Governor Ige's eighth emergency proclamation in response to the coronavirus goes too far, as Hawaii has had only 647 reported cases as of May 24th yet the entire state remains closed to visitors who must quarantine. The low infection and death rates in Hawaii do not warrant such extensive business closures and discouraging visitors hurts the tourism-dependent economy, costing the hospitality industry millions daily and threatening many jobs. The length and severity of the governor's actions seem politically motivated or unintelligent, reflecting poorly on his leadership.

1. HAWAII FIVE OH OH
Governor Ige’s recent eighth “Emergency Proclamation” goes way past
the necessary response needed to protect Hawaiian residents and
visitors from the Coronavirus.
As of May 24th there have been only 647 reported cases in all of the
Hawaiian Islands, yet the entire state has been closed down, with
visitors being required to quarantine for 14 days, at least through the
end of June. What’s even more absurd is reading in the news that
underserving visitors are being arrested for leaving their hotel rooms
and for not adhering to the strict guidelines of the Governor. Having
mass closures of business’ all over the islands would be more reasonable
if the reported cases and deaths were much more severe, but Hawaii
has one of the lowest Coronavirus infection rates in the country.
Hawaii’s economy is very dependent on the tourist dollar and the
decision by Governor Ige to discourage visitors from returning to the
islands is reckless and irresponsible. The hospitality industry is losing
millions of dollars every day due to the length of these closures and
there will be severe consequences for many employers and many of
their employees as a result.
One has to think that Governor Ige has a political motive for his actions
or is not very intelligent, neither of which is a good reflection of his
leadership skills. Whatever the motive, I hope he makes a decision to
reopen the state, before it gets to the point of economic ruin.