Maui mayor wants interisland travel quarantine restored

HONOLULU — The mayor of Maui County said he has asked the governor to reinstate a 14-day quarantine for interisland travelers amid a record number of new cases for the state.

Michael Victorino said he submitted a formal request to Governor David Ige after a record 64 confirmed new coronavirus cases were tabulated across Hawaii on Friday.

A mandatory quarantine for travelers between Hawaii’s islands was rescinded June 16.

Record numbers of single-day cases were set on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s tally of 73 new infections superseded Friday’s record of 64 reported cases. Saturday was the third straight day that the state set a record in new cases. The state also registered 64 new cases on Sunday.

Since the pandemic began, Hawaii has confirmed 1,683 infections with 1,345 on Oahu, 153 in Maui County, 117 on Hawaii island and 45 in Kauai County.

The number of Oahu infections has “been extremely high, and it’s passed some of the trigger points we have discussed at some of our meetings about stepping back if necessary,” Victorino told reporters on Friday.

Officials have said that 1,179 people have been released from isolation in Hawaii and that 163 patients have been hospitalized for the virus.

“We’re concerned that this relatively high level of cases is persisting on Oahu,” state Health Director Bruce Anderson said in a statement. “Some of the cases we’re reporting today are associated with existing clusters, known cases and household spread, but others are new, unassociated cases that indicate increasing community spread.”

Hawaii State Epidemiologist Sarah Park said the state has trained more than 400 contact tracers in addition to those in staff, with more in the process of being trained.