||| FROM JOE SYMONS |||
Given the Governor’s new announcement, will SJC take any steps to reduce non-essential travel? We are still in phase 2 where non-essential travel is prohibited. That said, there are basically no restrictions imposed by SJC re hospitality facilities and no enforcement of the definition of non-essential travel.
I have operated a licensed vacation rental for almost 30 years. My guests are exclusively from out-of-county locations. The hospitality industry is a COVID vector. I strongly urge SJC to significantly reduce the inflow of out-of-county visitors. One (surely seen as draconian) measure is to pull the plug, even if temporarily, on components of the hospitality ecosystem.
The easiest is to pull (suspend) vacation rental permits. We are, after all, in an emergency. Those who have existing reservations would be encouraged, or forced, to cancel them. Visitors should not be coming anyway; they are breaking the non-essential travel policy (I don’t know if it is enforceable by law, but I imagine it could/should be). Let’s not wink at this issue or shrug shoulders and throw up our hands. Existing commercial hospitality venues should have occupancy reduced to at least 50% or more. Random audits should be implemented and stiff fines levied and enforced.
How many new cases do we have to tolerate before we take action commensurate with the problem?
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Mr. Symons raises an excellent point. In terms of rational rulemaking, however, if island visitors are seen as a COVID vector, then all accommodations should have to be closed. To close what one person thinks is the “easiest” group would surely be subject to challenge, and that challenge could show that vacation rentals require far less interaction than resorts and hotels.
So far as I have heard, our cases to date have resulted from islanders going off-island, getting infected, and coming home.
I have never figured how non-islanders can stream onto the island after the the Governor issues a non-essential travel ban.
Like everyone, I am thoroughly tired of the restrictions on our business, school, and social lives, but understand the need for these restrictions. I wish we did not have to pay for the noncompliance of our friends in the Midwest and South.
Here we go again painting tourism as the enemy. Look at the facts before spewing fear-based reactionary blame, Joe. Tourism has shown to not be the cause of community spread. Locals pose, by far, the highest risk. Tourism has contributed next to nothing to community spread. Have you not been paying attention for the last eight months??
I still don’t understand how locals can call tourists a “vector” of Covid transmission when all local cases have been brought back to the island by locals, according to all SJC press releases. Joe, while I may be sympathetic to the need to reduce vacation rental permits, it strikes me that once again the safety debate is being hijacked by people’s political agendas. It makes as much sense to ban locals from leaving the island, how would we all respond to that?
I object to the constant vilification of tourism pursued by so many during this pandemic. Reducing the island dependence on tourism may be a laudable goal. Yet this discussion, which has gone on for years, has failed to generate a practical roadmap for achieving this goal.
You twist the framing when you suggest that the author is painting tourists as enemies when the reference given was “vector”. His position is quite unselfish considering he relies upon his Airbnb for income.
Correction: There have been visitors from off-island who have brought the COVID-19 with them… the kid that showed up from the mainland to work at Roach Harbor Resort and tested positive while here, and the visitor from the mainland who had gotten tested before coming here, and then found out he was positive after spending half a day browsing Fri. Har.
But, that’s not the point… let’s quit kidding ourselves. The more of us that go to the mainland, or the more mainlanders that visit here the more we increase the odds of being infected.
The analogy that it’s somehow O.K. for visitors to come here because there are those of us that are making non-essential trips to the mainland is a poor baseline from which to operate. The sad reality is that many of us (locals) clearly should not be making non-essential trips to the mainland… why is that so hard to understand?
Better get used to it… over-tourism is clearly not in anybody’s best interests (that’s the current roadmap we’re looking at). There are many who take it seriously when they see organized (corporate backed) entities ruining their dream communities.
From what I know, I absolutely agree about “us locals” being the primary conveyors into the County. But, I think public health trumps dollars, so what does the County Health Department think about occupancy rates, etc? Could/should WSF monitor travel to County residents and essential workers?
I’m grateful to know the state is helping businesses with more money, and I suggest we locals book a night or two, as we’re able, somewhere here in the County.
One concern of ours remains groups of young people without masks. I see them almost everyday at the Skate park, and around Eastsound today. We need to help one another in preserving safety. What are teenagers saying about all of it?
And, regardless of the limit of 5 for outdoor gatherings, I’m learning of plans for larger holiday get togethers.
I had a mainland medical appointment last week, was reluctant to go at all, and will forego any future trips, if possible, until the restrictions are relaxed.