Hawai?i’s current surge in COVID-19 cases could halt the state’s plan of rolling out the welcome mat to tourists next month. And even if tourism resumes, there?s no guarantee that visitors will feel safe enough to return or that residents will be assured that tourists are relatively coronavirus free.
Hawai?i?s largest economic industry – tourism – is set to reopen September 1st. But that may have to be put on hold until community spread of COVID-19 can be contained.
Local economist Sumner La Croix led a panel discussion yesterday for the Hawaii Economic Association on what needs to happen for Hawai?i tourism to resume under COVID-19.
"There really is no trade off between controlling the epidemic and revitalizing and reopening the economy. If we?re going to have a strong economy, which implies a vibrant tourism sector, we have to have the epidemic under control," he said.
"It?s safer behavior by Hawai?i residents, it?s better performance by Hawai?i government, and it's putting in place a pre-departure and in-Hawai?i testing of air passengers that reassures Hawai?i residents that tourists coming to visit are relatively safe."
La Croix says the state?s current plan for testing tourists could eliminate 80 to 90 percent of infections. But if tourism numbers return to pre-COVID levels, testing capacity could be a problem. Not only because of the recent spike in cases in Hawai?i but across the country.
"With this current surge in cases, this kind of testing availability is implausible," he said. "The results of this would be that we?re going to have a lid put on the number of tourists that will ultimately come here. That doesn?t mean thought that we shouldn?t move ahead."
No announcement has been made on whether the state plans to roll back the September 1st reopening. Gov. David Ige says he plans to address the issue within the next week.
