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There were three new COVID-19 cases reported today on the island of Oʻahu, pushing Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 case total to 649. The total count only increased by two cases from yesterday because one case was removed as a result of updated testing information, according to the state Department of Health. To date, 605 people (95.7%) have recovered including 107 in Maui County. There are currently 27 active cases in the state.

The Maui Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating 36-year-old Joaquin Pelayo of California. Police say Pelayo has allegedly violated the mandatory 14-day travel quarantine by indicating he would be staying at a Kīhei home, however he has not been located.

Dela Cruz and Luke believe that the state can weather the economic downturn without imposing school furloughs, statewide pay cuts or cuts to critical social services. 

Update: (4:27 p.m. 5.29.20) Maui Police issued an update this afternoon saying Kody Genovia was located and is in good health. Previous Post: Kody Genovia, 27, was last known to be residing in the Wailuku area and last had contact with his family in February or March of 2020.  

Maui police say new processing of evidence in a two-decade-old Maui murder cold case is “significant.” Anthony Moreno was arrested in December 2019 in Florida for the 2000 murder of Kimberly Belluomini at her residence in Kīhei on Maui.

A mid-day fire burned a quarter acre of brush in Puʻunēnē before being brought under control a short time later.

Hawaiʻi Governor David Ige today said that the 14-day travel quarantine will be extended for domestic and international travelers past June 30, but an official announcement will be made at a later date.

As the 2019-20 school year comes to an end today for students, HIDOE’s Grab-and-Go program will transition to a summer meals program. An updated list of HIDOE sites and start dates is available here. It also includes sites that will stop serving meals as of tomorrow. 

The Hāna Highway/Baldwin Avenue and Kula Highway/Haleakalā Highway traffic signals are the first of 12 signals that will be improved with the UPS and battery backups. The full list of Maui signals slated for improvements are available here…

Live Stream: Governor Ige and all four county mayors discuss the reopening of businesses and activities in their respective counties.

Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 case count increased by three to 647, with all new cases reported today coming from the island of Oʻahu. To date, 604 people (95.8%) have recovered including 106 in Maui County. There are currently 26 active cases in the state.

According to the TSA: “If your driver’s license or state-issued ID expired on or after March 1, 2020, and you are unable to renew at your state driver’s license agency, you may still use it as acceptable identification at the checkpoint. TSA will accept expired driver’s licenses or state-issued ID a year after expiration.” (See https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus, accessed on May 27, 2020).

In April, total visitor days decreased 99.3 percent from a year ago. On Maui, there were 647 visitors in April 2020 versus 248,042 visitors a year ago. Year-to-date, Maui arrivals dropped 38.4 percent to 603,835 visitors.

Dr. Janet L. Six has been selected as the first archaeologist to be employed by the County of Maui in a position created to protect the County’s significant natural, cultural and historical resources. She begins work on June 1.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is warning consumers about attempts made by criminals to file imposter claims in order to receive unemployment benefits.

The 2020 Inaugural Makawao 4th of July Stampede rodeo and 55th Annual Makawao Parade are canceled this year due to COVID-19 concerns.  

“It’s still safer to be at home.  The lockdown is not finished, but we’re acting prudently.  We’re ‘acting with care’ right now. And we want people to know that we don’t believe you should stay home 100% of the time; and as you get back to work, and you get back to the new norm that we talk about, you can enjoy life but be prudent and be careful.”

The reduction in force from 200 individuals last week to around 100 individuals next week has already started. Mayor Victorino said troops will continue to man the checkpoint along the Hāna Highway, which was put in place to restrict traffic to residential motorists only in an effort to protect one of Maui’s rural communities from infection. 

Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 case count increased by one to 644, with a single new case reported on Hawaiʻi Island.  To date, 600 people (95.6%) have recovered including 106 in Maui County. There are currently 27 active cases in the state.

Vacation rentals in Maui County saw a -74.7 percent decrease in occupancy to 3.8 percent in April, as county officials across the state announced rules deeming the short-term vacation rentals as non-essential.