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If Hawaiʻi government thinks it is safe enough for transpacific travelers to vacation in Maui now – and for residents to drink in bars and eat in restaurants – many parents want to know why it is not safe enough for children to learn in person at public schools in Maui, where the low number of COVID-19 cases meet the DOH guidelines for reopening.

There were 91 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 74 on the island of O‘ahu, 13 on Hawai‘i Island, two on Maui (in Haʻikū and Kīhei) and two in Hawai‘i residents diagnosed out of state. Kaua‘i reported no new cases today.

Saving the ‘ōhā wai from extinction required park staff to gather cuttings and seeds from wild populations, raise plants in a nursery, fly into remote areas on the eastern slope of Haleakalā, and hike across challenging terrain into dense rainforest.   

In response to the group’s call for intervention, officials with the Mayor’s office provided a statement to Maui Now on Wednesday evening saying, “Mayor Victorino is aware of the situation and investigating the issues involved in this matter. Meanwhile, he’s working toward achieving a resolution that respects and protects Native Hawaiian cultural and archaeological resources.”

The state’s pre-departure COVID-19 testing program and Maui County’s voluntary post-arrival COVID-19 testing program for travelers seeking exemption from Hawaii’s 14-day quarantine begin today.

The County of Maui has added another $1 million to the Kōkua Maui County Small Business Recovery & Relief Fund, and small businesses now have until Oct. 31, 2020, to apply for grants of as much as $7,500.

Pre-loaded $500 restaurant cards were mailed out to eligible individuals under the state’s new Hawai‘i Restaurant Card Program.   The program was established to help Hawai‘i unemployment insurance recipients impacted by COVID-19.

Once the list is established and the pre-travel program is launched for Japan —  travelers from that country will have the option to take the NAAT test from a trusted partner 72 hours prior to their departure for Hawai‘i.

There were 101 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 81 on the island of O‘ahu, 18 on Hawai‘i Island, and one each in Maui County (in Haʻikū) and in a Hawai‘i resident diagnosed out of state. Kaua‘i reported no new cases today.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a proposed settlement with Lanai Oil Company, Inc. for Clean Water Act violations at its facility on Lanaʻi Island. Under the agreement, Lanai Oil is required to pay a penalty of $71,166.

Maui police issued 438 citations, 52 warning citations, and made two arrests during a week-long distracted driving awareness enforcement event that concluded on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020.

Maui police have launched a second degree attempted murder investigation into a stabbing incident reported on Tuesday night at Hāliʻimaile Park.

A Waiehu man was arrested on Sunday for an alleged stabbing incident involving his neighbor.  

Five Maui women who were positioned in a trench at a West Maui construction site, in protection of ancestral burials on Tuesday, were placed under citizen’s arrest for allegations involving second degree criminal trespass.

An anonymous donor is providing more than $1 million in funding to the Nā Ala Hele Trails and Access Program on Maui. Most of the funding will support planning, design, and construction of hiking trails in the recently acquired Kamehamenui Forest in upcountry Maui.  

The new document extends the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all incoming travelers; however, beginning Oct. 15, a pre-travel testing option will allow travelers an alternative to the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

There were 62 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 30 on the island of O‘ahu, 21 on Hawai‘i Island and 11 in Maui County. Kaua‘i reported no new cases today. Earlier today, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said the 11 cases from today’s count are actually two months old and were recently confirmed as linked to the surge at the Roselani Place assisted living facility in Kahului from August. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll increased to 173, with three new deaths on O‘ahu and one on Maui, reported since yesterday.

Maui will see at least 11 cases added to its COVID-19 cases today, but Mayor Victorino says the cases are two months old and were recently confirmed as linked to the surge at the Roselani Place assisted living facility in Kahului.

Governor David Ige has verbally approved Maui Mayor Michael Victorino’s request to allow Maui County residents to travel solely between Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi without having to quarantine for 14 days or take a pre-travel test.

There were 42 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today, including 37 on the island of O‘ahu, and 5 on Hawai‘i Island. Kaua‘i and Maui reported no new cases today.