While there’s no pinpointing blame for last week’s largest single-day spike in new COVID-19 cases, there’s an obvious top suspect: social gatherings related to Christmas and New Year’s holidays. And with the infection rate on the rise recently, the hospitalization rate has increased, too.

In a sensible counterpunch response to Thursday’s statewide count of 322 cases (with two-thirds of the infections on Oahu), Lt. Gov. Josh Green urged residents to immediately avoid all social gathering for two weeks. Even while marking a bit more so-called “alone together” time, hold onto protocol routines for mask-wearing, physical-distancing and hand-washing.

Speed humps could be coming your way

They call them “speed tables,” bigger than a speed bump or even a “speed hump,” but all of them add safety in hazardous zones. The new ones going in on Farrington Highway in Nanakuli are also raised crosswalks, offering better visibility and protection for pedestrians.

Other humps are on this busy Waianae Coast highway, as well as on Pali Highway in Nuuanu, which may frustrate drivers weary of Oahu’s already bumpy roads. But if state studies confirm they slow people down, more may be coming.