Hawaii Lt. Gov. Threatens Lockdown in 2-4 Weeks, Blames Unvaccinated Residents

Hawaii Lt. Gov Josh Green speaks at a press conference at the Daniel K. Inouye Internation
AP Photo/Marco Garcia

Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Josh Green (D) is threatening another round of economic and travel restrictions, supposedly to prevent the spread of coronavirus — blaming the authoritarian measure on residents of the island who are not vaccinated against the disease.

“I say we are two to four weeks at this rate from seeing major adjustments in what we’re able to do,” Green stated.

“It’s a small minority that is otherwise condemning society to a lockdown and potentially large-scale death,” he added. “No one wants to close down businesses, no one wants to put in curfews, no one wants to curtail regular life or schools — but we have to keep people alive.”

Green’s comments come after demonstrated outside the official’s home during the weekend.

“I’m probably going to be taking care of them in the hospital with my colleagues because they’re going to catch COVID,” he said. “[T]hose very individuals are condemning everyone in society to a much larger lockdown.”

Green said all ICU beds at the Hilo hospital are full — more than half with COVID-19 patients — and as of Sunday 58 of the 68 ICU units at Honolulu’s Queen’s Hospital were occupied, Hawaii News Now reported.

In total, Green said 300 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 and of those, at least 270 are unvaccinated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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