5 earlier COVID-19-related deaths reported on Maui
More Maui hotels set to reopen
Maui County’s death toll from COVID-19 grew by five to 18 on Wednesday following updated information on fatalities between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, the state Department of Health reported.
Two men and two women were 80 years old or older with underlying conditions. Another man with underlying conditions was 60 to 69 years old. The men were hospitalized when they died.
The women died in a nursing home. Cases have been reported in the past at Hale Makua, a nursing home, and more recently at Roselani Place, an independent living facility. Hale Makua officials reported that the deaths were not from their facility; there was no response from Roselani Place on Wednesday.
“COVID-19 deaths are officially reported as records are obtained, reviewed, validated and the deaths are classified for state and national reporting,” the Health Department said.
A total of 10 deaths were reported Wednesday statewide, with two on Oahu and one on Hawaii island. The statewide death toll is now 183.
One new COVID-19 case was reported on Maui. The island’s total is now 390. There also have been 19 cases on Molokai and none on Lanai.
In other COVID-19 developments, more Maui hotels reported reopening plans and the Health Department approved the COVID-19 nucleic acid amplification test, which will allow travelers from Japan to bypass the 14day quarantine in Hawaii.
The Health Department currently is in discussions with Japanese medical institutions to secure a list of trusted testing partners in Japan, Gov. David Ige said Wednesday. Once the list is established and the pre-travel program is launched for Japan, travelers will have the option to take the test from a trusted partner 72 hours prior to their departure for Hawaii. They would be required to show proof of a negative test result upon arrival in order to bypass the quarantine.
Japanese nationals traveling abroad still are subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country. Travel restrictions on U.S. travel into Japan remain in place.
As the pre-travel testing program begins today for trans-Pacific travelers, The Plantation Inn in Lahaina announced its reopening Nov. 15 and the Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel on Dec. 1.
The Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel is undergoing $75 million in renovations. The first phase is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The project includes significant redesign to the Papaku South Wing and Kauhale Southeast Wing by Philpotts Interiors, a refresh of the courtyard and the launch of a new beachfront restaurant, Huihui.
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, will be receiving guests ahead of its reopening next month with its Work, Learn and Play-cation package. Families will have the opportunity to travel to the resort for work-from-home and distance learning, resort officials said.