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A 50 acre brush fire reported yesterday in Kīhei is now 100% contained.  The department currently has one engine company and two tankers conducting mop up operations.

Gov. David Ige this afternoon announced he is delaying the launch of the state’s pre-travel testing program by a month to Sept. 1, 2020. The governor has faced mounting concerns amid reservations from county mayors.  The pressure also comes as spikes in cases occur on O‘ahu; and three deaths were reported among Hawai‘i residents today. Mayor Victorino has said that spikes on the mainland have resulted in delays in testing capabilities and the amount of test kits available for Hawai‘i.

There are 23 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–19 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, one each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and two new cases of Hawaiʻi residents who were diagnosed out-of-state.  This brings the statewide count to 1,243 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic.

The Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division today reports three more deaths of Hawaiʻi residents from coronavirus. The state recorded 86 new COVID-19 cases since last Friday and says most are in previous clusters associated with “community-spread.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) will host her next telephone town hall meeting to update Hawai‘i residents about COVID-19 at 4 p.m. HST on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.

The funds will be used to deploy more ocean sensors to observe and monitor sea levels, tides, currents, waves, and temperatures. The data collected is aimed at improving forecasts of severe weather events—like king tides and hurricanes.

A 28-year-old pedestrian suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross Kahului Beach Road on Sunday night, according to Maui police. The collision occurred at around 8:23 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, on Kahului Beach Road, about 0.2 miles NW of the Kaʻahumanu Avenue intersection fronting the Harbor Lights condominiums in Kahului.

Here on Maui, a total of 146 people arrived on four trans-Pacific flights, including: 62 returning residents, 37 visitors, 22 individuals planning to relocate to Hawaiʻi, 24 crew members and one individual in transit to another location.  

The State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Transportation, Highways Division – Maui District’s (HWY-M) awarded the Nō Ka ʻOi Highway Hui Award to Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center in recognition of the center’s 14 years of notable volunteer work for the Adopt-A-Highway Program.

There are 21 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–19 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and one each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,220 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. To date, 890 people (74.1%) have recovered including 119 (92.9%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 311 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

There are 42 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–38 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, and two each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.  This brings the statewide count to 1,200 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. To date, 872 people (76.5%) have recovered including 118 (92.9%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 267 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

Blackstone fund owned hotels, Grand Wailea and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, partnered with the Maui Food Bank to distribute 2,000 food packages to local families during drive-through events hosted by employee volunteers at the resorts on Friday.

“For here in Maui County if I had a week, seven days or more of 10 (new positive cases) a day or more, I’d be looking to slow it down–shutting down, pulling back if that was necessary,” said Mayor Victorino. As for the projected timeline for the state’s previously announced pre-travel testing program, Mayor Victorino said, “For most of us we are looking at a later date than Aug. 1…I would hate to put a date to that forces people to say ‘well you said this.’  Let me say for less of a better term, I’m going to give you my best guesstimation… Sept. 1.”

Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee, applauded the final passage of a bill in the House of Representatives today to legalize the growing, processing, and sale of industrial hemp in Hawai‘i.

Contact tracing by the the state Department of Health has uncovered a total of 17 COVID-19 cases to-date involving two O‘ahu commercial gym facilities. Health officials say cases in both gyms are linked to a single person who participated in exercise classes at both.

Firefighters gained 100% containment on a large brush fire in Hāliʻimaile as of 1 p.m. today.   The fire started early Wednesday morning near the Kailua Gulch makai of Hāliʻimaile Road and remained at 4300 acres this afternoon. 

Motorists are advised of possible delays on Honoapiʻilani Highway in Māʻalaea for the Honoapiʻilani Highway Resurfacing project which extends from Keanu Street to Kūihelani Highway.

There are 28 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hawaiʻi today, including–25 new cases on the island of Oʻahu, one each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and one resident who was diagnosed outside of the state.  This brings the statewide count to 1,158 cases in Hawaiʻi over the course of the pandemic. To date, 847 people (74.3%) have recovered including 116 (92.8%) recovery in Maui County. There are currently 292 active cases in the state, including nine on Maui.

“There’s already one that is promising and is being tested on humans in a preliminary study.  But even with that encouraging news, we are probably at least a year at best from having a vaccine readily available to our members of our community,” said Dr. Michael Shea, Intensivist and Immediate Past Chief of Staff at Maui Health.

The report shows the State paid more than $2 billion in benefits since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, 2020.