Maui has seen its positive test results double during the past two weeks and has closed one of its popular beaches at Makena State Park. It was reported that there had been an average of over 12 new confirmed cases per day per 100,000 residents in the week ending Jan. 4, 2021, which is the highest rate of any county. Since the pandemic began, Maui County (which includes Lanai and Molokai) has reported about 1,100 confirmed cases and 17 deaths.
New edict from Lt. Governor.
Lt. Governor, Josh Green has called on Hawaii residents to cancel all social gatherings for the two weeks. Just today (January 7) the case total reached its highest ever at 322.
Meanwhile, the state of Hawaii saw an average of 138 daily new coronavirus cases during the same time period. Hawaii is still the lowest of all 50 states based on the rate of cases and other indicators. The number is growing, however, which is concerning.
Little Beach at Makena State Park.
How many of you have hiked the trail to the other side of Big Beach, checked the view from the top, and then actually went down to Little Beach? Maybe we should say, what happens on Little Beach stays at Little Beach. Your authors have done it in their younger days, but now we are not in a normal time.
Apparently, up to 400 people without masks have been gathering on Sundays at Little Beach at Makena State Park. As a result, the state has shut down the area based on “reckless and illegal behavior” that could cause the spread of COVID, according to state DLNR.
This harkens back to what happened at Polihale in July when reckless behavior from locals closed the beach on Kauai. After that, it reopened to the public two months later in September.
Until things change on Maui, anyone attempting to access the area may be cited for illegal entry to a closed area. Signage and fencing are being installed.
The state said that “Participants in the Sunday gatherings shoulder full responsibility for this closure.” It’s too bad their astounding lack of personal responsibility penalizes everyone else who abides by the rules.”
Like the one from DLNR above, photos show hundreds of people on the beach, disregarding social distancing and state mask mandates. Prior parties there have been tied to COVID spread. DLNR said that “The parties have the possibility of becoming so-called super spreader events.”
DLNR also mentioned that the traditional Sunday parties that feature drum circles on the beach have been long-plagued by nudity, alcohol, and drugs.
State Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers have made repeated trips to Little Beach on Sundays and have issued citations for alcohol violations. Officials said that they do not have the ability to manage the size of these events, which resulted in the decision to close the beach.
Adjacent Big Beach is still open. DLNR will be monitoring the compliance of this temporary closure and examining other more permanent solutions to “impeding and eliminating this reckless and illegal behavior on public land that is a valuable recreational and cultural landscape,” the release said.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii DLNR.
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Do you think Hawaii will allow vaccinated people to travel there without 4 day quarantine and or testing?
Imagine that you survived Covid and your new employer wants you to test for any illnesses. You have a pre-existing condition.
Do you think that your healthcare expenses will be less than someone who didn’t get corona?
After all, Covid is just beginning to be studied by the scientific community and they don’t know the long term effects.
Please look at the big picture; what you do now may affect you for the rest of your life and you don’t want to spend it regretting it
“You have a pre-existing condition.”
Care to cite some authority for this? In health insurance jargon, I believe “pre-existing” means an EXISTING condition that one has prior to “coverage.” I’ve heard nothing about the 20M++ people in the US who have had COVID being classified as having a pre-existing condition. Maybe some of the commenters who have had the virus can speak to this question?
Hello everyone
Good for them they might be the only sane people left.
While you hide in your house jobless, they are enjoying themselves as everyone should. Masks do nothing but let one group complain at the next. Look up Neil Orr’s study on masks from 1981. Here is a link on it. Choose freedom.
Good luck Kauai.
principia-scientific.com/unmasked-revealing-a-shocking-medical-truth/
CDC recently updated their mask “data”…
Whether two people ( or a group) are masked or not, any close contact longer than 15 minutes will have the same chance of spread. IE.. work, social gathering or any other event.
We can stop with the added ” not masked” BS any time now… All the media does is insert ” not masked” into any article.. It doesn’t matter as much as many people think.
Please retire to your “Parler”. It’s dark web excrement like this that does no good. Simply stay home. Keep close your other denizens, but these opinions have no place among more rational thinking human beings. Do you think that the election was stolen as well?
The CDC statement is “dark web excrement”? If you say so.
Do you think the (2016) election was stolen as well?
Why yes it was.
Please moderate these false statements. Nowhere on the CDC website does it say this. Statements like this are not helping to keep people in Hawaii or anywhere else safe.
Hi Elaine.
Please check this. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html. Scroll down to section starting with “Individual who has had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more).”
Aloha.
