Off the News: Boosters still deserve a boost

One assumes that the add-on vaccine booster requirement at Maui venues generated grumbling from patrons not expecting it. But there’s also been a drop in COVID-19 cases and strains on hospitals, which eased the Maui mayor’s decision to end it on Monday.

The booster rule, meanwhile, got backing from Dr. Tim Brown, an infectious disease expert at the East-West Center, adding that the initial shots are only 10-20% effective without it. Perhaps that stat should be posted outside restaurants, bars and gyms.

The Great Aloha Drive-thru

The Great Aloha Run returns later this month with a grand gesture. It will be a virtual event (run or walk anywhere you want, just be part of the communal experience), but participants can choose to be part of a drive-thru procession Feb. 21 at Aloha Stadium, to bid aloha to the grand old structure that has reached the end of its lifespan.

Since 1985, Great Aloha has plotted a course from Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium. Faithful runners and walkers can now commemorate those years. Details: greataloharun.com.