Off the News: Get going with City Card spending

Last call, ladies and gentlemen.

Honolulu Hale has not exactly said that the extension through Feb. 15 for those who received the City Card will be the last, but consider this: These are federal pandemic dollars, and unspent funds are an endangered species these days. For sure, they will get sucked back into taxpayer coffers.

The city says roughly 600 of the 3,724 debit cards — at $500 each, expendable on groceries and household goods — are still unactivated. The phrase “use it or lose it” applies.

Variant out there, so be prepared

The surfacing of two cases of a coronavirus variant serves as a signal that now is no time to let slip public health protocols. The L452R variant, first detected in Denmark, is now found in more than a dozen U.S. states. While science has not shown whether the variant spreads more quickly or poses a greater threat than others, state health officials on Monday expressed concern because it has been linked to a growing number of cases, including outbreaks in California.

Given that Hawaii has one of the nation’s highest COVID-19 reproduction rates, you know what to do: Mask up, wash your hands, maintain physical-distancing directives and get vaccinated when you can.