Maui County to distribute thousands of take-home COVID-19 test kits

The County of Maui will distribute a few thousand BinaxNOW self-test kits for free, beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, while supplies last, at the War Memorial Gymnasium parking lot in Wailuku. Motorists are advised that only one test kit will be provided for each vehicle driving through the distribution site.

A few hundred kits will also be provided to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi residents at a later date.

“We ordered these take-home test kits in anticipation of another outbreak of COVID-19, and this distribution is aimed at providing our residents with a fast and easy way to see if they have the virus and need to isolate at home,” Mayor Victorino said in a press release announcement. “The Omicron variant is highly contagious, and we need everyone’s help to identify positive cases early and slow the spread of the virus.”

Testing is recommended for anyone who might have flu-like symptoms of COVID-19; those who have been in contact with an infected person; or those who traveled off-island recently. The public can check with a local pharmacy on the availability of at-home test kits or visit www.mauinuistrong.info for a nearby test site or vaccination clinic.

County officials advise that “residents can help protect the community’s health and safety by wearing facial coverings, watching physical distancing from those outside your household, avoiding large gatherings, staying home when not feeling well and washing hands frequently.”