Lockdown

The governor “jumped the gun” a day early and announced that a “stay at home” or “lockdown” mandate would be invoked on Wednesday and encompass the entire State of Hawai’i. Essentially, the convoluted mandate was a clone of the one issued on Sunday by the mayor of Honolulu. At this point in time, there is some difficulty in determining exactly what “lockdown” means. However, only the ubiquitous “security” guards are impinging on personal freedom right now.

The “stay at home” mandate, of course, does not mesh well with claustrophobic and minimalist monks. The tomb at the “old folks home” was never converted into a true mausoleum. It has always solely been a place to sleep. Now, showers have to be taken there. Soon, purchased meals will have to be brought back and consumed there. And, more precious time will have to be wasted there, doing absolutely nothing. Only an airbed and a handful of useless possessions are in the tomb. Nothing else. There’s no inventory of food and no huge widescreen OLED tube. Heck, there’s not even one roll of asswipe paper. How is it possible to “stay at home” in that kind of environment?

Even during a pandemic, a true pariah is totally alone. There have been no calls, e-mail,  or text messages from family, long lost friends, or acquaintances. Of course, there been absolutely no attempt at outreach either. And, that is perfectly fine. Notes now suffices as the only conduit to the outside world, albeit a unidirectional one.

Coffee Time

The first day of lockdown, as observed, indicated little change in the number of people out and about. Coffee was procured in town. Then, breakfast was served at the usual bus stop bench at Ala Moana Center. Many people, locals and tourists, were milling about the mall, even though most of the stores are closed. The Nazi “security” guards were everywhere. Extended observations noted just how much those fools believe they are police officers.

iPhone XR

A long jaunt around Ala Moana Center this morning was the only exercise that has been accomplished since the gym closed for the coronavirus crisis. Truly pathetic! The real purpose of the walk was to install iOS 13.4 on the iPhone XR using the mall-wide wireless network. To say that it was a slow process would be an understatement.

A return to Waikiki was scheduled in the early afternoon in order to take a shower. Then, another ride on the bus ensued to return to Ala Moana Center. Lots of time was wasted perusing the few stores that are open. Loitering is impossible because of the Nazi “security” brigade. Eventually, dinner was procured at Subway® before returning to Waikiki. Usually, another trip is made at 6pm to Ala Moana Center for more wasting of time, and then back to Waikiki by 8pm. Tonight, the last trip was cancelled. The aforementioned is now the official itinerary, effective with the “lockdown.”

Because of the disjointed and uncoordinated efforts of all entities during the novel coronavirus crisis, much time must be spent during the day to determine if certain stores and restaurants are still open. Policies seem to change by the hour. So far, all personally patronized venues are still open for business.

Grand Princess

The fate of the Grand Princess cruise ship that docked in Honolulu and ended up quarantined at a port in Cali remained a mystery until an obscure article about its disposition surfaced on-line. There were originally about 20 people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus before the ship docked in Oakland. Subsequently, the passengers and crew were quarantined. Passengers with no symptoms were given the option to decline testing. Most of the passengers did so, just to escape quarantine. Another “three dozen” people ended up testing positive out of those who elected to be tested. Clearly, there is reason to believe that some transmission of SARS-CoV-2 did occur when those passengers disembarked in Hawai’i.

The total number of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus is now at ninety, with one related death reported. The deceased, however, also suffered from other pre-existing medical conditions. The increase in coronavirus cases is still linear, most likely due to increased testing. No evidence of mass infections yet.