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Currently, the Maui District Health Office has 24 staff and public health nurses to conduct contact tracing. The Hawaiʻi National Guard has provided an additional 28 personnel to assist with investigations.  Supervisors say the tracers have made more than 1200 calls in the past week.

A student at Maui Waena Intermediate school has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter from the school principal to parents on Wednesday.

Koholā will start brewing beer in the next two weeks and prepare the tap room to welcome guests once again. The business is targeting a re-opening in approximately three weeks.

Maui Health hosted a virtual community town hall on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m. HST. Several members of the Maui Health team answered questions from the community via Facebook Live.

While there are indications that infections in Honolulu are beginning to stabilize and even decrease slightly, health officials are expressing concerns about growing activity on Maui and Hawai‘i island.

Upon approval, Hawaiʻi will offer an additional unemployment compensation benefit of $300 per week to eligible unemployment recipients. To qualify for this benefit, recipients must be eligible for at least $100 in weekly benefit and must certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Payments would be retroactive to Aug. 1, 2020.

The Maui Police Department issued a press release this afternoon acknowledging the many social media posts about the death of Julian Heyward III.  Police say their investigation is ongoing and continue to express that “thus far, nothing has indicated foul play.”

Recent clusters on Maui have included: 66 cases linked to Maui Memorial Medical Center; 20 cases at the  Roselani Place assisted-living community in Kahului; a construction site; and a number of cases were also related to gatherings that Maui residents attended on Oʻahu.

Governor David Ige this morning approved Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s request for a stay-at-home, work-at-home order for the island of Oʻahu.  Mayor Caldwell said the order goes into effect at midnight 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, and continues for two weeks. This does not impact the neighbor islands, which remain at their current levels of response.

Roselani Place, an assisted living community on Maui has identified 20 COVID-19 positive cases as of Monday.  The positive case count at the facility as of Sunday includes eight residents and 12 staff.

Maui Health identified additional positive COVID-19 patients, bringing the total number of infections at the facility since Aug. 12, to 66.  Total infections over the past two weeks include 31 patients and 35 health care workers.

There are 169 new COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi today including: 150 on Oʻahu, 10 on Maui and nine on Hawaiʻi Island. The state Department of Health reports that there were two additional deaths on the island of O‘ahu, bringing the total over the course of the pandemic to 49.

This week, Maui Humane Society is taking part in Clear the Shelters – a nationwide pet adoption event that helps find loving homes for animals in need.  

Maui family-owned Miyake Concrete Accessories, Inc. is merging with Hilo family-founded, fifth generation HPM Building Supply. Miyake operates four building supply stores in Kīhei, Lahaina, Makawao and Wailuku and one truss manufacturing plant on Maui.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said he he needs another day or two to make any decisions on whether or not to reinstate previous restrictions aimed at helping to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

A Sunday afternoon brush fire near the Kūihelani Highway, Waikō Road intersection burned an estimated 1.32 acres of brush and kiawe before being brought under control.

There are 248 new COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi today including: 228 on Oʻahu, 12 on Maui and eight on Hawaiʻi Island. This marks the 20th consecutive day that the daily count has been in the triple digits.  More than 96% of the active cases statewide are on the island of Oʻahu.

Contact tracing on Maui includes 24 health investigators and 20 Hawaiʻi National Guard soldiers, according to a spokesperson with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health.

The Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts announced the nominees for this year’s Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards’ Favorite Entertainer of the Year.

The Governance, Ethics and Transparency Committee will consider whether to ask the state Legislature to amend the Sunshine Law to allow for remote meetings.  The committee meeting will take place online on Tuesday at 9 a.m.