Maui News

There were 63 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 55 on O‘ahu and eight on Hawai‘i Island. Maui County had no new cases for a third consecutive day, with the cumulative total remaining at 385.  To date, there have been 16 cases on the island Molokaʻi over the course of the pandemic and an estimated 13 of them are active.

The program will pay $300 a week to all eligible claimants that have a weekly benefit amount of $100 or more in unemployment insurance benefits. The program excludes those with a weekly benefit amount of less than $100.

Rep. Gabbard will discuss what still needs to be done to improve Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 testing and tracing operations and the outbreak at Hilo’s Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home that has claimed the lives of 24 veterans.

Five Hawaiian green sea turtles were released into Maui’s coastal waters recently, where they will continue their life in their natural habitat. These honu (turtles) were hatched at Sea Life Park Hawaiʻi and raised at Maui Ocean Center as ambassadors of their species, educating guests about Hawaiʻi’s sea turtles and the challenges they face in the wild.

The Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced repair work to perimeter chain-link fencing at Kenolio Park in Kīhei from Sept. 28 through Oct. 9, 2020.

Sen. Schatz said the letter was sent as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on and “millions of households are facing impossible choices between paying the rent or mortgage, or purchasing food or medicine.”

Maui police responded to six burglaries, five vehicle thefts and four vehicle break-ins in Maui County over a seven day period from Sept. 13 to Sept. 19, 2020.

The weekly Lānaʻi fresh produce distribution event takes place today, Tuesday, Sept. 22, and includes about 400 pounds of hamburger meat to families impacted by COVID-19.

The VA report noted: “There was very little proactive preparation/planning for COVID. Many practices observed seemed as if they were a result of recent changes. Even though these are improvements, these are things that should have been in place from the pandemic onset and a major contributing factor towards the rapid spread. A basic understanding of segregation and workflow seemed to be lacking even approximately three weeks after [the] first positive.”

Haleakalā National Park is increasing access to crater trails for day-use only. Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, Haleakalā National Park will reopen the following areas for day-use only:  Haleakalā Crater hiking trails and wilderness areas, Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail and Halemau‘u Trail. 

There were 56 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 49 on O‘ahu and seven on Hawai‘i Island. Maui County had no new cases today, with the cumulative total remaining at 385.  Over the weekend, there were two cases in Kahului and one case on Molokai on Saturday; and a single case in Makawao on Sunday.

Update: (2:34 p.m. Sept. 21, 2020) Shark warning signs are being removed from beaches stretching from Kalama Beach Park to the Kīhei boat ramp. This morning a Kīhei woman reported what she believed may have been a shark bite. She was taken to the hospital, where an evaluation of her wound, by experts from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources, determined it was most likely not caused by a shark. What caused her injury is unknown.

A new report from the US Department of Veterans Affairs was released detailing serious infection control issues that contributed to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo.

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine are conducting a COVID-19 clinical trial and are seeking individuals who were recently diagnosed with the virus to participate in a 21-day study.

Residents comprised eight of nine fatal ocean drownings in Hawai‘i since April (compared to only four of the 14 fatal drownings from January through March, the pre-lockdown period in Hawai‘i).

The brush fire first reported on Sunday afternoon on Molokaʻi has since been declared 100% contained as of 10:40 a.m. on Monday morning. Acreage estimate remains the same at approximately 50 acres. Crews will continue mop up operations throughout the day.

There were 77 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 71 on O‘ahu, one in Maui County (in Makawao), and five on Hawai‘i Island.

A 57-year-old Waiehu woman was arrested for the habitual operation of a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, possession of an open liquor container while operating a vehicle, reckless driving and driving without a valid driver’s license.

Pacific Whale Foundation presents an educational ocean camp from Oct. 5-9 for Maui students in the first through fifth-grade. The education program is called “Ocean Camp: From Screen to Sea” and features virtual and in-person ocean engagement.

The Hawai’i Department of Health is encouraging adults and seniors to take precautions to stay healthy in observance of National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. Annually, about 160 people require medical treatment for a spinal cord injury – caused by a sudden blow to the spine that can result in temporary or permanent paralysis.