The Mayor of Maui has proposed new rules for Hawaii travel, including mandatory contact tracing, among other things. A word from Governor Ige on that is expected soon.
As the number of cases of COVID on Maui has increased, interesting things are coming to light. First, Maui Mayor Victorino said yesterday that, since reopening in October, the county had less than 25% lodging occupancy.
Then, there remains controversy as to the source of the increased caseload. The county has been performing free second tests on residents and visitors voluntarily. To date, approximately 15,000 tests have been performed. Maui County Managing Director Sandy Baz said that the new case analysis from recent weeks showed that 80% was community spread. Of the remaining cases, 17% were travel related to residents, and just 2% were visitors. Others argued that tourists aren’t opting to take second tests for obvious reasons and thus may account for significantly more than 2%.
AlohaSafe contact tracing App is available now.
The mayor wants to change the app’s use to be mandatory on Maui, although it isn’t clear how it works for those without smartphones. The App is available in the play stores. Once installed, your phone, via Bluetooth, communicates “anonymously” with other phones. Phones with the AlohaSafe Alert App “ping” each other and can determine the proximity between devices and the length of time the devices are near one another.
The nearby phones “exchange a secure, random, anonymous code. Location, name, and any other identifying information are never included.” That according to the app’s website.
Here’s an example of how the AlohaSafe App works.
You would be notified through the App if you were close to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. For the contact to register, the phones would need to be within 6 feet of each other for a minimum of 15 minutes within the past 14 days. For example, if you were exposed to someone at a restaurant and met proximity and time requirements, you would be notified of the possible exposure, but no private details would be shared.
Are you ready to come to Maui and use the AlohaSafe contact tracing app, or do you have any reservations?
Disclosure: We receive a small commission on purchases from some of the links on Beat of Hawaii. These links cost you nothing and provide income necessary to offer our website to you. Mahalo! Privacy Policy and Disclosures.
Jim C says
Appreciate your continued reporting on this issue. Has the Mayor explained why this app is mandatory for visitors but not for residents? The research has shown that the latest surge has little to do with tourists, so what’s the explanation for the uneven treatment?
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Jim.
It is mandatory for all travelers, no matter whether residents or visitors.
Aloha.
Mark W says
It’s not working on the mainland, what makes the Mayor think it’s going to work here? Tourism is not the problem, it’s Island life. People like to be together. People are sick of being told how to live their lives. SO this result is that people are now ignoring the Mayor and living their lives. An app is just a tracking device. No one what’s the government tracking them.
Dave says
Don’t need a tracking app. If, you are in Fear stay home let the rest of us live