Councilmember King to Host Town Hall Webinar on COVID-19, Jan. 11

In response to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Maui County community, Maui County Councilmember Kelly King of South Maui will host a virtual town hall webinar on Monday, Jan. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m.

All members of the Maui County community are invited and encouraged to participate.

The event will feature a panel of experts and public officials to address Maui’s recent surge of new cases and response to the pandemic.

Confirmed panelists and their topics include:

Steve O’Neal, a former UN disaster response team leader and Kauaʻi resident, will detail Kauaʻi County’s response to the pandemic and Maui’s current surge in relation to the situation on other islands, and offer suggestions to reduce the spread and impact of the virus on Maui.

Dr. Michael Shea, Chief Medical Director of Maui Health, will discuss vaccinations and updates from Maui Health and Maui Memorial Medical Center hospital.

Councilmember Gabe Johnson (Lānaʻi), Councilmember Shane Sinenci (Hāna), Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (Molokaʻi) via pre-recorded video, and Lisa Darcy of houselessness advocacy group “Share Your Mana” will describe COVID-19’s impact on Maui County’s isolated communities. 

State Representative Tina Wildberger (Dist. 11, South Maui) will outline the State Legislature’s response to the pandemic.

The Office of the Mayor has not confirmed participation, but has also been invited to send a representative to address issues related to the countywide response to the recent surge, rule enforcement, testing, public relations, transparency, and contact tracing.

Following each topic, time will be allotted for public Q&A and panelist discussion.

To conclude the town hall, Councilmember King will lead a conversation with the panel and the public to summarize concerns and possible solutions, and plan next steps for Maui County.

“While there is a lot going on at the national level, tensions are also rising here at home about the increasing numbers of positive cases of the virus, with the number of new daily cases climbing to 56 on Jan. 7,” said Councilmember King. 

“Our office has heard many questions and concerns from constituents in recent weeks regarding public health and a lack of information,” she added. “This has everyone on edge, which is one of the reasons the County Council urged the Mayor, by unanimous resolution, to create a multi-stakeholder task force.”

To participate in the town hall webinar, attendees may join via https://zoom.us/j/98244334389. The event will be streamed to Facebook Live on Councilmember King’s page at https://facebook.com/CMKellyTKing.