On this one, we’re with City Councilmember Kym Pine, who has pointed out that it seems unfair that some incoming military family members are exempt from quarantine rules that, for public health, apply to civilian residents, tourists and others.

Also puzzling is that the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s “restriction of movement” rules — only trips to the grocery store, doctor or pharmacy for 14 days — are mandatory for military personnel traveling here on “essential” work orders, but merely advisory for family members arriving on “permanent change of station” orders. The state’s COVID-19 Joint Information Center, which has yet to comment on the policy, should take a hard look at what appears to be a loophole.

Healthy competition for 2020 election

The lineup of candidates in Hawaii’s election season — made official with Tuesday’s deadline to file paperwork — is more crowded than usual. In races for seats in the Legislature, there are more Republicans than in 2018, and the newly formed Aloha Aina Party, focused on traditional Hawaiian values, is fielding more than one dozen candidates.

Even within the dominating party, an unusually large count of races is slated for the Aug. 8 primary election, with 30 Democratic face-offs for House and Senate seats. The competition is refreshing for a state in which longtime pols have often coasted in unopposed races.