Mudslides and flooding combined with downed utility poles and collapsed roads are the reality of many coastal communities after the Kona low storm swept through Maui this weekend.
mtanji@mauinews.com
UH-Maui nursing student Ilaise Davis draws a dose of Moderna vaccine into a syringe on April 1 during the state Department of Health’s vaccination clinic at the college. After being swamped with demand early in the rollout, the Maui District Health Office said it’s recently been struggling to fill appointment slots.
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
For about a week now, appointments have gone unfilled at state Department of Health vaccine clinics in Kahului, mere months after people once waited hours in line to get a shot and were sometimes turned away as demand overwhelmed the clinic.
dgrossman@mauinews.com
Maui County Deputy Director Josiah Nishita (clockwise from top), Maui County Council Member Kelly King and Lt. Gov. Josh Green appear during a virtual town hall meeting hosted by King on Tuesday night to answer questions about the state’s current vaccine distribution efforts, health and safety protocols and COVID-19 cases counts. The Maui News / DAKOTA GROSSMAN photo
Lt. Gov. Josh Green estimated that there are about 10,000 to 12,000 undercounted doses in Maui County, which ranks last in the state in the percentage of the population vaccinated.
In Maui County, 9.1 percent of the total population has received at least one dose of the vaccine so far, according to state Department of Health data as of Wednesday. Kauai County had the highest percentage of residents vaccinated with 18 percent, followed by Honolulu County at 14.6 percent and Hawaii County at 12.7 percent.
mtanji@mauinews.com
Steve OâNeal, a former U.N. Disaster response team leader and Kauai resident, discusses tourist COVID-19 case numbers during a virtual town hall meeting Monday evening that discussed the continued impact of the coronavirus on Maui County. The Maui News / MELISSA TANJI photos
Government officials and community members disagree over whether or not tourism is to blame for the spike in COVID-19 cases in Maui County, though both feel that a second post-arrival test for travelers is needed.
Steve O’Neal, a former U.N. Disaster response team leader and Kauai resident, said during a virtual town hall Monday evening that he believed there has been a “steady traveler seeding” of new cases in Maui County in early November and December.
The Maui News
Maui County Council Member Kelly King will host a virtual town hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday to discuss the recent surge of COVID cases on Maui and the county’s response to the pandemic.
The webinar is open to the public and will feature the following panelists:
⢠Steve O’Neal, a former U.N. disaster response team leader and Kauai resident who will discuss Kauai County’s response and Maui’s current surge, as well as offer suggestions to reduce the spread and impact of the virus on Maui.
⢠Dr. Michael Shea, chief medical director of Maui Health, who will discuss vaccinations and updates from Maui Health and Maui Memorial Medical Center.