Better to be prepared

If you don’t buy tickets before the show, there’s a chance they’ll be sold out at the door. If you don’t put soap in your shopping cart, you could end up with a sink full of dirty dishes. If you don’t charge your phone at night, you could run out of power halfway through the day.

Preparation moves life along like the gears in a pocket watch — wind your week up right and it could run along rather smoothly, neglect the winding and you’ll run into problems.

We decided to focus on the coronavirus for the front page of Sunday’s TGI edition to emphasize preparation.

We’re not here to ring alarm bells; there haven’t (as of the printing of this article) been any cases of coronavirus reported in Hawai‘i. But, as an international destination the risk is high that the new virus could make its way to the islands.

In the case of coronavirus makes sense to know the symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It makes sense to know the incubation period: 2-14 days.

It makes sense to know what action to take: see a healthcare provider immediately.

And, it’s a good thing to know that our county and state elected officials are working with the state’s Department of Transportation and the Department of Health to quickly identify any coronavirus cases that may show up in one of the state’s airports.

Again, there haven’t been any cases reported in Hawai‘i yet, but it’s better to be prepared. It’s also good practice for any other kind of infectious disease threat that could show up.

It’s good practice for avoiding the flu, too.

Think about the bottles of water and stockpiles of non-perishable foods that Hawai‘i residents ferret away for hurricane season — and if you don’t have a hurricane kit stashed away in your house, you should.

Kaua‘i has made it through the past few hurricane seasons without any direct hits, but — as many Kaua‘i residents know — it only takes one. You don’t want to be caught unprepared in that situation.

It’s not hurricane season currently, but Sunday night high winds triggered power outages around the island. Most were cleared up quickly, but some residents were breaking out flashlights and other emergency kit supplies to get through the outages.

Many on Kaua‘i have had to break into our emergency kits fairly frequently in the past few years. Flooding damaged homes and uprooted lives in the April 2018 floods and the several flooding incidents that have happened since. Having a waterproof container of dry toilet paper and matches has come in handy for many residents.

When you go off-island, you be sure to pack for your trip. You know the conditions of your destination and plan accordingly — including a phone call to your cousin in snow-country to secure a good coat.

When you go out for a day hike, you pack a few emergency supplies and trail snacks so you’ve got something to work with should you get lost or injured out in the mountains.

And when there’s an international bug going around, it’s a good idea to know how to keep yourself healthy and what to do if you get sick.

Out here in the Pacific, where ships carrying supplies could be stopped or delayed by weather or rough seas, it’s good to make sure you have a stockpile of necessities and that you’re taking care of your health, too.

Because, as the old adage goes: it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Coronavirus info: health.hawaii.gov/docd/advisories/novel-coronavirus-2019/

Hurricane Prep info: https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/public-resources/preparedness-information/
Source: The Garden Island