Maui News

South Maui’s Kīhei Charter School has been added to the list of Grab & Go Meal pickup sites for children 18 years of age and under. Breakfast and lunch meal service is available at the location starting today, Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

In an afternoon press conference, Mayor Victorino provided specifics on what’s open and closed, announced a county call center (available M-F, 7:45 to 4:30 p.m. at 270-7855), and discussed the possibility of designating a portion of a hotel property where returning residents could carry out their 14-day quarantine.

CANCELED: Hawaii Tsunami Watch CANCELED After 7+ Kuril Islands Earthquake

The state Department of Health is currently reevaluating its first reported COVID-19 death in the state after encountering what they called “procedural issues.”

The DOE plans to begin distributing packets for students with no computer access starting next week, in a staggered approach, with drop of for some rural areas planned.  This will not be a generic distribution system, but will be done by individual schools who will oversee and monitor their group of students.

Maui County had the largest vacation rental supply of all four counties in February, according to a report from the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.

Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced reduced hours for public services provided by the County Clerk’s Office as a precautionary measure to fight the spread of COVID-19.

There are now 90 total positive cases of COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi.  This includes 12 new cases on Oʻahu, bringing that island total to 64; and one new case each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, bringing their island totals to 12 and 5 respectively. The new cases include 10 Hawaiʻi residents, 3 US non-Hawaiʻi residents, and one pending case, which officials have yet to classify into existing categories. Although earlier figures released by the Department indicated a decrease in cases on the neighbor islands from previous day counts, the discrepancy appeared to have been from an attempt to provide greater clarity in terms place of residency with non residents moved to a different category.  

Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i announced today that it will not be terminating health coverage for non-payment through April 2020 and will “continue to evaluate the situation moving forward.”

An employee with Maui Health is among those confirmed as COVID-19 positive, according to information confirmed this morning. “Per CDC infection control protocol, we can acknowledge we have an employee confirmed by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health as having COVID-19,” Maui Health said in a statement this morning.

Sen. Hirono and her colleagues wrote a letter urging the administration to help ensure that domestic violence victims and survivors receive the resources they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Transportation made several changes to its vehicle licensing and safety check programs as part of the effort to reduce face-to-face interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our public school system will not close.  We continue our efforts as a statewide team, maximizing our telework approach or providing individualized small group support,” said Dr. Kishimoto.

Hawaiʻi Sea Spirits llc, makers of OCEAN Organic Vodka, is devoting some of its production to make hand sanitizer to help combat the spread of coronavirus. The effort is made possible in partnership with other local companies including: Maui Babe, Mokulele Airlines, the Maui Food Bank, and Ali‘i Kula Lavender.

Internal communication of a COVID-19 test at the Dept. of Health resulted in a report being misread and initiated a retest of samples today from an O‘ahu adult, who died on March 20th. This evening the second test came back negative for COVID-19.

About 75 people were tested Monday for COVID-19 on the first day of testing at the drive-through site at the War Memorial Gym parking lot on Maui, according to the Maui District Health Office.

Governor David Ige this afternoon issued a statewide Stay At Home Order that will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday morning, March 25, and remain in effect until April 30th. 

With many travelers opting to leave before a mandatory quarantine takes effect on Thursday, and stay-at-home order take effect on Wednesday, the overflow of returned rental vehicles is starting to pile up around Kahului Airport.  The actions are taken as state and county officials attempt to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent an overburdened medical system.  

Officials say all back-dated claims will be honored.

New positive results were received today for 16 individuals–including 12 more cases on O‘ahu bringing that island total to 53, two more cases on Maui brining the Valley Isle total to 11, and two more Hawai‘i Island cases for a total of 5 on the Big Island.