14 day quarantine rule for Hawaii may not be lifted September 1
A surprise outbreak of COVID-19 on Oahu has prompted Hawaii Governor David Ige to indicate at a news conference today, he may consider another postponement to allow tourists to arrive in the State without the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Even with quarantine in place, an increasing number of visitors are arriving anyway. On Saturday 997 visitors arrived, today 713 tourists were registered and instructed to observe a 14-day strict quarantine.
Visitors and also locals are getting arrested every day for violating this important rule to keep Hawaii safe.
Even with all these rules in place, with a strict rule to wear masks wherever someone goes, closing bars for the second time, the number of new infections in Hawaii is now at a record high.
Yesterday 207 new cases were registered in the Aloha State, a record high.
Such numbers are alarming, but still the lowest number of any U.S. State. A total of 2,448 people were infected and 26 died since the beginning of the virus. There are currently 1,107 active cases, which is a huge increase compared to the situation just a month ago.
Per million population Hawaii has 1,729 cases and 17 death. Compared to New Jersey with 21,218 cases and 1,792 death, Hawaii’s fatality rate is only 1% of New Jersey’s or New York’s cases (1,666)
The U.S. average today is 14,689 cases per million and 480 dead.
At a virtual news conference this afternoon, Ige urged Hawaii residents to redouble their efforts to fight the coronavirus.
“It’s clear that many across the state have relaxed their commitment to maintaining the physical distancing and all of the best practices we’ve talked about in fighting against this COVID-19 infection,” the governor said.
He said his team is still working to implement the pre-arrival testing program Sept. 1 but the recent surge in cases is concerning.
“We continue to monitor the conditions here in the state, as well as around the country, and will be making a further determination as we get closer to the Sept. 1 date,” he said.