Please help Hawaii help itself
I love Hawaii and it’s been very generous to me and my family. I am full of gratitude for the many relationships, cultural connections and opportunities I’ve had because of living here.
I’m very uncomfortable with the way the COVID-19 Pandemic is being managed in Hawaii.
Trust: I do not trust the information. I don’t feel like we’re getting the whole story. The messages shared have not been succinct and consistent. I would like more background and details on your decisions so we can understand the “why.”
Communication: The lack of consistent communication, lack of shared sources, follow up or follow through is the baseline of the lack of trust.
Plan: What is the plan? Who’s advising you on a plan?
Contact tracers: At the July 6 press conference we were told us that there would be 400 contact tracers by Aug. 1. There are about 110 and they are complaining about being over-worked.
Pre-testing: What happened to the partnership with CVS for the pre-testing? Now Oceanit Laboratories is developing a 10-minute, $20 test. How can the state invest/support this?
Quarantine: There isn’t enough clear communication to those that need to quarantine. I have encountered people that are confused about being “exempt” and that an exemption allows them to roam freely.
What about a daily report shared online Where topics and issues could be followed up so that our community can gain a thorough understanding. Questions could be asked and answered.
Knowledge is power: I want to support you and want to share the right information with my family, friends, neighbors and employees. Please help Hawaii help itself.
Lead, communicate, build trust, share your plan. Follow up, and take appropriate action.
Mattson Davis
Kailua-Kona
Gloomy thought
I watched the TV news on a recent morning, and it led to a gloomy thought. There are many people in the country who have been misled about the severity of the pandemic by President Donald Trump and company. These people shun masks and attend large gatherings. Therefore, there is little chance that the virus will recede in this country until there is a widely available vaccine. From what I understand from responsible medical advisors, such a vaccine probably won’t be available until mid-2021.
As unfortunate as it will be for so many people, it looks like we are in for a very long haul until we can breathe free from the pandemic. For me personally, this means hunkering down and continuing to accept a very reduced life, which I find difficult to endure, as I am a normally social person who enjoys mixing with others in groups, dancing in bars, and so on. It’s a gloomy thought that I need to continue this reduced way of life until we get a vaccine, but so it is. If we get the enemy in chief out of office in November, who is largely responsible for the failure of the pandemic to recede in this country, that will sweeten the situation a bit for me.
Mike Keller
Kailua-Kona
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