Visibility

The significant decrease in tourists has made the homeless more conspicuous. They now “stick out like a sore thumb.” In Waikiki and at Ala Moana Center, there is a surprising number of homeless individuals who have suddenly become visible. Downtown, with fewer wage slaves around, resembles Skid Row.

The number of individuals who tested positive for the novel coronavirus is now at twenty-six, including ten more people (two on Mau’i and eight on O’ahu). State and local municipalities have now gone into “knee-jerk reaction” mode with respect to new policies. In other words, they are moving from the absurd to the surreal.

A quick look at the International Marketplace at 8:30pm indicates that some “knee-jerk” reaction” policies were effective in promoting maximum “social distancing.” Very few stores were open in the rest of Waikiki. Tourists were mostly wandering along Kalakau’a Avenue where street entertainers were drawing large audiences.

Addendum: This is a bad time to be homeless (or motorhomeless) on O’ahu. The City & County closed all public parks and homeless hygiene centers. Will the homeless shelters be shut down, too? The shelters obviously do not meet “social distancing” requirements.