Editorial: Be patient on mask law

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was sending a message of confidence in the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines when it released its latest guidance about mask-wearing on Thursday. The upshot: Fully-vaccinated Americans can feel safe about being mask-less in most places, indoors and out.

That’s not the same as a policy to pull off the masks now, however, and Gov. David Ige is resisting any impulse to issue one.

He’s responding to the correct instinct, given the aggressive but still incomplete process of vaccinating as many Hawaii residents as possible. That said, the impatience of kamaaina — and, even more acutely, of visitors from states without a mask mandate — is likely to mount.

“What about following the science?” the critics might say. “Why aren’t you following it now?”

It’s a tough question, particularly with national leaders, including the president, signing on to the CDC guidance. Ige this week acknowledged the difficulty of holding the line in this environment.

His eyes are on the prize of “herd immunity,” and it’s clear why they are. While national health experts are not optimistic about most of the country reaching that point, Hawaii can be.

Those who are fully vaccinated still represent a minority, around 40%, Ige said. But polling indicates that the vaccine-hesitant represent a smaller slice of the population here than in most states.

This raises the hope that this community will get there — about 70-80% of Hawaii residents having immunity. At that point, the virus finds it difficult to infect anyone.

And that would be an enviable state, a return to the familiar activities we all have missed.

Without a doubt, ongoing enforcement of Hawaii’s mask mandate may be vexing. Ige said he is enlisting employees at airports and hotels to underscore the local rules — and penalties.

It will help, too, that state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 540. This measure makes mask violations subject to a citation and a $200 fine, far less cumbersome than the current practice of charging as a misdemeanor.

The state epidemiologist is now studying data to determine the disease threshold at which the state could reasonably lift the mask mandate, Ige said.

That is encouraging. It is important for Hawaii to mark progress against COVID-19 in that way — and let’s hope that proper time is soon.