A RECENT AND RAPID SPIKE IN
VISITOR AND LOCAL SPRING BREAK
TRAVEL HAS STRESSED THE 'SAFE
TRAVELS' ARRIVAL SCREENING
PROCESS.
GINA MANGIERI IS ALWAYS
INVESTIGATING.
SOMEWHAT CHAOTIC
HAWAII'S BUSIEST WEEKEND SINCE
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. I
WANTED TO KNOW HOW ARE THEY
GOING TO FIX THE ARRIVAL PROCESS
IN TIME FOR A SUMMER RUSH THAT
COULD FAR SURPASS THIS SPRING
BREAK SPIKE.
TRAVEL TO AND BETWEEN THE
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HAS SKYROCKETED
IN RECENT WEEKS, NEARING 30,000
ON SATURDAY
ALONE WHICH IS ALMOST
PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL, AND ALL OF
THEM NEEDING TO SQUEEZE THROUGH
SAFE-TRAVELS SCREENING THAT
MAKES SURE ONLY COVID-NEGATIVE
PEOPLE ARE CHECKED OFF FOR
QUARANTINE EXEMPTIONS. NOT TOO
BAD WHEN IT WAS 5, 10 EVEN 15
THOUSAND VISITORS A DAY -- BUT
28,000?
SHERI KAJIWARA, SAFE TRAVELS
HAWAII SPECIAL PROJECTS
YEAR."
THAT SURGE IS EXPOSING
EVERYTHING FROM INEFFICIENCIES
AND PROCESS GAPS TO TRAVELER AND
STAFF CONFUSION, EVEN
TO KEEP UP THE ALOHA.
JOSH GREEN, LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR-"WE'RE STARTING TO SEE
BURNOUT. AND IF WE SEE BURNOUT,
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET GOOD
RESULTS
FROM OUR SECURITY FOLKS AT THE
I WITNESSED OVERWHELMED WORKERS
SHOUTING AT PASSENGERS AND
PHYSICALLY CONFRONTING SEEMINGLY
FROM SEVERAL ARRIVING AND
DEPARTING FLIGHTS ALL MIXED INTO
A TERMINAL NOT SET UP WITH CLEAR
KAJIWARA-"THE PURPOSE OF
SECURITAS IS THERE FOR SECURITY
PURPOSES AND NOT REALLY PART OF
THE SCREENING PROCESS. WE SHOULD
EFFICIENTLY AT THE TIME THAT YOU
ARRIVED. THEY WERE A BAND AID TO
HELP WITH THE OVERLOAD, AND WE
WILL
DEVELOP A PROCESS THAT WILL
ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM."
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER FOR QUITE
AWHILE BEFORE THE OFFICIAL
SCREENING STATION, APOLOGIZING
TO EACH OTHER FOR GETTING WELL
WITHIN 6 FEET.
KAJIWARA-"THEY WERE THERE TRYING
TO HELP FIX THINGS BECAUSE THE
LINE WAS SO LONG, TO HELP
DIRECT. WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER
JOB WITH THAT,
AND I PROMISE YOU, WE WILL.
THERE WAS A CERTAIN POINT WHERE
WHEN YOU GOT THERE, WE SEPARATED
THE LINE 'BANDS THIS WAY, NO
BANDS THIS
BANDS MEANING WRISTBANDS BEING
COORDINATED AHEAD OF ARRIVAL BY
4 OUT OF THE 6 MAJOR AIRLINES
NOW -- HELPING THOUSANDS OF
CHECKPOINT.
MUFI HANNEMANN, HAWAII LODGING
AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION-"IT'S
LIKE NORMAL TRAVEL IN DAYS OF
THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA, AND
YOU'RE OUT OF THERE."
"I THINK WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE
DONE IS MORE PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE CALL THE
SOUTHWEST ARE ALREADY OFFERING
IT; ALASKA IS UP TO 90 PERCENT
OF PASSENGERS USING THE BANDS.
THE STATE TELLS ME THEY'RE STILL
WORKING ON DELTA AND AMERICAN
AIRLINES.
DISCUSSION WITH THEM TO TRY TO
GET THEM ON BOARD. THE PLAN WAS
TO GET ALL SIX ON BOARD BEFORE
SUMMER, SO
THAT WE CAN BETTER ADDRESS THAT
SUMMER SURGE THAT WE'RE ALL
THE STATE AND PRIVATE SECTORS
ARE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO
GET BY, LIKE POSSIBLY STAGGERING
FLIGHT ARRIVAL TIMES TO AVOID
PEAKS AND
BACKLOGS. THE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR IS PUSHING FOR NEIGHBOR
ISLAND QUARANTINE TO BE LIFTED,
WHICH WOULD FREE UP RESOURCES
FOR MAINLAND AND INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL INTERISLAND WITHOUT ANY
WORRY. AND
FRANKLY, IT'S NOT REALLY
PROVIDING ANY EXTRA PROTECTION
BECAUSE THE POSITIVITY RATES ARE
VERY SIMILAR ACROSS THE STATE."
AS FOR LOWERING THE STRESS AT
THAT WE'RE SO KNOWN FOR. AND I'M
GOING TO WORK
VERY HARD WITH TRAINING,
MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISION, AND
JUST REINFORCEMENT OF THAT
MESSAGING WITH EVERYONE THAT'S
INVOLVED WITH
SAFE TRAVELS."
GINA MANGIERI, KHON2 NEWS,
ALWAYS INVESTIGATING.
JOE:
HAWAII'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
DIRECTOR SAYS THE INTERISLAND
SAFE TRAVELS PROGRAM WILL STAY
IN PLACE UNTIL CASE COUNTS GO