On to May, as people now grapple with what month it is, let alone what day of the week. With much time on our hands, this allows for all kinds of pondering about what might be, and when…
As quarantine is lifted here in various increments, what will be the “new” reality? Suggesting things will “return to normal” seems far-fetched, or at least a far-reach. An April USA TODAY-cited Harris Poll showed that only 6% of fans would go to a sporting event as soon as they’re able; 36% said they’d wait at least four months to attend. A Seton Hall poll showed that 72% won’t go to games until a preventive vaccine comes out- maybe late in 2021. Will a quick-acting treatment be found sooner to provide some confidence for people to re-interact, safe in the belief that they can (probably) be saved if infected? Must most restaurants remove some tables in the new world to limit seating capacity, which thus limits revenue potential? Will locals smile, but now hand visitors a plastic bag with a lei inside, foregoing traditional lei-hugs?
As Hawai`i is the world’s most isolated, populated land mass, will freed masses dare sit in flying sardine cans for a minimum of five hours to visit here by autumn or winter? Will we quickly corona-test every person who arrives here? And if infected, will we mandate that they and the other 250 fliers quarantine here? At a hospital? Can people get tested at airport check-ins, so that asymptomatic, yet infected, travelers don’t fly in the first place? How will airlines adapt- people crammed in where the rows in front and behind you aren’t six feet apart? Empty seats equal lost revenue, like with restaurants, ships, buses, and stadiums.
With no guarantees yet that COVID-19 immunity (for those who’ve had the ailment) is long-lasting, will those who are “cured” be given carte blanche to resume normal activities? How will we identify them- with paperwork, ID cards, or rubber bracelets- which would most assuredly open up a black market for sleazy entrepreneurs?
The term “close friend” will take on a whole new meaning, as in “Um… I really don’t need you to get that close, friend.” Many questions and few answers about the “new normal” as we redefine our reality, inch ahead, and ponder uncharted territory in the weeks, months, and perhaps years ahead.
Think about it…
“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my new book, is now available to order online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net and is also available at many local bookstores