Citing Hawaii’s recent high positivity rates for COVID-19, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday that it’s suspending fall sports practices and pushing back the start of the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s regular season by six weeks, to Sept. 24. It is implementing a vaccine mandate for students, staff and volunteers involved in public school athletics.

Given eagerness to return to a competition schedule — after last fall’s was scrapped, due to the pandemic — this pause will surely test patience. However, because of the public health threat posed by the coronavirus (the highly contagious delta variant, especially), the DOE’s move is a sensible one.

Amazon’s local delivery service

It’s not yet clear how much the Amazon “delivery station” planned for Kalihi Kai will shorten delivery times for products Hawaii residents order from the online marketplace. The assumption is a lot of branded delivery vehicles fanning out from the station will reach mailboxes more efficiently than when shipped through USPS or other third-party services.

Same-day delivery, offered in a dozen cities, may be a long way off — though if Amazon really tracked Hawaii shopaholics, execs might be surprised.