We, the exasperated public, have lost trust in our elected officials and continue to question the wisdom of the lockdown decisions.

Basic epidemiological principles are not being followed. Unreliable data, faulty analyses and a pervasive lack of scientific literacy have contributed to bad policy decisions.

Leaders, please: Take a page from the books of the experts in other states who are successfully managing this crisis.

Press the governor to hire a competent logistics team to reopen trans- Pacific travel. Insist on the selection of a COVID-19 test with known high sensitivity and specificity. Get focused on the sources of the infections and transmission within our state and inundate communities with the greatest need with PPE and reliable testing.

Restaurants, retailers and salons were never the culprits. Provide the public the information, details and decisions they deserve.

Jennifer Lee Busto

Portlock

Don’t just criticize; make masks mandatory

Why do politicians keep questioning whatever the mayor or governor does to contain COVID-19? There are no perfect solutions. If there were, wouldn’t we be back to normal?

Somebody has to make a decision; you cannot please everyone. But the sooner we get back to some kind of normalcy the better it is for everyone. If these politicians want to do something, make mask-wearing an enforceable requirement with fines or jail time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just said masks may be better than the vaccine.

Lance Miyake

Manoa

Hawaii can offer refuge from West Coast fires

West Coasties, comprising Hawaii’s largest visitor market, are in double- dire straits. Their world is on fire, and they too have COVID-19 to contend with. No one there has a problem with wearing a mask.

They need a Hawaiian vacation and an evacuation destination, despite the fact that Hawaii, especially Oahu, is more fertile ground for COVID-19 than California, Oregon and Washington. They take a greater COVID-19 risk by coming here than we do by hosting them. But their homeland is being consumed by raging flames or, if not, the smoke-filled air is very dangerous to breathe. So they will gladly take that risk to escape the hell they are in.

Now we must open our doors and let them in, not just for tourism, but as a humanitarian rescue. That rescue will in turn rescue our economy. Surely it is a win-win.

Dave Akers

Makiki

Avoid restrictions by holding political rally

I have the perfect solution to the pandemic lockdown: Just declare your gathering a political rally and you can do anything you want. You don’t have to wear masks, don’t have to physical distance, don’t need a meeting permit, don’t need permission to gather.

Businesses can reopen, hotels can reopen, parks can reopen. Just post a political sign saying you are in favor of, or against, something. If the Trump campaign can do it, so can the rest of us.

Seriously, I think the double standard on this issue, as witnessed by the two large political rallies allowed to proceed over the weekend, severely erodes the credibility of the governor and mayor on the entire subject.

I have been totally supportive of restrictive actions until now. No more.

Mark Zeug

Waialae Nui

Force Ko Olina to open lagoon parking lots

Even though Oahu beaches are now open, Ko Olina continues to deny Hawaii residents access to the beach by closing all beach parking lots. Public parking lots at both the natural beaches and the lagoons remain closed.

We saw many security guards milling around last weekend, and we were told that lagoons 2-4 are open, but the parking lots are closed until the hotels open. The tiny parking lot for the natural beach adjacent to Paradise Cove and Lanikuhonua is also closed. Since shoreline access is guaranteed by state law, this shouldn’t be tolerated by the state and the county.

I hope that the governor and mayor will ask Ko Olina management to open the beach parking immediately. Any future development at Ko Olina should be made conditional upon major improvements to public beach access, including expanded parking for residents and guaranteed beach access for kamaaina at all times.

Richard Wainscoat

Kailua

Newspaper buried historic Mideast accord

On Tuesday, a historic peace agreement was signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which could go a long way to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Instead of giving it the prominent coverage it deserved, you relegated it to Page A13 with the headline, “Questions linger over Israeli-Arab peace accords” (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 16).

The article itself was very good and not reflective of the headline. As usual with any accomplishment of our president, the Star-Advertiser tries to twist and not give credit where it is due. And we wonder why so much of the press is accused of producing fake news?

Michael Lebowitz

Haiku-Pauwela, Maui

Makes sense to stop rail just before Chinatown

Working and schooling at home have grown like weeds and their impact behooves our decision-makers to end the rail transit project at Chinatown, as advocated in your pages, instead of Ala Moana Center (“End rail line just before Chinatown,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 13).

The critical mass of Ala Moana Center’s workers are unlikely to ride the rail to commute. However, many Downtown workers would use the rail (or bus) daily because of Downtown’s budget-busting parking rates.

As ever, if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!

Alan Matsuda

Kalama Valley

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