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Ten-year-old Abby Rogers of Maui has converted her backyard into a native plant nursery to help save coral reefs. Rogers is a volunteer with the Coral Reef Alliance, helping to grow native plants that will be transplanted at their stream restoration site in Wahikuli.

In April, the State of Hawaiʻi received $863 million in direct payment from the federal government’s Coronavirus Relief Fund. Gov. David Ige announced that 98% of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund received by the state has been set aside to assist with COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Hawaiian Airlines today began offering travelers visiting or returning to the Hawaiian Islands from the US mainland a pre-travel COVID-19 test they can take at home to qualify to be exempt from the state of Hawai‘i quarantine.

Menor McNamara called the program a “win-win,” saying, “it provides people who have qualified  a little extra cash and also helps local small businesses that are struggling.”  She noted that since March, an estimated 60% of Hawai‘i’s businesses have fully or partially closed.

There were 121 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 92 on the island of O‘ahu, 27 on Hawai‘i Island, and one each in Maui County and out of state.  Kaua‘i reported no new cases today.

Since mid-March, when the Covid-19 pandemic led to an abrupt shutdown of Maui’s tourism economy, emergency food distribution sites have sprung up at more than 30 locations around the island, and on Molokaʻi and Lanai. While residents’ needs for food has ebbed and flowed based on government assistance availability, it hasn’t gone away. Far from it. Maui County’s unemployment remains the highest in Hawaiʻi – and among the highest around the country – at 20.7 percent. The emergency food giveaways continue.

KAPALUA FIRE: Maui fire crews are on the scene of a brush fire located mauka of the Honoapiʻilani Highway near the Kapalua Airport in West Maui. Ground and air crews are on scene. The fire was reported at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020.

Hawaiian will resume nonstop service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas starting tomorrow, and between HNL and Oakland, Phoenix and San Jose international airports on Nov. 1.

The Roselani Place assisted living community on Maui has had a total of 59 COVID-19 infections since mid-August. The positive cases include 31 staff and 28 residents.

Motorists are advised of a lane closure on the Hāna Highway in Kailua due to a broken down fire engine.  A mechanics crew is on scene, but motorists are advised to exercise caution in the area.  

Maui Health celebrated the 110th anniversary of Kula Hospital with a flower drop by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters on Monday morning.

Governor David Ige has received a list of four nominees from the Judicial Selection Commission, for associate justice on the Supreme Court, State of Hawai‘i. The seat has been vacant since Associate Justice Richard W. Pollack retired in June 2020.

Maui County Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura is urging residents and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for assistance.

There were 87 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 80 on the island of O‘ahu, three on Hawai‘i Island, and two each in Maui County and in residents diagnosed outside of the state.  Kaua‘i reported no new cases today. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll increased to 134, with two new deaths reported since yesterday on the island of O‘ahu. There were two new cases in Maui County including one case in Kīhei, for a cumulative total of 390 cases over the course of the pandemic.  To date, there have been at least 18 cases on the island Molokaʻi.

In Phase 2, MUW received 27 applications and was able to fund 13 of them with the funds available. MUW is working to bring in additional resources to support the other nonprofits in need.

According to Bennett, more than 1,000 COVID-19 tests have been performed as part of the Temptation Island operation, all of which have come back negative for the virus.

Mayor Victorino said he is currently working to establish guidance for Halloween.  “I have some plans on hold right now that people have brought to me in regards to having various areas for which people would come to in a staggered manner–almost like what we had [with] drive-through graduation.”

Intermittent delays for traffic signal improvements are possible at intersections in West Maui between 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, and 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. During the installation, HDOT crews will deactivate the traffic signals and intermittently stop traffic through the intersection for five minutes at a time.

There were 90 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, all on the island of O‘ahu.  Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 132, with no new deaths reported since yesterday. This is the fourth consecutive day for Maui County with no new cases, for a cumulative total of 388 cases over the course of the pandemic.

In August, total visitor days fell 96.8 percent in Maui County from a year ago. There were 2,341 visitors to Maui in August versus 273,638 visitors a year ago, according to a new report released by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.