MICHAEL VICTORINO Urges patience with rules

Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino on Thursday tamped down excitement building around easing of emergency restrictions and warned that lifting stay-at-home orders too quickly could lead to coronavirus recurrences on Maui, which has the highest per capita number of cases in Hawaii.

State health officials reported four new coronavirus cases, with two on Maui, as of noon Thursday, bringing the state total to 596. Maui County’s increase raised its total to 112, with more than half of the cases linked to an outbreak at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

“I know people are getting antsy, they want to get out, they want to get back to some kind of normalcy, but I’m saying, ‘Hang on, guys, hang on, everyone. We’re still a little ways off and especially for Maui, where we’ve had more cases per capita than any other of the communities,’ ” Victorino said during a Thursday afternoon media update. “Is it my fault, your fault, anybody’s fault? It happens, and so I’m just asking everyone to be a little more patient.”

Victorino again raised the possibility of extending the county’s stay-at-home, work-from-home orders from April 30 until the end of May. The mayor said an announcement would be coming no later than Monday, during the county’s 4 p.m. livestream news conference.

In the meantime, the mayor urged patience as officials discuss reopening Maui in phases. County parks for exercise, public facilities and certain businesses may be among the first to reopen if social distancing, proper personal protective equipment and hygiene measures are in place.

But decisions are not yet finalized, Victorino said. 

“We’re going to mandate social distancing. If you go out in the public, you need to wear a mask. If you are servicing the public, you need to have a mask on also, and good hygiene is paramount,” he said.

Victorino noted the perils of reopening too swiftly.

“It would be fatal to come out too quickly and have a recurrence or relapse, because it would hurt not only you and your family but many other families here in Maui County,” he said. “So trust us that we are doing the best with the best information available, whether it’s the Johns Hopkins study or the HMS study.

“I have so many studies that have been brought to me, and we are evaluating each one to see which one, for us, is the best.”

Besides Maui’s two new cases Thursday, state health officials reported Honolulu County was up one to 389 and Hawaii County added one to 68. Kauai County remained at 21.

Deaths stayed at 12, seven on Oahu and five on Maui.

Out of the reported coronavirus cases, 63 individuals needed hospitalization and 455 have been released from isolation.

The cluster of cases at Maui Memorial that began in mid-March and was announced April 8 has grown to 56 cases — 36 staff members and 20 patients.

At least one patient death has been linked to the cluster, and the Health Department is looking into four other fatalities.

In other developments:

• 160 people were tested Thursday at the South Maui drive-thru event, which was done with the help of Minit Medical and other health care workers. 

• Keopuolani Park drive-thru testing Thursday assessed 90 people, thanks to Dr. Scott Miscovich of Premier Medical Group and other medical professionals.

• More than 500 bags of food were distributed to people in need in Haiku and Paia on Thursday with the help of VIP Foodservice, Island Movers, Friends of Old Maui High School, Maui Soda & Ice Works, Valley Isle Fellowship, Maui County Farm Bureau, Mahi Pono, Hawaii National Guard and Maui Police Department.

• Lanai drive-thru testing will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Dole Admin Building. Testing is for people 15 and older and will be done by appointment only.

• The Department of Education still is doing free grab-and-go student meals for all children 18 years old or younger. Breakfast is from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon weekdays, excluding holidays. Parents or caregivers who pick up a meal must be accompanied by a child. Participating schools include Hana High and Elementary, Iao Intermediate, Kahului Elementary, Kalama Intermediate, Kilohana Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, Lanai High, Lokelani Intermediate, Maunaloa Elementary and Molokai High.

* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.