Governor approves new Maui County rules to stem coronavirus
Governor approves new Maui County rules to stem coronavirus By Ben Gutierrez | January 15, 2021 at 9:11 PM HST - Updated January 16 at 5:19 PM
WAILUKU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Maui County will have stricter rules for travelers and businesses next week in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Gov. David Ige approved the request from Mayor Mike Victorino for the new rules.
While Maui County’s case count is nowhere near Oahu’s triple digit totals, Maui in particular has outpaced the Big Island and Kauai, with 26 new cases reported Friday.
The mayor is calling the new rules an “Act with Care” step, which limits all retailers to 30 percent capacity.
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Pukalani Superette patrons are greeted with a sign listing protocols on Wednesday. New county rules recently approved by Gov. David Ige limit capacity to 30 percent at big box stores as well as smaller businesses, county officials announced Friday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Large and small retail establishments will be restricted to 30 percent capacity starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the latest in a series of rule changes aimed at slowing a spike in COVID-19 cases on Maui, county officials announced Friday
The original proposed changes on capacity limits would have required large retailers, like Costco or Target, to reduce capacity to 30 percent, while restricting smaller retailers to 50 percent.
mtanji@mauinews.com
The state Department of Healthâs COVID-19 vaccine clinic, shown here in a photo from Dec. 26, was hit with a surge of residents wanting a shot Monday. A DOH official said many were supposed to take the shot at Maui Memorial Medical Center but instead chose the DOH clinic in an online reservation system. UH-Maui College photos
State Department of Health officials were “swamped” at their COVID-19 vaccination site Monday in Kahului, with about 400 more patients than expected due to confusion over the online reservation system.
Maui District Health Officer Dr. Lorrin Pang said during a county news conference Monday that he had to turn some people away thinking they wouldn’t have enough vaccinations to get through the day, though in the end they did.
SANDY BAZ – Anticipates more cases
The COVID-19 cluster at Harbor Lights has inched up to 75 confirmed cases as agencies planned to deliver food and supplies to those in need at the Kahului complex today, a county official said Wednesday afternoon.
There will be on-site COVID-19 testing again today and the state Department of Health also has translators to assist with public education for those whose first language is not English, Managing Director Sandy Baz said during a county news conference. Hawaiian Airlines is flying the translators to Maui for free, he added.
“We do anticipate more positive tests coming from the Harbor Lights cluster,” Baz said.
SANDY BAZ
Steps needed to slow cases
Maui County bars and restaurants will see further reductions in occupancy and social gathering numbers will be cut in half with new rules slated to go into effect Saturday, pending state approval.
Although county and state health officials had expected COVID-19 cases to decline after recent closures, the curve has been peaking, Managing Director Sandy Baz said Wednesday during the county’s news conference.
“The actions we’ve taken today that the mayor has requested the governor approve are interim steps to help to slow down the number of cases, the spread, that’s been happening,” he said. “If you look at the epidemiology curve that’s been occurring, it has peaked and we would’ve expected it to go down after the holiday season and after the closure of the bars but it’s been kind of steady.”