An unprecedented “antiseptic wall” has been raised around Hawaii by government decree effectively banning tourism for a half-year in the very noble interest of community health. The latest plan is to maybe tear down the wall, on September 1, or delay once again. Thereafter, Hawaii would welcome visitors who have been pre-certified COVID-free. If that is the case, why wait? Open sooner.
There is a profound social cost remaining closed until September or longer when viable containment solutions exist as we await a vaccine. Health experts around the country warn that the aftermath of COVID-19 could be far worse on community health than the disease itself, resulting in elevated rates of suicide along with domestic violence, crime, drug and alcohol abuse.
We all know many of our 250,000 unemployed who lost their jobs or have no businesses to return to, thus leaving their families stressed out and financially ruined. One-quarter of our population is unemployed, struggling to make payments for their mortgage, tuition, auto, taxes, rent, medical insurance, child care, etc.
It isn’t just the “little guys” who are getting creamed by remaining closed, but our vast commercial infrastructure of restaurants, malls, office buildings, schools and hotels that have gone into, or are teetering, on the brink of bankruptcy. Like the airlines during the financial crisis 10 years ago, what follows will be shocking and include terminated union contracts, 401(k)s, medical and pension plans, exhausted unemployment insurance benefits and mental health resources.
Hawaii is losing billions in tax dollars for vital social programs, employee retention, pensions, bond payments, police and fire protection. The resulting upheaval of months more of closure will pose a public health and financial crisis greater than COVID.
Death from COVID in Hawaii has been limited to the elderly like myself. In fact, all but two of the 26 COVID-related deaths in Hawaii were elderly and with underlying conditions. Therefore, myself and my peers need to mindfully share this social burden by remaining socially distant and vigilant. Fortunately, COVID appears to be less aggressive in Hawaii, which has arguably the country’s healthiest population. Therefore, we are able to laser- focus resources on the elderly’s hot spots — our ohana, rest homes, prisons and homeless camps.
Not surprisingly, our only way out is through tourism, which has been effectively banned now for five or more months. UHERO sites tourism as our “only growth industry” and cautions “a significant delay in reopening tourism … will very likely lead to [more] bankruptcies and additional loss of jobs.”
Banning tourism to Hawaii is akin to banning gaming from Nevada. Such bans result in long-term economic upheavals for one-horse economies like ours. Most hotels, restaurants and tourism-related companies are either closed or have gone out of business. Tourism will not instantly rebound, and I believe less is actually best. Just a partial rebound will initially stave off the personal stress and ravages of our massive unemployment, local businesses going under, bankrupt infrastructure and unfunded government.
Until a vaccine is widely available, pre-testing allows opening with minimal risk and there will be far fewer visitors impacting our islands. Hotels have adopted costly social distancing and hygienic protocols to get their employees back while protecting visitors. Until the vaccine, this interim period gets us back to work while providing our leaders the luxury to re-imagine tourism as we come out the other side.
With pre-testing, keeping our “antiseptic wall” raised to September and possibly longer only opens the door to incurable economic catastrophe and even more serious long-term community health issues than COVID. It should be torn down, sooner the better.
Michael Paulin is a past chairman of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association and of Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) international board of directors, and a passive investor in several hotels in Hawaii.