Pandemic in the Paradise | Shafkat Anowar

A couple spends some time close to each other in Waikiki beach on April 10, 2020. During a typical summer time, this beach is supposed to be flooded with beach goers but upon restricting the incoming tourists with 14-day mandatory quarantine, the number has dropped significantly.

Hope in the Aloha State

At the end of March, Honolulu resembled a dead city. With the “stay-at-home” order, people weren’t socializing as much. The Hawaii we were seeing then was the opposite of what anyone could picture from an earlier time. No tourists were posing for a selfie; barely anyone sunbathed on the beach and, most importantly for us locals, there was no rush hour on the highways. The famous Waikiki beach is discouraged for anyone to relax and watch the sunset. In mid-May, Hawai‘i saw no new positive cases but that increasingly went up after a while. On August 13, the state saw its record number of COVID-19 positive cases of 353 in one day. Due to the rising concern during the second wave, Hawai‘i is currently going through its second lockdown. This photo essay is about a sense of hope in paradise, where people used to gather for holidays, parties, wedding ceremonies and whatnot. The idea of “normalcy” has been radically altered and will likely continue until an unknown time. However, the new creative adaptations led communities within O‘ahu to be benign and resilient even during the pandemic.

I have visited this place several times during my four years stay in Hawaii but I never found the “Hawaii” symbol dimmed. The place became a ghost town after the statewide shutdown began on March 20 including O’ahu’s three day curfew from 11 pm to 5 am during the easter weekend due to COVID-19 concerns.

A child looks out of a car window traveling through a tunnel of lights during the opening night of the Aloha Land Christmas display on Friday, November 27, 2020 at Aloha Stadium in Oahu, Hawaii. This drive-thru display of nearly one million LED lights choreographed to holiday music at the Aloha Stadium benefits S.A.C. Foundation (Show Aloha Challenge).

Todd Week, Casey Week, Jen Valles, Marc Valles enjoys the movie from their truck in a drive-in movie by Aloha Drive-In Movies at Ala Moana Center on October 30, 2020. Aloha Drive-In movies in partnership with Hawaii International Film Festival transformed the parking section between Neiman Marcus and Macy's at Ala Moana Center into an outdoor theater. The viewing space feature a 30-foot LED screen, with enough space to fit 83 vehicles, socially distanced.

Kamaka Page Zablan interacts her ballet class on October 15, 2020. During the second coronavirus wave, Hawaii faced another locked down when no social gathering was allowed. After the cases dialed down, gatherings such as dance classes were allowed unto five people. Following this, Zablan shifted her ballet class in a parking lot she teaches classes with five students and rest through online.

Ballet dancers of Page Academy of Dance take lessons during a ballet class at a parking lot in Honolulu, HI.

Empty gift shop in Waikiki, which in normal time was place packed with tourists.

A day after Gov. David Ige’s stay-at-home order went into effect, Chinatown becomes one of the many places to resemble a ghost town.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop churches from celebrating their annual Easter Sunday services. Pastor Rev. Alfred Omar B. Guerrero walks by the empty seats during University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Newman Center’s online Easter Sunday mass service on Facebook Live. Instead of holding a traditional in-person Easter service, Newman Center streamed digitally and had more than 100 people tune in.

Muslims pray during an Eid-al-Fitr home congregational prayer in Honolulu, HI on May 23, 2020. Religious institutions are under lockdown to worshippers and visitors as a measure to regulate the spread of COVID-19. On Thursday, the city has allowed in-person spiritual services to reopen on O’ahu from June 5, 2020.

A woman does a spiritual exercise at Ala Moana beach park on May 5, 2020. As of May 16, 2020, O’ahu beaches were set to reopen for sunbathing, small gatherings, and other activities — but beachgoers are asked to follow social distancing guidelines.

A sign is displayed over the entrance of The Black Cat Salon + Spa at Waialae Ave on September 27, 2020. Kaimuki neighborhood is one of the most well known place in town for it’s reputation over small businesses.

A spectator enjoys the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park, Maui, HI. The restrictions has implemented rules where people can not access the park for sunset or overnight activities. Recently visitor number has increased to around 400 arrivals to the state. Compared to 30,000 passengers arriving daily at this time a year ago, that’s still well below (Stats collected from Hawaii Tourism Authority).

The pandemic has opened up a spot for local fishermen to fish at their favorite spot. With less crowd on the water, more fishes are found on the shallow water.

The Black Cat Salon + Spa barbers work inside the salon maintaining social distancing on October 17, 2020. After O‘ahu saw new COVID-19 relatively low infection rate, the city eased more restrictions on businesses and activities Thursday, October 22, 2020.

People were seen maintaining distance after the government of Hawaii opened up local beaches for swimming, surfing, and regular exercise on May 10, 2020.

Navy officers salute as World War II veterans make their way towards the main area during the 75th commemoration of the end of the war on September 2, 2020, at the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii. Even amid the pandemic, Hawai‘i did not forget to pay tribute to its World War II (WW2) veterans on the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2. The commemoration this morning was closed to the public and took place on the deck of the USS Missouri, where the Japanese Imperial Military formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, ending one of the deadliest wars in human history.

Visitors dressed as “Covid Police” and Quarantine Breaker” on the Waikiki street on Halloween night, October 31, 2020. Every year on Halloween, Waikīkī sees a record number of people flooding the streets in the wildest of costumes migrating from one bar to another. It is thought to be the busiest night of the year. Not surprisingly, Waikīkī saw its fewest number of people compared to past Halloween nights. Although people were seen wearing face masks, some continued to gather in large groups. Honolulu police officers patrolled Waikīkī, encouraging residents and visitors to follow COVID-19 restrictions by enforcing facial coverings and dispersing large groups of people. Sidewalks and parts of beach entrances were barricaded on Kalakaua Avenue to prevent street parking and gathering.

At the end of the day hope is something that keeps us alive. People’s life is on a pause, waiting for someday to reopen everything and go back to life. The illuminated heart shape comes from the closed hotels in Waikiki. It signifies the loss the tourism industry is going through right now.