Letters for Thursday, October 8, 2020

Opt-out Mayor, single pre-flight test not enough

In his recent public chat with Lt. Governor Green, Dr. Fauci clearly stated what we all know – “a single pre-flight test is not enough.”

The Lt. Governor and Governor, in a push for a rapid, one-size-fits-all reopening, reversed themselves and denied the neighbor islands the ability to open the way they wanted. Given this, it is critical for us all to raise awareness by advancing the following observations.

• Kaua’i and Maui, with almost one seventh of the state’s population (~215,000 people) are, unlike O‘ahu, now living in COVID free or almost COVID-free islands.

• Opening with a single pre-flight test will bring, over time, hundreds of “patient zero” cases into these virtually COVID-free communities; the last of their size, in the U.S. and most of the world.

• Opening the neighbor islands with just one test (even when these islands have sourced more), in the same manner as O‘ahu (with thousands of active cases), is irresponsible.

• To not allow these islands to open carefully, without a shortened quarantine and to use their own tests, is unconscionable.

• The Lt. Governor is alone in his optimistic, unsourced, projections of, “only” 8 to 15 new cases a day. Citing data and precedent in Alaska, Tahiti and elsewhere, doctors and medical professionals on all islands expect at least twice his estimates.

• If Maui and Kaua’i don’t follow Mayor Harry Kim’s decision to opt out, schools that are about to open will remain closed, and local spending will decrease significantly as locals hunker back down. It is common knowledge and common sense.

There is no question we need to all open. And that O‘ahu, because of very poor leadership decisions and execution, must now learn how to live with the virus.

But the neighbor islands should absolutely not be treated as if they are in the same situation, when they clearly are not. They should be respected and protected, and allowed to open slowly and carefully in a manner they see fit.

The state, partly led by a physician who knows better, must first do no harm.

Steve O’Neal, Kaua‘i

Let’s call it what it is, greed

My name is Hannah Leilani and I have lived in Ha‘ena for nearly a year now, after reading the article this morning about the Governor denying our Mayor’s request for a second test I felt compelled to write to you.

What is going on? Seriously, I don’t just mean on the island of Kaua‘i, but we are witnessing our “leaders” make horrible decisions against medical doctors and scientists, because of capitalistic greed. That’s all it is. They want to sacrifice human lives for money. How many people have to die before the men and women in charge listen to scientific facts and logic?

Why is no one proposing creating a new, healthy economy and moving forward to preserve human life? Grandmas, grandpas, children, and high-risk immuno-compromised human beings matter.

When this “one test” turns into the sh*tshow that our Mayor deemed on his social media, who is going to step up and scream this is enough?

It’s time to treat the earth and its people with more respect and care than ever before or we will be a lost civilization that people read about in history books and shake their heads at the idiocy that we have going on now.

Hannah Jordan, Ha‘ena

My Top Ten Reasons Not to Re-open Kaua‘i to visitors:

1. It opens up more seating space at Hamura’s to slurp down a large saimin.

2. It’s easier to dodge the potholes on the Nawiliwili breakwater road.

3. Fewer loud aloha shirts in public.

4. We’re not delayed behind a tourist who’s stopped to take another picture of a chicken on the side of the road.

5. We can actually sit on a sandy beach while still observing the six-foot social distancing rule.

6. Less COVID-19 risk.

7. We’re served more ahi, fried foods and stews, and less arugula and kale salads.

8. Since the long lines of crawling traffic have disappeared, we aren’t car-texting on our cell phones. And that has freed us to once again race along at 15 mph above the posted speed limits.

9. Manuela Boy has shown up with his ukulele and Bud Light to “go Anini Park hiamoe.”

10. Best of all, the refreshing sounds of nature—twittering birds, whispering breezes, swishing trees and tumbling waves—have come back above the non-stop noise of human activity.

Dana Bekeart, Kapa’a