Hawai'i Reopens - Sort Of

[OldConch]

Thanks! Reading through your comments just doesn’t particularly inspire me to want to travel to Hawaii right now. It just sounds like there are still too many limitations to make it the kind of vacation we would really enjoy.

We spent two weeks on the Big Island just before Christmas and had a great time. A very effective public relations campaign to promote how, when, and why to wear masks was part of the reason. You do it for the Ohana.

 

[Koolau]

Update

We have moved to tier 3 which effectively means more folks per table and per restaurant (maybe 50% of capacity?) Bars can stay open later. We DID have some Erin Go Bragh celebrations for the first time in 2 years. Heh, heh, I call it Erin go Brah (it's a pigeon thing, da kine dis ha'ole boy no say to da brah.)

A valid, within 3-day negative Covid test is required for travel to the Islands OR else 14 day (strict - pizza under the door) quarantine. Folks have been fined and sent home for disobeying.

Covid vaccine is finally opening up. We've had over 20% receive 1st shot or 1st/2nd. We're on level 1-C (65 or older, certain conditions, certain "front line" folks, etc.) I think it was estimated to now include about 500,000 residents (over 1/3 of the state, so it may take a while, though vaccine supplies are increasing - especially since the addition of J&J one shot. Unfortunately, it's such a "wide net" that there are breakdowns WITHIN the 1-C, resulting in some mix ups in who and when - lots of irate news articles and red-faced officials - as usual.

HPD (police) no longer lurk in the bushes (at least not as much) looking for hapless tourists to fine $2000. I think the fines are still there, but HPD overdid the OT and got their hands slapped which seems to have effectively ended the "bush whacking" for now.

Saw a couple of news article on local TV showing LOTS of tourists back on the beach. Arrivals are way up though nowhere near our peak arrivals of 15 months ago.

We will be getting our share of the 1.9 trillion (or whatever the final number was.) I think we will get $6 billion.

There have been lots of inequities (inevitable, I suppose) in distribution of funds, who gets to stay open and who's small business simply goes belly up. There is simply much less to do in the Islands now since so many businesses are gone - but some did survive and are getting back into it. Here's hoping we rebound.

The 3.5 Billion dollar light rail which has been in the process of being built for almost 10 years is now estimated to cost over $12 billion and not be completed until 2031. Not much to do with tourism, except 1/2% of every dollar spent on oahu goes toward the rail and that doesn't even keep up with the cost of all the changes and studies, etc. The thing is ruining our sky line (huge concrete pillars 100+ feet in the air.) WHEN/if it's ever actually completed, it won't really go anyplace but from our 2nd city (Kapolei) to downtown Honolulu. The best estimates are that it will reduce traffic by 6%. Since we don't do maintenance, it will break down (or rust away like our now dead Aloha stadium - built in 1984??). But, I'm not bitter.

Ya'll come! Keep in mind that YMMV.

 

[street]

^ Interesting! I bet there is a lot of opinions on the "light rail" project.

 

[kgtest]

We have moved to tier 3 which effectively means more folks per table and per restaurant (maybe 50% of capacity?) Bars can stay open later. We DID have some Erin Go Bragh celebrations for the first time in 2 years. Heh, heh, I call it Erin go Brah (it's a pigeon thing, da kine dis ha'ole boy no say to da brah.)

A valid, within 3-day negative Covid test is required for travel to the Islands OR else 14 day (strict - pizza under the door) quarantine. Folks have been fined and sent home for disobeying.

Covid vaccine is finally opening up. We've had over 20% receive 1st shot or 1st/2nd. We're on level 1-C (65 or older, certain conditions, certain "front line" folks, etc.) I think it was estimated to now include about 500,000 residents (over 1/3 of the state, so it may take a while, though vaccine supplies are increasing - especially since the addition of J&J one shot. Unfortunately, it's such a "wide net" that there are breakdowns WITHIN the 1-C, resulting in some mix ups in who and when - lots of irate news articles and red-faced officials - as usual.

