Post-arrival testing fiasco
Arriving from a mainland trip on Friday, Oct. 23, I was confronted with the chaotic scene created by the inappropriately named Premier Medical Group at Kona Airport. A section of the unfinished terminal was used to house passengers waiting for their test results. There was no attempt to keep any sort of social distancing between travelers, and what was much worse, no plexiglass or other barriers between the laboratory area and staff and the travelers.
The worker assigned to deliver the paper indicating test results was within less than a foot of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who had to lean over a desk to obtain their results. I witnessed multiple workers with masks not covering any part of their faces, and one worker eating from a bag of chips, while sitting next to a test analyzer.
Dr. Scott Miscovich was present and seemed unaware of the issues. No legitimate medical laboratory would be run in this fashion. If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all.
Peter Locatelli, M.D.
Kealakekua
We Pay, Not China!
President Trump says China pays the tariffs he has imposed on $250 billion of Chinese exports to the United States. Not so! Tariffs are a tax on imports and are paid by U.S. registered firms to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Every item legally imported into the United States has a customs code. The CBP typically requires importers to pay duties within 10 days of their shipments clearing customs. Importers often pass the costs of tariffs on to customers – manufacturers and consumers in the United States – by raising their prices.
Nike Inc. and numerous other footwear companies have urged Trump to remove footwear from a list of imports facing a proposed extra 25% tariff, warning the move could cost consumers an additional $7 billion a year. Walmart Inc, the world’s largest retailer, and department store chain Macy’s Inc have warned that prices for shoppers will rise due to higher tariffs on goods from China.
In addition to imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump has imposed a tax on global steel and aluminum imports and shipments of washing machines and solar panels. From early 2018 through May 1, 2020 the administration has assessed $23.7 billion in tariffs, according to data from the CBP.
We pay, not China!
Edward Schulman
Kailua-Kona
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