Maui Coronavirus Updates

While Aloha Festivals is a community-supported event made possible through private donations, community sponsors and merchandise sales, the festivals also relied on appropriated funds from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority which will not be available for 2020 due to the decline in Transient Accommodations Tax.

There are 29 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–27 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and two new cases on Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,292 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.  To date, 951 people (74.8%) have recovered including 120 (93%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 319 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

“Central to the survival of tenants and property owners alike is the fact that counties continue to collect property taxes in full, resulting in a domino effect of landlords needing to cover their expenses from small businesses’ occupancy,” according to Island Business Management, LLC, one of the survey partners.

The presentation features discussion from the Hawaiʻi National Guard – Joint Task Force, which consists of soldiers and airmen deployed in support of state and county COVID-19 response and mitigation efforts.

A second survey geared toward understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hawaiʻi’s businesses is taking place. Results from the first survey, conducted in April 2020 revealed the hardest hit industries were accommodations (hotels), down 83 percent in full-time employee reductions, and retail businesses, down 76 percent.  

“With so many unforeseen difficulties in our daily lives with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, we want to use this opportunity to do something small in hopes that it might make someone’s day a bit easier and a bit more fun,”  said Roselani Ice Cream Operations Manager, Buddy James Nobriga.

The Hawai’i Medical Service Association is offering more financial relief to local businesses in the form of a one-month 15 percent premium credit.

There are 22 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–19 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and three new cases on Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,264 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. The state Department of Health also reports that as a result of updated information, one case from Honolulu was removed from the counts.

Application forms for free and reduced-price school meals for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program are being mailed home with a letter to parents or guardians for School Year (SY) 2020-21.

Da Kitchen is closing its Kahului location on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 after 20 years in business.  The announcement came in the form of a company Facebook post on Monday evening and was confirmed via phone call to store managers. The restaurant is known for signature dishes that include the “Deep Fried Spam Musubi,” and its Mocos and Bowls that include the “Polynesian Paralysis Moco,” and the “Kanak Attack Combo Moco.” The Kahului location employs at least 10 staff for front-of-house operations in Kahului.

Gov. David Ige this afternoon announced he is delaying the launch of the state’s pre-travel testing program by a month to Sept. 1, 2020. The governor has faced mounting concerns amid reservations from county mayors.  The pressure also comes as spikes in cases occur on O‘ahu; and three deaths were reported among Hawai‘i residents today. Mayor Victorino has said that spikes on the mainland have resulted in delays in testing capabilities and the amount of test kits available for Hawai‘i.

There are 23 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–19 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, one each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and two new cases of Hawaiʻi residents who were diagnosed out-of-state.  This brings the statewide count to 1,243 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.

The Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division today reports three more deaths of Hawaiʻi residents from coronavirus. The state recorded 86 new COVID-19 cases since last Friday and says most are in previous clusters associated with “community-spread.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) will host her next telephone town hall meeting to update Hawai‘i residents about COVID-19 at 4 p.m. HST on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

Here on Maui, a total of 146 people arrived on four trans-Pacific flights, including: 62 returning residents, 37 visitors, 22 individuals planning to relocate to Hawaiʻi, 24 crew members and one individual in transit to another location.  

There are 21 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–19 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and one each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,220 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. To date, 890 people (74.1%) have recovered including 119 (92.9%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 311 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

There are 42 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–38 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and two each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,200 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. To date, 872 people (76.5%) have recovered including 118 (92.9%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 267 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

Blackstone fund owned hotels, Grand Wailea and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, partnered with the Maui Food Bank to distribute 2,000 food packages to local families during drive-through events hosted by employee volunteers at the resorts on Friday.

“For here in Maui County if I had a week, seven days or more of 10 (new positive cases) a day or more, I’d be looking to slow it down–shutting down, pulling back if that was necessary,” said Mayor Victorino. As for the projected timeline for the state’s previously announced pre-travel testing program, Mayor Victorino said, “For most of us we are looking at a later date than Aug. 1…I would hate to put a date to that forces people to say ‘well you said this.’  Let me say for less of a better term, I’m going to give you my best guesstimation… Sept. 1.”

Contact tracing by the the state Department of Health has uncovered a total of 17 COVID-19 cases to-date involving two O‘ahu commercial gym facilities. Health officials say cases in both gyms are linked to a single person who participated in exercise classes at both.