Surreal

The governor of the State of Hawai’i has mandated that incoming residents and tourists must be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. The surreal aspects of the mandate are that the latter doesn’t commence until March 26th and it’s ... get this ... essentially a self-quarantine. Not enforceable! There are still over 20,000 people flying into Hawai’i daily. That means about 100,000 people will arrive before the mandate takes effect. The latest “baby step” comes as the number of individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus has reached forty-eight.

The number of infected people is going to increase because there is more testing. The real problem occurs when a hotspot is located, wherein at least a section of a neighborhood tests positive for the novel coronavirus. The total number of infected people would spike and “community spread” would be verified. Obviously, that’s when the crisis will have already spiraled out of control.

To make matters even more surreal, various Hawai’i mayors, other government officials, and medical professionals are calling for a “shelter in place” mandate from the governor. Essentially, they are calling for a lockdown of all the islands and imposing a Draconian police state. Even a mental midget would realize that “all hell will break loose” after that.

Ala Moana Center has become a small police state as of today. Nearly all of the buffoon “security” guards were on-duty. The latest Nazi dictate is that customers cannot eat any purchased food anywhere on the premises. Sitting for more than a couple of minutes is also prohibited. The “security” guards are goose-stepping around the mall and strictly enforcing the new dictates. Expect the entire mall to be on lockdown next week. Also, refer to an earlier Notes post, “‘Security’ Guard.”

The search for the elusive can of baked beans was in vain. Hoarding has completely emptied the shelves at both Walmart® and Target® stores. Even when the products are restocked, they are gone within an hour. The search will be continued nonetheless.

Great Value® Bagels

Fortunately, there wasn’t a run on the favorite breakfast staple, Great Value® cinnamon raisin bagels, at Walmart®. Only two packages were purchased. No hoarding required. Of course, with the new dictates at Ala Moana Center, where will breakfast be located? On one of the bus stop benches, just like dinner tonight!

Upon return to Waikiki much earlier than usual, the discovery was made that people were dining with their take-out food in the ample seating still available in the International Marketplace. There were tables and chairs still set up for dining in a couple of areas, too. How long will that last?