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People are still flocking to Hawaii despite delta variant surge

Aug. 04, 2021
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3 min read
View from an excursion boat of the Na Pali coast on the
People are still flocking to Hawaii despite delta variant surge
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COVID-19 cases are rising worldwide in part because of the highly transmissible delta variant. According to a New York Times tracker, the popular destination of Hawaii has seen an uptick in newly reported cases of the coronavirus, as well as hospitalizations and deaths. According to the Times, there is an average of 359 daily cases in the state.

That doesn’t appear to be putting much of a damper on travel, especially to Hawaii. The state has seen a massive boost in travel since lifting rigorous pre-travel testing requirements. Just this month, more than 110,000 travelers have been screened in the state’s Safe Travels program, and more than 5 million have visited this year.

“Right now, there’s no sign in the high-frequency data that we’re tracking of a market slowdown of any kind associated with delta,” said Carl Bonham from the University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization, who spoke at House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness.

"There has been a jump in people searching for COVID on Google, but mobility data has not retraced; it has not gone down," Bonham said, according to Hawaii Public Radio. "People are not going to restaurants less, at least according to OpenTable data. There's been no sudden drop off in activity.”

Hawaii lifted several travel restrictions, which has likely made it easier for tourists to visit even with the delta variant’s surge. Vaccinated travelers are required to upload vaccination and/or testing documentation online before traveling but are no longer required to quarantine or submit to pre-travel testing. This ostensibly makes the travel far easier and quicker for those who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. TPG’s senior news editor Clint Henderson recently detailed his “easy, breezy, beautiful” travel experience to Hawaii while vaccinated.

But there are signs that Hawaii -- even as it welcomes visitors -- is feeling the effects of the delta variant.

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Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami cautioned residents against traveling to Las Vegas and said the city was the “biggest hot spot” for bringing COVID-19 to the island. A health official said a spike in positive cases was traced to travel to Las Vegas. The state also warned that it was concerned about staffing capacity at its hospitals. And Honolulu cautioned that the city was at a “crossroad” and said it was considering requiring employees to be fully vaccinated or be subject to weekly testing.

“The prevalence and the aggressively infectious nature of the virus and its variant throughout our community has become very concerning,” Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said on July 30. “People who are being infected include those who are fully vaccinated, and more and more of our children are getting sick as well.”

Featured image by LightRocket via Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.