I think that Elaine’s point, aside from her CDC comment, is that mask wearing, social distancing, and regular use of sanitizer before and after close contact in public spaces (grocery store) is a harmless ask that we do what we can to inhibit the spread. You and mask deniers who continue to debate about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin totally miss the point and confuse people who just want to follow the rules if they want to come to Hawaii.
I think you and Elaine are just mad that you are in fact the one’s that spread disinformation.
Case in point, what I stated was 100% true from the CDC. Yet you refuse to accept it. So who is the one that is blind?
Sure, “S”, you found a section (Thank, BOH, for finding the specific link on the CDC website) that addresses the current guidance based on community exposure for people exposed to people with known or suspected COVID-19 or possible COVID-19. However, you are twisting mask guidance by stating that “the CDC updated their mask data”. They have not changed their basic tenet.
I’ll include it for you and anyone else who still is resistant to wearing a mask. The CDC has NOT changed their stance on wearing a mask. Twist all you like.
“Your mask helps protect those around you.
COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in.
Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others. Studies show that masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.
You should wear a mask, even if you do not feel sick. This is because several studies have found that people with COVID-19 who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) and those who are not yet showing symptoms (pre-symptomatic) can still spread the virus to other people. Wearing a mask helps protect those around you, in case you are infected but not showing symptoms.
It is especially important to wear a mask when you are indoors with people you do not live with and when you are unable to stay at least 6 feet apart since COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact with one another.”
Per the CDC:
“This is irrespective of whether the person with COVID-19 or the contact was wearing a mask or whether the contact was wearing respiratory personal protective equipment (PPE)”
Doesn’t mean that wearing a mask or PPE is pointless, but it’s hardly a ringing endorsement.
FWIW, most of the face coverings I observe, including the one I wear when in a “must wear one” situation (e.g., going into a store or restaurant), are just pieces of cloth that quickly become sweaty-saturated.
I know that reading comprehension or just researching for yourself, is tough for some. I forgive you.
Problem is not reading comprehension. Even though you are violating BOH rules for first initial and last name, you probably forgot that “Q” is before “S”. Retire to Parler. Oh, I forgot, they can’t find a server farm.
please moderate Elaine’s false statement..
Man that is easy, no wonder you all get so much enjoyment out of canceling people. I need to try your rhetoric more often.
Next I’m gonna start being offended by everything.
Aloha BOH Bros
Thanks for the Beach Blanket Bingo 2021 edition photo.
So officials are closing the beach, why? Frankie, Dee Dee, Bonehead and Eric Von Zipper are just going to move the party to a different location.
Shout out to the squares these young Kool Kats don’t care about contracting covid my bet is many have already contracted it and survived. By the looks of things VD is more of an issue with this group then covid.
So if you’re over 55 I’d suggest sheltering in place cause there’s a good chance the avoided super spreader covid surge has finally arrived on the islands.
Peace not covid man.
Next time can you blur out the guy bending over with his balls hanging down to his knees. Thanks
Please, is there a way to get a copy of the photo used in this article? I can clarify my reason in an email. Thanks!
Hi Sandra.
That is on the Hawaii DLNR site.
Aloha.
We are planning a seven day stay on Maui in late, and then going to Oahu for five days, so will appreciate all updates. Also if there would be any travel restriction between the islands?
Hi Barbara.
Presently there will be nothing additional required for travel from Maui to Oahu.
Aloha.
Well GEE who besides me is NOT shocked by this? I/We warned all along this was going to happen and the detractors are still here saying Oh its fake its not real etc. IT IS real and its killed 350,000 citizens that we know of! Wear your damn mask. If not YOU are the one who should stay home. This is not about freedom this is about all of our health. Dont like it? Move out of our country NOW
How are those masks, restrictions and lockdowns working out for ya? Really curtailing the spread, absolutely!!
Does Hawaii have access to a National Guard or similar civilian law enforcement? This is a state emergency – those violating health protocols should simply be picked up and incarcerated. Fining is simply a slap on the wrist for offenders, it is too light given the circumstances. People worldwide have been warned what safety protocols are – you break them, you pay. The nation and world has seen the disruptive power of both the Virus as well as the man-made mitigation steps. Time to get serious and put an end to irresponsible childish behavior. Lock them up. JUST until the virus abates.
Desperate times call for desperate measure. Take the best practices from China – full lock down of irresponsible people.
I continue to pray for my friends, brothers and sisters for a swift recovery – this COVID situation has been difficult, I know. Aloha.
Thank you for your comments comrade.
Yes you are correct, what happens at Little Beach, stays at Little Beach. Miss those days but since moving to Hawaii we haven’t had a chance to go back there yet. People just don’t get it but as long as there are tourists, we are going to continue to have problems.
