Even with vaccine arriving, Hawaiiâs economy still likely faces agonizingly-slow recovery Even with vaccine arriving, Hawaii's economy still likely faces agonizingly-slow recovery By Jolanie Martinez | December 11, 2020 at 6:32 PM HST - Updated December 12 at 8:06 PM HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Nearly two months into Hawaiiâs tourism relaunch, the hope of a quick economic rebound is fizzling. Because of stricter travel rules, a spike in COVID cases on the mainland and people waiting to get vaccinated, Carl Bonham, the executive director of UHERO (University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization), foresees a slow start to 2021. âIf you havenât been called back to your job in an industry that is still struggling, it is somewhat unlikely that you will be called back between now and certainly late spring,â said Bonham.