some golfers, after finishing their 18 holes, were gathering in tail gate parties and congregating too closely together to be called social distancing. Too bad, but when some complained about it, the closures were the result. Some of the restrictions do seem harsh or unwarranted, but there are reasons that they were imposed. They weren’t just draconian measures as some people are calling them.
Although it is getting more and more difficult to maintain all the rules being imposed on us, just remember, we here on Kauai, are in the great shape of having only 21 cases of the virus, so far, because those measures were deployed so quickly. Hopefully, if this trend continues until the 28 day cycle is completed, we might be the first county to get to relieve some of the restrictions. Just keep in mind, a healthy economy and getting back to life as usual isn’t worth much if you’re dead. Your healthy life (and everybody else’s too!) should be the ultimate goal. If you want to see some staggering numbers, read about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic and you might just appreciate our current situation a bit more
I’d like to enjoy the freedom of movement and lack of crowds for awhile before tourism returns, even though it means I won’t get to go back to work. I drove to the north shore yesterday and it was so nice. There were no buses, mini buses, tour vans or especially rental cars. Everybody drove slowly, no hurry, and if I got stopped at a red light, there would only be 2-3 cars stopped behind me. I got all the way from Hanalei to Kalaheo in 1 hour 7 minutes. It reminded me of driving on this island way back in the
70’s.