Editorial: Maintain guard against COVID

Hawaii people who have postponed favorite outings or even life events over the course of an 18-month pandemic are now putting many of those things back on the calendar, with a sense of relief.

There’s good reason for that. More opportunities to become social again are on the near horizon, thanks to a vaccine quotient that’s high enough to start relaxing restrictions. Most activities that were commonplace in the pre-coronavirus reality are possible again, with masking and other relatively minor concessions to public health.

But the spread of a more contagious form of COVID-19 surely signals more twists and turns on the path back to some form of normalcy in America.

Coming close to 60% of the population fully vaccinated has shifted Oahu into a less stringent regulatory level, Tier 5, allowing for larger private gatherings. Those who have completed their shots qualify for the most leniency.

THE PRINCIPAL example applies statewide: Showing their so-called “vaccine passport,” or credentials proving they are at least two weeks past complete immunization, has enabled a big change in travel planning. All travelers still can have a waiver from quarantine by presenting a negative COVID-19 test. However, the Safe Travels Hawaii program has expanded to award the same waiver to travelers uploading their vaccine card to the state’s online portal, escaping the cost and inconvenience of securing a test result.

Beyond that, Tier 5 enables expanded capacity for bars, restaurants and certain establishments and functions with attendance that is not limited to table seating.

These venues — such as karaoke bars and those presenting indoor events such as conferences and concerts — can admit customers to full capacity if they require vaccine credentials or a negative test at entry. Some businesses are examining these allowances with interest.

Reviews are mixed, though. Potential patrons who are unvaccinated have complained that giving the vaccinated greater ease of access is unfair. And some venues are leery of taking on the policing of vaccine or health status. They would prefer living with more limited capacity until the state reaches the 70% vaccination threshold, when all restrictions will go away. That’s certainly their prerogative.

For anyone to characterize these options as unfair, however, is simply wrongheaded.

Simply put, people do have choices, whether that be businesses deciding how to best admit patrons safely, or customers opting where to patronize — but all this must be done within the context of public health protections.

And COVID-19 is far more serious than the average viral infection, killing some 606,000 Americans and wounding the national economy. The impact on business and employment in Hawaii has been exceptionally damaging.

So for the general well-being of society, it has been a reasonable expectation that precautions be imposed. Nobody is being denied their right to activities as long as precautions are taken.

It is likely that some will exercise the “passport” provision, given that it’s still uncertain when Hawaii will hit the 70% mark. The delta variant of the virus, spreading rapidly here and around the world, could delay the final defeat of COVID-19. Cases are surging globally and in regions across the U.S. with low vaccination rates.

Plainly, pushing up those rates is a clear pathway to follow. The longer the virus persists in the environment, the more dangerous new variants can develop, viruses that potentially could slip past the vaccines.

And the fewer people in the vicinity of the virus who are vulnerable, the fewer places the virus can land and the sooner it begins to fade from view. Vaccines help create that barren landscape for further infection.

THERE ARE various strategies to make the months ahead productive. One is to embrace some of the positive changes the pandemic has produced: a new proficiency with remote communications that provide convenience, additional options for accessing goods and services, a better understanding of our collective responsibility for public health.

Already, many businesses are enabling flexible work hours and a mix of office and home workplaces, because they’ve found they can operate well like that. The new reality will be different, but it also could offer better choices.

Above all, people should show patience and empathy for their fellow pandemic travelers. Most of us are eager to get back to conventions of contemporary life and work.

Not everyone can flip a switch and feel safe in public settings, though. Some will want to wear masks, even if they’re not required.

This past year-and-a-half has been a real trial. Let’s be gentle with each other on the way back to “normal.”