Maui News

The new Kōkua Maui County Small Business Recovery & Relief Fund utilizes CARES Act funds to help local small businesses recover and survive impacts from COVID-19. The grant program will begin accepting online applications starting Aug. 3, 2020.

“While they have provided video conferencing as an option for public testimony, there have been technical glitches such as dropped calls and disconnections. We all need to work together to support our communities with more transparency and greater effort to ensure our people are given a fair opportunity to be heard,” said Mayor Victorino.

Douglas is expected to move near or over portions of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, and there is an increasing chance that strong winds and heavy rainfall could affect portions of the state beginning on Sunday.

The state of Hawaiʻi Department of Health is reporting 55 new COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi today–that’s the highest single-day count for the state since the start of the pandemic. The new COVID-19 cases include: 50 on Oʻahu; three on Hawaiʻi Island and two on Maui.

Calling it “the perfect storm,” Dr. Lee Weiss said it’s very unusual for a respiratory virus to have high infectivity and to also be highly virulent. He explained that high infectivity means it’s spread rapidly; and highly virulent, means it has a high propensity to cause illness and people die from it.

A Lahaina man accused of a “hate crime” was arrested on Friday for assault charges related to a physical and verbal confrontation in Mākena last week that resulted in concussion injuries to one of the male victims, police said. 

The system is expected to move near or over portions of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, and the National Hurricane Center says there is an increasing chance that strong winds, dangerous surf, and heavy rainfall could affect portions of the state beginning on Sunday.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino sent a letter to Governor David Ige on Monday offering school safety suggestions in response to concerns raised relating to the planned reopening of Hawaiʻi public schools on Aug. 4.  

Topics covered include: thresholds for interisland travel safety, realistic time frames for the return of tourism, timing to the state’s return to school and education plans, returning to normalcy, unemployment, job loss, COVID-19 vs flu, and balancing a return of tourism with efforts to diversity the economy. 

Douglas 5 p.m. Update: Rapid Strengthening, Forecast to Become a Major Hurricane by Thursday. Andaya advised residents to prepare for possible heavy rains and flash flooding.  Due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, he said Maui County has limited shelter space available and needs more American Red Cross volunteers.

The state of Hawaiʻi Department of Health today reported a COVID-19 related death in an Oahu resident.  No further details were immediately available relating to the case. This was was the 25th death linked to the pandemic reported in the state to date. Prior COVID-19 related deaths are posted here. Today there were a total of 17 new COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi for a total of 1,435 reported over the course of the pandemic. The new cases include 17 on Oʻahu.  There are currently 297 active cases in the state, including 11 on Maui.

Maui police arrested a 64-year-old Kīhei man on Tuesday morning for allegations involving attempted assault against a police officer, first degree terroristic threatening, two counts of criminal trespass and resisting an order to stop.  

County officials say the violation involved water that was being tested for turbidity (clarity) before it went into a 3 million-gallon storage tank. Water in the tank was then disinfected with chlorine as part of the routine water treatment process. A notice advises that customers do not need to boil their water or take any other corrective actions; however, if there are specific health concerns, the department advises consultation of a doctor.  

US Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led 29 of their colleagues in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter Gaynor urging them to take immediate action to provide Personal Protective Equipment and sanitizing supplies for election and poll workers—and voters—ahead of the November 2020 election.

Minit Medical conducts drive-through COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, with diagnostic and anti-body testing available. Minit Medical will call individuals with all results, which are expected to take one to three days.

Produce distribution for the general public will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., or until supplies run out, in the County parking lotlocated between the County gym and school cafeteria.

US Representative Tulsi Gabbard host the next in a series of virtual town hall events to update constituents and Hawai‘i residents about COVID-19.

The National Hurricane Center says Douglas is expected to move near or over portions of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, and there is an increasing chance that strong winds and heavy rainfall could affect portions of the state beginning on Sunday.

Update: 9:34 p.m. 7.21.20: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued an update saying that based on all available data, the tsunami threat from a large earthquake in the Alaska Peninsula has now passed for areas covered by their bulletin.  No tsunamis were observed at nearby deep ocean gages and there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake.  The public is advised to “remain observant and exercise normal caution near the sea. Otherwise, no action is required.”

Today there were a total of 25 new COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi for a total of 1,418 reported over the course of the pandemic. The new cases include 21 on Oʻahu and four on Maui.  There are currently 310 active cases in the state, including 11 on Maui. Health officials say 21 of the new cases are adults and four are pediatric. Two of the cases on Maui are associated with a history of out-of-state travel. DOH is also investigating small clusters of cases in Hawaiʻi associated with out-of-state workers, who were exempt from mandatory quarantine as critical infrastructure workers. Department officials say there has been no spread beyond this cluster, as all involved workers were not interacting with the broader community as part of the exemption and are now in quarantine.