As for you photo, you better check again the far left in the middle…showing more than people need to see here 🤣
Did anyone notice the bent over naked guy on the left? I think I see the anatomy of a male…
Mahalo guys!
Um, did anyone notice that you didn’t blur the guy on the far left? Ask me how I know it’s a guy.🤭😄🏝
Hi Heather.
Photo is courtesy of Hawaii DLNR.
Aloha.
I know several of y’all like to fixate on tourists and masks and how dare they have a good time, etc., but a part of the recent new cases (close to 70 of them!) on Maui is the Harbor Lights Condos. Sorry, not people partying out on the beach, but: “According to the state Department of Health, the cluster may have begun with a holiday choir practice, Maui County Deputy Managing Director Josiah Nishita said Monday during a county news conference.” (Quote from Maui News”).
Maui News Yesterday:
“Maui Surge Largely Attributed to Post-Holiday Community Spread; Harbor Lights Cluster Rises to 84”
Nothing about about any COVID cases spreading from the “Big Sac Attack” on Little Beach.
Hey guys,
Thought you might want to know; one more ‘blur-out’ needed…Full Moon at far left side of photo (and it’s not a pretty sight).
Hi Dodge.
Thanks. Fixed. That photo came from the state.
Aloha.
Why are the locals being blamed? Seems the majority of those in the photo are haoles.
There are no shortage of haole “locals”
OPPS! You missed the guy bent over in the far left of the picture 😆 not much covered up there!
As always, the state and county are just dropping nukes randomly–hoping to hit a target–vs. actually targeting factually known / proven sources of infection. Clearly this is not an effective strategy–and it is much harder on the local population than needs be.
There is no factual data / evidence that I am aware of that indicates that having multiple people–outdoors–on the beach–in the ocean–is any more unsafe than standing in line at Walmart or Home Depot. If that study is out there, I’d love to see it.
If anything, the state and counties should be encouraging people to gather outdoors–at the beach–if they are going to gather at all. The wind is almost always ripping steadily down at the beach… which would quickly disperse any COVID-containing exhaust.
I saw this kind of behavior amongst the locals on the Big Island too. It was at a beach. The way the Japanese look at covid and the way many locals and US citizens look at covid are two very different animals.
Aloha Guys
Take a look at Japan… Cases rising rapidly.. They have tested less in a year than the US tests in 3 days.
So tell me how the obedient Japanese, who all wear masks and follow rules, haven’t squelched Covid yet? Oh and Japan isn’t allowing tourists into the country either…
The lack of common sense information gathering is astounding. You don’t need a study on mask effectiveness kr Rt values to realize that the ” common” ritual of yelling “masks”!!! isn’t working.
BOH, do you allow a “person” but probably a troll to post when they don’t list a first name just a first initial? This person is promoting conspiracy theory and nothing based in fact.
“S” slowing the spread of Covid 19 isn’t just helped by a mask. Let’s review. Social distancing of 6 feet or greater and a mask. Wearing a mask isn’t a substitute for staying 6 feet or more from a person.
Go look up Japan’s test data. And also look up Japan’s positivity rate. Higher than Maui’s.
Facts scare you huh?
This stinks! what am i supposed to do now?
The funny thing about numbers is that when you are dealing with relatively small numbers, small changes in those numbers can imply huge changes when nothing could be further from the truth. It is basic statistics.
How does it work if you’ve got the vaccine?
Just like the situation at Polihale, it’s the locals not the tourists that are the problem.
Aloha.
Get a grip locals don’t kill their own all those deadbeats are outsiders.
I definitely won’t argue with that. Especially since for most of the year there have been very few tourists to begin with. If you reduce the number of visitors to the islands by 99%, clearly just about all COVID contamination has to be community spread.
But that 99% reduction is largely why Hawaii’s numbers have been so dramatically low (compared to most other states) all year. The question has never really been whether that method is effective or not. Clearly it is. The question is whether or not the reduction in cases is worth the coordinating 99% reduction in sales revenue and tax revenue from tourism–billions and billions of dollars.
What’s a life worth? That’s the question.
Like Las Vegas, nothing that happens on Little Beach goes unoticed anymore. The age of cell phones and social media is showing everything. (Kind of like the person without a mask on her bum)
PLEASE wear your mask!!
Let’s get through this as soon as possible.
Mahalo guys!
That photo took a lot of”creative” blurring to cover up. Kudos to the artist 😂
Stay safe and blessed 🌺
Hi Pam.
True that on all accounts. Thank you!
Aloha.
Middle left photo– a spot was missed 🙂
You may want to add some of that “blurring” to the tea bag dangling down between the dude’s legs on the far left ….
This whole thing is ridiculous. The risk of dying from the vaccine is greater than covid if you are under 70 and don’t have 10 chronic illnesses.
