Debate in Hawaii over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
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Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting America's political and civic life. In addition to monitoring federal, state, and local responses to the coronavirus, we are also capturing the nationwide and local debates on whether to extend or lift coronavirus-related restrictions affecting the economy, schools, government operations, public health, religious services, and travel.
These arguments come from a variety of sources, including public officials, journalists, think tanks, economists, scientists, and other stakeholders. We encourage you to share the debates happening in your local community to editor@ballotpedia.org.
This article covers the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Hawaii in response to the coronavirus pandemic. You will find the following:
- Debate over the stay-at-home order
- Debate over school closures
- Debate over religious service restrictions
- Debate over election policy
- Links to coverage of responses to the coronavirus in Hawaii
Debate over stay-at-home orders in Hawaii
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on the stay-at-home order in Hawaii.
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Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) (U.S. News and World Report): Hawaii Governor David Ige (D) extended the state's stay-at-home order and mandatory tourist quarantine through May 31.
"This was not an easy decision. I know this has been difficult for everyone. Businesses need to reopen. People want to end this self-isolation and we want to return to normal. But this virus is potentially deadly, especially for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Thanks to our residents, we are flattening the curve, saving lives, and avoiding a resurgence of this virus by not reopening prematurely." - "Hawaii's Governor Extends Stay-At-Home Order Until May 31," April 25, 2020.
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Ewa Beach resident Bernard Noel (Honolulu Civil Beat): Ewa Beach resident Bernard Noel wrote a letter to Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell saying that the stay-at-home order and other measures were crippling Hawaii.
"These insane measures cripple our islands. Countless families cannot feed their children. Businesses are in free fall. And I am wondering what was it all for?" - "‘What Was It All For?’: Divide Grows Over Hawaii’s Lockdown," April 23, 2020.
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State Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R) (Honolulu Civil Beat): State Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R) said that tourists should be quarantined at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for 14 days. She argued that the honor system in effect is not sufficient.
"The present honor system is ineffective and risks the spread of the virus throughout the community. ... Tourists are still being lured to “paradise” with $75 airline price tags and non-enforceable quarantine measures. In a time of crisis and lockdown, it’s unacceptable that tourists are gallivanting across the Pacific risking the lives of residents and essential personnel for the thrill of a discounted vacation." - "Make Hawaii’s Tourist Quarantine Actually Work," April 10, 2020.
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Waimanalo neighborhood board member and community representative Troy Kane (The Guardian): "Locals are following the orders, staying home. But there are people, who are clearly tourists, here by the dozens. They’re still out here, still in groups of seven or more, still coming, and that’s a problem. People will always see this place as their playground. And in this moment, as a Native Hawaiian, this is very reflective of many historical circumstances, where people from outside of the islands have come in and caused real harm to the native population. It’s not always with direct intent to do so, but the impacts, especially on Hawaiian people, are very real. The state has failed to protect many, in the people’s eyes, locally. It took too long to mandate closures, and the communities that would be hardest hit weren’t taken into consideration." - "'It's beyond frustrating': tensions peak as Hawaii locals urge tourists to stay out," April 20, 2020.
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State stay-at-home order protest organizer Emil Svrcina (Hawaii News Now): "Open Hawaii for everybody because, you know, we are hurting more than we are hurting from the virus." - "Small group of protesters calls for government to ease stay-at-home restrictions," April 19, 2020.
Debate over reopening in Hawaii
- See also: Debate over reopening during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on reopening in Hawaii.
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Albert Fox Cahn and Melissa Giddings (The Daily Beast):
"For those trying to fend off a loss of life unparalleled in modern history, the call for surveillance is increasingly urgent. But surveillance skeptics not only question the privacy costs of a public health dragnet, they fear new tracking tools will harm public health instead of helping. Without safeguards and public trust, surveillance measures might drive those on the margins of our society into the shadows, undermining the very contact tracing this technology is supposed to help." - "COVID-19 Has Turned Paradise Into a Privacy Nightmare," May 25, 2020.
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Jonathan Dworkin, an infectious diseases doctor at Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu Civil Beat): "Our goal should be to eliminate COVID-19 transmission within the islands, while also taking steps to revitalize the economy and community life. As Hawaii’s economy is largely dependent on tourism, we must develop a plan to prevent the arrival of infected individuals." - "A Plan For Opening Hawaii Safely: There is an obligation to ensure that uncontrolled infection never again harms our people," June 11, 2020.
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Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board (Honolulu Star-Advertiser): "While much of the quarantine shield must be lowered for the sake or reopening our state's economy, the state is rightly assembling a lineup of screening and case-tracking tactics that aim to effectively manage future upticks in caseload--and prevent the possibility of a surge that could reverse much-needed progress toward the so-called 'new normal." - "Prepare for surge as travel resumes," June 8, 2020.
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Honolulu Star Advertiser Editorial Board (Honolulu Star Advertiser): "Hotels and other businesses looking at several weeks of prep work should be provided with a tentative timeline for the gradual phasing-in of the state’s economic engine — now stalled by 14-day quarantines in place for all incoming travelers." - "Editorial: Set standards for reopening tourism," June 1, 2020.
Debate over school closures in Hawaii
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on school closures in Hawaii.
We have not yet identified any statements related to this topic or state. To suggest a statement, email us.
Debate over religious service restrictions in Hawaii
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on religious service restrictions in Hawaii.
We have not yet identified any statements related to this topic or state. To suggest a statement, email us.
Debate over election policy in Hawaii
This section includes a sampling of statements made by public officials, influencers, and stakeholders on election policies in Hawaii.
We have not yet identified any statements related to this topic or state. To suggest a statement, email us.
Click the links below for more on responses to the coronavirus pandemic in Hawaii.
- Changes to election dates and procedures
- Statewide stay-at-home order
- Statewide travel restrictions
- Executive orders
- Officials and candidates diagnosed with or quarantined due to coronavirus
- Enacted legislation
- Legislative session changes
- School closures
- Court closures
- Prison inmate release responses
- Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies
General resources
The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.
Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
- Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
- Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)
See also
- Ballotpedia: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- State government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
- Changes to ballot measure campaigns, procedures, and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2022
- Ballotpedia's elections calendar
Footnotes
