While Hawaii is experiencing a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases, California’s numbers make Hawaii’s look tame.
On Sunday, Hawaii reported 200 new cases and California reported 49,685. On a per capita basis, California had an average of nearly 100 cases for every 100,000 people in the past seven days. Hawaii had 12 cases per 100,000.
Aside from sympathy for the citizens of our neighboring state, Hawaii residents have good reason to be concerned about California’s COVID surge. As Hawaii tries to claw its way out of the worst economic decline in decades, California is a key to the revival of tourism.
California is the source- market for most of Hawaii’s visitors.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a travel advisory Wednesday recommending Californians avoid nonessential travel to any part of California more than 120 miles from their residence, or to other states or countries.