Fake news! Don’t believe that.
Liam, you will need to provide legitimate sources for your statement on the risk of the vaccine. Mahalo.
Eh… not even close to being factual. But hey, as the assault on the Capitol in Washington yesterday proves–there are plenty of conspiracy nuts out there who will believe pretty much anything Fox News tells them to believe.
This statement is untrue and should be removed. We need factual information, not conspiracy theory. 100% untrue that a person has more risk of dying from the vaccine than covid itself. We have yet to see the sequelae from covid illness, even mild illness.
China would be a great place for you.. lots of censorship over there…
Hey all, wanna know how to set a triggered person off…
“masks don’t work, I’m not taking the vaccine.. Lets go to Hawaii for vacation”
I think Elaine just called the social justice police.
Your comment is an outright lie! I am a hospital chaplain who has been at the bedside of the young and healthy as they have died of COVID! alone, with no family present. My coworkers are dying from it too! We are getting vaccinated and only a very few have had any side effects and none that a day of rest (hard to get as a front line worker!) doesn’t cure. This is nt a hoax or a some sort of conspiracy! How many times does that need to be said!
stop spreading lies
Very true– finally someone who gets it!
Liam i’m really sorry to say that it’s obvious that you have not been effected by this virus personally. It still doesn’t give you the right to be disrespectful to others and continuing to put others at risk with your personal selfishness. I am a first responder, I think you need to be placed in a hospital room with a patient that is struggling to breath, that’s barely clinging on to life And dieing all alone. For some patients, they are continuing to struggle to breath and are still on oxygen 6 months after their diagnosis. I can’t seem to get past the number of heartless people we have in this country today. Yes Liam, you could be one of the lucky ones that just developer’s the common cold symptoms, but you could also be one that gets severely sick and ends up on a ventilator and will eventually die. Are you really that suborn, selfish and heartless, that you are willing to play a game of Russian Roulette with your life or your friends and family members lives?? How dare you! I’m proud to be a first responder. I’ m getting my second dose of the vaccine today.
This is because of locals, not tourists. Ive seen the partying at Makena. How about instead of all these stupid rules for tourists, they start fining locals?
Fining is too little too late now. Ignorance is for fines – no one can claim ignorance anymore, COVID has been here way too long. It is time for hard core incarceration – sentence until COVID is deemed under control – yes, open ended sentences. This will 100% ensure those irresponsbiel people are put in places both safe for themselves as well as not put others in danger.
are you really this dense? ALL will be fined not just tourists hello
So now life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is an astounding lack of responsibility. One man’s idea of said pursuit is now prioritized over another man’s. Idea: American citizens do what they want to and the at risk persons stay home and isolate. Oversimplifying? Please correct me where needed.
your right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness ends when it foolishly imperils another’s life. This is defined by the US government as a deadly pandemic…that is why your boss can forced you to be vaccinated if you want to come to the office…you can’t sue about that. The government puts lots of things out there (called laws) that restrict your right to do a great many things that some may consider to be their right…but the reality is if you were to speak to a lawyer you’d learn that you don’t have near as many rights as most believe. Frankly, people refusing to consider the welfare of anyone but themselves, and prioritizing their own interests above all others isn’t being an American…its being a fool and why we haven’t managed to get this under control long ago.
I don’t trust our government any further than I can throw them, do you? I use the recent election possible fraud as an example, but there are more.
Back from the Capitol steps so soon?
Very well said – you can slam yourself against the wall or jump off a cliff, just don’t pull someone with you.
It is the government’s job to protect both you and others from your stupid behavior.
Sounds as if you are a Capitol steps wannabe. Take your opinion to a place where somebody cares
Look no further than your latest expression of “life, liberty,freedom”. That flag is at half mast because of statements like yours. You must be soooo proud, boy.
Dumb haoles
Wrong sparky! Locals!
You skipped the important middle word that is almost always inserted between dumb and haoles.
Thanks for the info and updates! Why dies the headline state “New Hawaii Covid Rules” when the article states nothing about any changes?
Hi Tracy.
Thanks for all your comments. The new rules are that effective now, Josh Green there should be no social gatherings for the next two weeks.
Aloha.
We are hoping to come back in April for 6 weeks. This kind of behaviour is not helpful.
And how likely are you to visit a beach like that one, especially if you have children?
Off the subject since I don’t know where else to ask it. My wife and I had COVID and are now a month past it. Unfortunately, we still test positive. The AG’s office has a site where you can apply to avoid quarantine with a doctor’s note if you are not having symtoms after ten days. Is thIs valid on other islands or just Oahu? We have plans on Maui and then on to the Big Island.