Amended Maui Emergency Rules: Expanded Outdoor Gatherings, Restaurant Hours

A new set of amended emergency rules for Maui County were announced today and they are backdated to an effective date of June 15, 2021.

Under the new rules:

• Outdoor social gatherings limit is increased to 25 individuals (Indoor social gatherings are still limited to 10 individuals);
• Restaurants may now operate until midnight; and
• Up to 200 people may now attend outdoor sporting events.

“Most of it is related to the inter-island travel restrictions that the governor has removed,” said Maui County Managing Director Sandy Baz. “We wanted to make sure that our rules did align to the state’s. But we have noted some other changes to this.”

For the expanded outdoor gathering limit, Baz advised that, “If it’s with a group of people, you might want to put your mask on.” He also said people should continue to maintain their physical distancing during outdoor sporting events.

During a press briefing on Friday afternoon, Maui Now asked Mayor Victorino if any of his requests were turned down. He replied saying, “The vast majority of what we asked for was clarification (and) unifying the codes so that we would match the state. And we added some others like opening until midnight for restaurants.

“The one area that the governor is still holding off on is opening up our restaurants and other retail to 75% of capacity; to change the physical distancing; and to do some other changes so that we could feed more people more expediently at our restaurants,” said Mayor Victorino. “Unfortunately, again, he said no to that at this time. I think he wants to wait to where we’re at a 60% fully vaccinated population for the state,” the mayor said.

“Hopefully that will be somewhere around the 1-15 of July–somewhere around there–maybe a little after the Fourth of July at the rate we’re going,” said Mayor Victorino. During a meeting with state health officials today, the mayor said they were in agreement that it’s hard to give a specific timeframe because less people are coming out for vaccinations as time goes on.

He used the opportunity to encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to consider it. “It will prevent them from spreading (the virus) and it will prevent others from getting sick,” he said.

The newly amended public health emergency rules will be posted in their entirety at the County of Maui website.