Highest COVID Cases Ever and Rising in Hawaii While Tourism is Booming

Hawaii Governor announces re-opening of inter-island air travel
Hawaii Governor David Ige and Lieutenant-Governor Josh Green
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Hawaii Tourism is booming. When walking busy Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki or shopping at Ala Moana Center or snorkeling at Waikiki Beach, you would not know Hawaii has the most dire health emergency ever recorded.

  1. Many called it shocking. Hawaii registered 622 new COVID-19 cases today and 3 deaths.
  2. Just 3 weeks ago, the number of daily new infections went from 40 to 60 to 100 and now to more than 600. The highest number ever recorded in the State of Hawaii was 307 on August 11, 2020.
  3. Up to 30,000 US domestic visitors arrive in the Aloha State every day, leaving many flights flying at capacity to an increasing network of new domestic air routes.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii Governor Ige are not mentioning the tourism industry when confirming the highest increase in COVID cases ever.

The Governor, however, told eTurboNews:

The travel restrictions are for all passengers, not just visitors, and he is not considering any changes to the Safe Travels program at this time.

The virus and tourism are booming in Hawaii.

Today is, without a doubt, the highest increase in infection numbers ever, and this is scary.

Hotels and airlines are at capacity; there is hardly any space for towels in the sand at many of the beaches.

With 100+ daily increasing numbers, the state went into a complete lockdown a year ago, but now with 600+ new cases, the Hawaii Governor is still expected to lift all remaining restrictions once the vaccination rate gets to 70% of the population.

Governor Ige said in a press conference today, the 70%+ number is expected to be reached in September.

Hawaii changed its criteria in how to respond to COVID-19 and its variants by deciding on restrictions that were based on case numbers, to now be based on the number of vaccinated people in the state. Of course, the 30,000 visitors arriving in the Aloha State have no influence on this measurement or numbers.

According to the Governor, 6 out 10,000 vaccinated people are getting infected, compared to 300 out of 10,000 non-vaccinated.

The governor recommended that everyone get vaccinated, keep a 6-foot distance from others, and wear masks indoors.

The Governor would not comment on eTurboNews questions about the likelihood to put other restrictions back in place, which includes limits for restaurants, visitors arriving, and curfews.

The economy is clearly winning over the COVID health concerns, and Hawaii is now leading the country in this message, while international borders remain closed.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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