Reactions to the State of the State Address; DOH to vaccinate Kalaupapa community; East-West Medical Institute discusses vaccine trial findings; Reality Check: Lack of tourism revenue hits Kauai healthcare facility; How to combat overtourism
Reactions to the State of the State Address
Democratic Governor David Ige gave his 2021 State of the State Address this morning. Governor Ige urges residents to look forward after an unprecedented year. Tom Yamachika, President of Tax Foundation of Hawaii, joins us with reactions.
DOH to vaccinate Kalaupapa community
This morning, the residents of Kalaupapa, the settlement created for Hansen’s disease patients, are receiving the first of two shots that will protect them from the Covid-19 coronavirus. The rollout of the vaccine comes on the heels of the feast day of Saint Mother Marianne Cope. We spoke with Sister Alicia and Sister Barbara Jean, two of the last nuns at the Kalaupapa Settlement.
East-West Medical Institute discusses vaccine trial findings
The East-West Medical Research Institute in Honolulu was one of a hundred sites worldwide that participated in early vaccine trials and research. According to lead researcher Dr David Fitz-Patrick, the Hawaii site had the distinction of being one of the most community-involved trials across the board.
Reality Check: Lack of tourism revenue hits Kauai healthcare facility
Kauai in particular has struggled without revenue from tourists. This deficit has had ripple effects beyond the tourism industry itself. Honolulu Civil Beat has a story about a Kauai health center that is struggling to survive. Click here to read the full story at civilbeat.org.
How to combat overtourism
A resident sentiment survey released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in November found that 65 percent of respondents felt that people from outside the state should not visit Hawaii. Even prior to the pandemic, one of the big issues facing the industry was overtourism. The term, coined by travel media company Skift, means that a destination’s visitor infrastructure has been mismanaged without regard to the economic, environmental and sociocultural effects to the local population. With Hawaii tourism in a recession, many have suggested now is the time to rethink the industry.
