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Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, all interscholastic competition will be suspended indefinitely based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat.

3/13/20 – Dr. Bruce Anderson, Director of Health, Dr. Sarah Park, Epidemiologist, Disease Outbreak Control Division & Hilton Raethel, President Hawaiʻi Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi discuss the state’s guidelines for families during spring break.

Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation spokesperson Tim Sakahara responded to Maui Now’s request for information saying, “All HDOT harbors and airports in Hawaiʻi continue to be open and operational. Any reports of their closing due to Covid-19 are inaccurate.” Maston Operations Continue Uninterrupted: Matson intends to maintain all service schedules as normal with three arrivals a week to Honolulu and twice a week calls to each neighbor island port.

US President Donald Trump officially declared a national emergency. He said the declaration opens access to $50 billion for the shared fight against COVID-19.  In his address, President Trump urged states to set up emergency operation centers immediately and asked all hospitals to activate emergency preparedness plans. 

Maui Representative Tina Wildberger and fellow Rep. Amy Perruso joined in calling for a cruise ship moratorium.  The two join Lieutenant Governor Josh Green and Minority Leader Gene Ward in their urgent calls for an immediate 60-day moratorium on cruise ships docking in Hawaiʻi’s harbors.  

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is installing 250 hand sanitizing dispensers with more than 12,000 boxes of anti-bacterial solution that will be placed in high passenger volume areas throughout the airports statewide.

Maui Health announced that beginning April 1, 2020, air ambulance helicopters can now land at Maui Memorial Medical Center’s helipad at night.

In light of safety and health concerns and after serious consideration, the organizers and sponsors of the 2020 Merrie Monarch Festival announced today that the event will not be held.

Mayor Victorino said he would be seeking a moratorium of 60 days minimum on cruise ship travel to Maui County. He also said he is asking county employees to stay home if they are sick out of consideration to others in the work place.  Triage at Maui Memorial Medical Center is being moved outside.

Hawaiʻi President David Lassner provided details about the planned transition to online classes and other changes at the university amid response to COVID-19 concerns.

The event, will tentatively be rescheduled to June 27; however that date is pending community impacts of the ongoing COVID-19.  The school will continue to monitor and assess the situation as the new date approaches. 

Due to the dramatic international spread of the novel coronavirus, the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) has sharply lowered its economic forecast for the state.

Disneyland Park in California will close on Saturday morning, March 14, through the end of the month amid concerns over COVID-19 also known as the coronavirus.

The University of Hawaiʻi will be moving classes online after spring break, effective Monday, March 23, 2020 according to an email communication from UH President David Lassner to students this morning.

Starting this Friday, March 13 and continuing through St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17, the Maui Police Department Traffic Division will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols at various locations.

A Brown Water Advisory has been issued at West Maui and North Shore (Waiheʻe to Hoʻokipa Beach Park) on Maui.

Police say the 27-year-old Kihei man operating the moped sustained life threatening injuries in the crash that was reported at 6:16 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

DOH has temporarily suspended tours to Kalaupapa National Historical Park until April 11, 2020 as a public health measure to protect the vulnerable population of patients.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Education is cancelling all school and department-related travel to the US mainland and international destinations until the end of the 2019-2020 school year, effective March 12, 2020. 

The address comes on the heels of a morning announcement from the World Health Organization, declaring the COVID-19 situation is now a pandemic.  In a recent Tweet, President Trump said, “The media should view this as a time of unity and strength. We have a common enemy, actually, an enemy of the world, the coronavirus. We must beat it as quickly and safely as possible. There is nothing more important to me than the life and safety of the United States.”