Indecisive Decision

The governor of Hawai’i, after a long period of indecision, has announced that the floodgates of tourism will not be flung open for at least one month. Instead, the totally ineffective (read: “honor system”) mandatory 14-day quarantine will remain in effect for all overseas visitors. The announcement comes “on the heels” of the three deaths (all senior citizens) related to “super-duper corona” reported earlier in the day. In addition, residents have expressed apprehension about tourists coming from the mainland empire, now allegedly ravaged by the pandemic.

Ironically, the number of tourists arriving in Hawai’i continues to steadily increase. The daily average is now over 600 people. A quick look in Waikiki reveals that few, if any, are abiding by the mandatory quarantine. Who knew, eh? The local news media has reported that the police have issued over 8,000 citations to violators so far. However, the citations are useless (i.e., similar to a parking citation). Violators can contest the citations in court, but no one is going to bother. They will either pay the fine, or simply ignore it. And, they’re gone in two weeks anyway. In other words, the farce continues on.

The quasi-“lockdown” continues, although that could change at anytime with “rollbacks.” Most retail stores and shopping malls close by 7pm. Few places have any seating available, and standing around is prohibited. There’s essentially nowhere to go, and nothing to do. And, that is likely to continue until the floodgates of tourism are opened.

Many local businesses are expected to fold as a result of the delay. No tears are being shed for them because none of those businesses actually catered to the locals. Markups were extremely high in order to gouge the tourists. That’s the predatory nature of the entire tourist industry. Why people continue to be bamboozled by the tawdry theme park façade suggests extreme mental midgetry at play.

Update: A slight “rollback” for bars and night clubs now limits the serving the serving of alcoholic beverages to midnight instead of 2am. The reason? Blatant disregard for “social distancing” and the face mask mandate ... uh, can a beverage be consumed while wearing a face mask? Continued violations will reduce the time to 10pm.