Maui Coronavirus Updates

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino provides his daily weekday update and answers media questions.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino today sent a letter to Governor David Ige saying he hopes residents will be able to call or go online to place flower deliver orders for Mother’s Day on May 10, 2020. Under the Governor’s Sixth Supplementary Proclamation, county mayors must now seek approval before issuing any emergency rules, orders or proclamations.

The 16th death is an Oʻahu woman who is over 65-years-old and had underlying conditions and had been hospitalized since early April. As of noon on Monday, April 27, 2020, there are 607 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with 1 new case located in Maui County. To date, 493 people have recovered including 78 in Maui County.  This means there are 114 active cases in the state and 35 active cases in Maui County.

“This will be a defining week for us,” said Mayor Victorino.  “The last two weeks have set the tone… I’m looking at opening parks and I’ll probably be announcing that tomorrow, depending on if the governor approves it or not.”

Out of the $200,000 donation, $40,000 went to our local food banks on four islands–$10,000 each to Hawaii Foodbank, Hawaii Foodbank Kaua‘i, Maui Food Bank and The Food Basket on Hawai‘i Island.  In addition, the Alaska Airlines Foundation contributed $20,000 to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Hawai‘i Resilience Fund.  

Hand washing stations are available for staff and public; Recycling “sorting” barrels are disinfected after each use; Customers are asked to keep a safe distance of at least six feet between each other; Operators highly recommend that customers wear a mask and gloves while recycling and redeeming HI-5 bottles and cans; and Staff wear masks when interacting with the public.

An O‘ahu man, over the age of 65, with underlying health conditions passed away last night. He had been in the hospital since early March and his infection was presumed to be community associated. To date, there are 15 COVID-19 related deaths in Hawai‘i–10 on O‘ahu and five on Maui.

The proclamation has a section on statewide coordination in which the governor invoked section 127A-13(a)(5) of the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes noting it is his “opinion that it is necessary to coordinate emergency management functions.

The telephone conference will take place on Wednesday, April 29 from 11:50 a.m to 12:50 p.m.

The Pacific Whale Foundation has observed vessels violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act by approaching humpback whales well within the 100-yard approach distance.

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court will use video conferencing to conduct its May 5 oral argument. This is the first time a supreme court oral argument will be held via video conference, with the five justices and the parties’ attorneys participating from separate locations.

Effective Friday, May 1, 2020, the County of Maui Department of Transportation is suspending two additional Maui Bus commuter routes because of substantial reductions in passenger demand caused by COVID-19.

For a third day this week, Maui County had no trans-Pacific flights (domestic flights) from the mainland on Saturday. Of the 112 interisland passengers that arrived at Kahului Airport on Thursday, April 23 (2020), 89 were from O‘ahu and 16 were from Lāna‘i.  Of the 23 passengers that arrived at Moloka‘i Airport, 12 were from O‘ahu and 11 were from Maui.  Of the 18 passengers that arrived at Lāna‘i Airport, 3 were from O‘ahu and 15 were from Maui.

As of noon on Sunday, April 26, 2020, there are 606 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with 2 new cases, including one additional case each on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. To date, 488 people have recovered including 74 in Maui County.  This means there are 118 active cases in the state and 38 active cases in Maui County.

Readthe full text of the Governor’s sixth supplementary proclamation, which effectively extends the state’s stay-at-home orders through May 31st and extends the state’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine through the end of May.

Gov. Ige has extended the 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for people arriving in the state and the stay-at-home order until May 31, 2020.  The proclamation also notes that people can now run or walk on state beaches for exercise.

Tara Dugan, digital sales director of MauiNow interviewed Nancy Le Joy, executive director of Pacific Cancer Foundation to learn how they have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pacific Cancer Foundation is a Maui-based nonprofit providing free support services for the Maui community. “We have patient navigators, we have a care coordinator, nutritionists, licensed therapists, […]

As of noon on Saturday, April 25, 2020, there are 604 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with 3 new cases. Maui County’s count was revised downward by one case by officials with the state Department of Health for a total of 112 confirmed positive. Of the 112 cases in Maui County, at least 73 have been released from isolation, and 13 have required hospitalization.

YB may supplement service from Moloka‘i as needed with an occasional stopover on Wednesday morning as the Kawaihae barge returns to the port of Honolulu. The service is intended to facilitate the timely transport of fresh produce from Moloka‘i to the neighboring islands and support the farming and agriculture industries. The occasional Kawaihae/Kaunakakai stopover will allow fresh produce from Moloka‘i to reach the neighbor-island markets.

Additional food drives run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. today (Saturday, April 25) at Hope Chapel in Kīhei and AutoZone in Kahului across from the Kahului Post Office.