I saw this poll is posted in the Aulani thread, too. Like someone posted there, I'm also concerned about the 3 day test in terms of time, cost and consequence.
- Time: There's only hours before a trip to get a test and receive results to determine whether you can/should travel.
- Cost: Some people do not have access to the test accepted by Hawaii, and the proper tests can be prohibitively expensive. The costs are bouncing around according to a capitalistic model, not public health. (Think cost of flu shot vs. cost of Covid test.) Could I afford the test multiplied by my travel party?
- Consequence: If I receive the results just before I travel and it's positive, what happens to all the work vacation time, hotel costs/expiring points, flights- especially in those cases where I may not be able to use a future travel credit. If I receive the results while in transit or in Hawaii, I'm confined to the room. Is there room service? The consequence of a documented positive test is significant.
I agree that Hawaii does not have the health service infrastructure to take on its island inhabitants plus tons of tourists if an outbreak occurs. It's not fair to the inhabitants to get shut out of a hospital because tourists start to weigh on the system. So I understand the value and necessity to establish safer criteria for travel. I also understand tourism economy- I grew up in a city that relied on tourism.
I think Hawaii's approach underscores the epidemiological importance in Covid19 transmission. We could have several asymptomatic travelers flying a long distance to a place with limited resources. I could "feel fine" and suddenly learn that I'm positive, because I needed the test to travel. Then (hopefully) there's a cascade of consequence- my close contacts are notified, I change my interactions and behaviour to limit exposure to others, I monitor the progression of my positive status. All that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been tested. It's why I believe communal testing is a key to better health in our communities throughout the country. Hawaii may be helping to demonstrate it.
EDIT to ADD: I have a Nov'20 reservation I'm pondering to cancel because of the time, cost, consequence. Plus, we have no idea what the food/pool logistics will be on-site, getting to other food sources/events off-site, and what happens to persons who end up in a room-quarantine circumstance?
Plus, half of my points for the Nov'20 ressie could be used instead for the Mar'21 DIS reunion. .... And let's face it, with my lack of tech-know-how, the party at SW:GE is probably the ONLY way I'm going to get to ride RotR!
