Mayor looking at closing beaches.

[macuu222]

Mayor Roth is looking at closing beaches and canceling Ironman because of the rising covid cases. I could care less about Ironman . .but I will miss going to Hapuna every couple of weeks. 


https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/08/1...skyrocket/

[AaronM]

Ho hum. Not likely that they can staff law enforcement at every beach.

[randomq]

I don't see the point. Unless hospitals are being overrun and we've already enacted all possible indoor restrictions.

[kalakoa]

The point is to make restrictions punitive while avoiding economic impact. Restaurants will remain open, so just party indoors, no big deal.

[Kaimana]

Why the beaches? Should go back to testing everyone flying in before closing the beaches.

[leilanidude]

Closing beaches will accomplish nothing towards the supposed goal of mitigating the virus spread.

[Carey]

Last time the beaches were closed, one of the reasons given was to free up Ocean Safety personnel to work other aspects of the pandemic and to reduce lifeguard exposure to rescues that involve close water contact with respiratory infection.
Not sure if that is still a part of the reasoning, as most of the towers have not been as fully staffed as much as pre-COVID, but it might be a part of it, as now many of our emergency response folks, including the MRC, are being asked to be ready & willing to work hospital shifts to cover for staffing shortages (Kona is already requesting MRC coverage).

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

lifeguard exposure to rescues...

We had a fire department response to someone on the HPP cliffs last night.  Two trucks, at least 3 (maybe more) personnel.  Not sure what happened, but generally what occurs at that hour down here is not worth potentially exposing our rescue workers to COVID, especially when cases are trending higher.

[kalakoa]

Consider:

- DOE says in-person teaching is safe, schools will remain open.
- DLIR says in-person unemployment applications are unsafe, offices will remain closed.

Is it any wonder people are confused?

[ChunksterK]

Front page of today's HTH quote mayor as "eyeing drastic measures." The only things directly mentioned were the aforementioned closing of the beach parks and a request for the State to put testing for trans-Pacific travel back into place. Sounds tentative and indecisive as opposed to drastic, imo. Read it here:

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/202...accinated/

The hospitals are already full. It was time for "drastic measures" before we got to this point and not after.