HPD (police) no longer lurk in the bushes (at least not as much) looking for hapless tourists to fine $2000. I think the fines are still there, but HPD overdid the OT and got their hands slapped which seems to have effectively ended the "bush whacking" for now.

Saw a couple of news article on local TV showing LOTS of tourists back on the beach. Arrivals are way up though nowhere near our peak arrivals of 15 months ago.

We will be getting our share of the 1.9 trillion (or whatever the final number was.) I think we will get $6 billion.

There have been lots of inequities (inevitable, I suppose) in distribution of funds, who gets to stay open and who's small business simply goes belly up. There is simply much less to do in the Islands now since so many businesses are gone - but some did survive and are getting back into it. Here's hoping we rebound.

The 3.5 Billion dollar light rail which has been in the process of being built for almost 10 years is now estimated to cost over $12 billion and not be completed until 2031. Not much to do with tourism, except 1/2% of every dollar spent on oahu goes toward the rail and that doesn't even keep up with the cost of all the changes and studies, etc. The thing is ruining our sky line (huge concrete pillars 100+ feet in the air.) WHEN/if it's ever actually completed, it won't really go anyplace but from our 2nd city (Kapolei) to downtown Honolulu. The best estimates are that it will reduce traffic by 6%. Since we don't do maintenance, it will break down (or rust away like our now dead Aloha stadium - built in 1984??). But, I'm not bitter.

Ya'll come! Keep in mind that YMMV.

Mana brada...maui no ko oi! We talk story when I come visit soon

 

[skipro33]

Thanks for that Hawaii update. We would LOVE to come visit, but feel a need to wait just a little longer for the vax to roll out and the mad rush to dissipate. Then we'll find our favorite neighborhood beach access point and settle in with some POG, a book and a sammich! Repeat daily until I'm tan enough to look local. Ha1
We have our own multi-billion light rail/ bullet train to nowhere. Up from 33 billion in 2008 to over 100 billion and climbing. The only thing to show for it are the tall concrete monoliths as you drive to the first endpoint in Fresno. The premise is worthy, too bad it wasn't privatized like Elan Musk's space program or we'd have bullet trains running all over by now.

 

[LaDolceVita]

A valid, within 3-day negative Covid test is required for travel to the Islands OR else 14 day (strict - pizza under the door) quarantine. Folks have been fined and sent home for disobeying.
:

There is now a 10-day quarantine required if you don’t have a negative Covid test, not 14.

For the third time, I find the need to emphasize that masks are NOT required on the beach in areas where you can maintain 6-feet of distance from others. So while you are sitting at the beach or swimming, you don’t have to wear a mask.

 

[World Traveler]

We are going to Maui then Kauai in April. Do we have to covid test interisland?

 

[Koolau]

There is now a 10-day quarantine required if you don’t have a negative Covid test, not 14.

For the third time, I find the need to emphasize that masks are NOT required on the beach in areas where you can maintain 6-feet of distance from others. So while you are sitting at the beach or swimming, you don’t have to wear a mask.

Maybe I'm too close. You are probably correct. To be honest, I've tended to tune out the Covid stories of late, so could have missed a vital piece or two. Long time since I've been to Waikiki (or other crowded beach) so no personal experience since it got "cold." YMMV

 

[Koolau]

Mana brada...maui no ko oi! We talk story when I come visit soon

Yeah, I don't even try pigeon or Hawaiian. Never could get the hang of it. Oddly, most of the Hawaiian folks I hang out with are more educated than I am and put my ENGLISH to shame. YMMV

 

[rayvt]

Don't be fooled. Those rail projects are just tools for graft.

 

[JoeWras]

HPD (police) no longer lurk in the bushes (at least not as much) looking for hapless tourists to fine $2000. I think the fines are still there, but HPD overdid the OT and got their hands slapped which seems to have effectively ended the "bush whacking" for now.

Your reporting has effectively ended my desire to visit your great state.

If I want that kind of treatment, I'll try Singapore instead.