Maui News

Effective April 4, Hawaiian will be providing a total of 16 daily roundtrip flights with Boeing 717 aircraft between Honolulu (HNL) on O‘ahu and Hilo (ITO) and Kona (KOA) on the Island of Hawai‘i, Kahului (OGG) on Maui, and Līhu‘e (LIH) on Kaua‘i. For travelers not originating in or bound for O‘ahu, the schedule was carefully created to offer three daily roundtrips via HNL to all Neighbor Islands.

Those who must travel to perform an essential function, including those providing and seeking medical care, will have to fill out and sign an Interisland Declaration Form, wear appropriate protective gear – primarily masks, and follow all social distancing requirements.

Effective Wednesday, the County of Maui Department of Transportation is suspending three Maui Bus commuter routes and adjusting schedules for others due to significant decreases in passengers caused by COVID-19.

Effective immediately, new hospital protocol for personal protective equipment (PPE) allows Maui Health employees and providers to wear their own masks.

Hawaiian Electric’s Maui County operations released surveillance images of a man who the company says, broke into its Lahaina Substation along Lahainaluna Road on Friday, March 27 around 7:20 p.m.

Governor David Ige today offered condolences to the family of an individual, as the state reported it’s first death linked to the COVID-19 virus.  Today’s press conference comes ahead of tomorrow’s start of a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine for interisland travelers.  

Maui police responded to a call this afternoon in which a caller reported hearing gunfire in a Makawao neighborhood.  Maui Police Lt. Audra Sellers tells Maui Now that one individual is currently in custody.

As explosive as this thing can be, if you shut it down with hygiene and spreading out, you will lead those” potentially positive individuals “to a dead end,” said Dr. Pang. A second round of testing at the War Memorial Gym drive-through site on Maui was conducted on Monday, March 30, with 83 tests submitted for review.

As of noon on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, there are 224 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with 20 new cases. Maui has no new cases for a total of 25 confirmed positive. Of the cases statewide, 6% have required hospitalization, and over 80% were residents returning from other areas. There have been no deaths.

“This pandemic can only stop when we utilize social distancing, quarantines and areas where we’ve never gone before (working from home, staying at home).  This is the only way he said that “we’re going to really flatten the curve and start to see a decrease.”

Mayor Victorino reiterated the need for social distancing and refraining from travel unless absolutely necessary.  If medical treatment is needed off-island, medical transport is still permitted, but self-quarantine would be required upon their return home.  Most medical facilities are not doing elective surgeries at this time, according to Mayor Victorino.  

While there are no reported cases of COVID-19 on the outer islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, county officials say Molokaʻi is rated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the most vulnerable communities in Maui County, based on 2018 data, specifically for hospital and medical resources.

A privately funded temporary grab-and-go site is set up for those in South Maui, today only, at Hope Chapel in Kīhei.  The site is organized by Ka ‘Ohana Carter and a Kihei ‘Ohana to supplement planned DOE service that is delayed at Lokelani Intermediate School due to an electrical problem.

A new radio feature runs this week featuring executives and doctors with Maui Health who will provide updates and answer questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s guest is Lisa Paulson, Director of Strategic Communications with Maui Health.

A food distribution event organized by the County of Maui in partnership with Pukalani Superette and Sysco Hawaiʻi provided 300 bags of produce to families in need in the Upcountry community today.   The event, which offered drive-through produce pick-up in the Pukalani Pool parking lot, distributed all donations in just over one hour.

Mayor Michael Victorino announced today, $100,000 in grant funds to Maui Economic Development Board Inc. for local production of emergency ventilators to treat COVID-19.

Governor David Ige announced a mandatory quarantine for inter-island travel beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.  

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino updates the public on impacts of the the COVID-19 pandemic in Maui County.  As of noon today, Monday, March 30, 2020, there are 204 cases of COVID-19 identified in Hawaiʻi with 29 new cases. Maui has five new cases for a total of 25 confirmed positive.

Maui Health is partnering with the Maui Health Foundation to serve as a community drop-off site for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donations.

Maui had a total of 74 passengers arriving on the Valley Isle on 10 flights, including 42 crew members, 21 residents and 11 visitors, according to new numbers compiled by the HTA.