Beach exercise ban

Restrictions start Sunday

Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino said tighter rules for beach activities that prohibit walking, running and other exercises, issued by Gov. David Ige on Friday, will be enforced countywide starting Sunday.

“We will start enforcing vigorously on Sunday,” Victorino said during a media update Friday in response to a question from The Maui News. “We will give everybody tomorrow, Saturday. I’m asking the police to at least give warnings through Saturday.”

The mayor was complying with an order by Ige, who said many people are continuing to access beaches, the ocean and trails for social and recreational reasons, which elevates risks for spreading coronavirus.

Ige’s order is stricter than Victorino’s, which had allowed for physical exercise such as walking on beaches but no stationary activities, like sunbathing or sitting and reading. The majority of Maui’s public health rule violations occur at beaches, Maui police have said. There have been 21 arrests and 377 citations for violations from March 28 through Friday.

Violations of the emergency rules are a petty misdemeanor and could result in fines of up to $5,000 and one year in jail, or both.

Maui County and the state still are allowing ocean activities, such as surfing, solo paddling and swimming, along with subsistence activities, like fishing and food gathering. Beaches may be crossed to access the ocean.

“The governor has said now that beaches can be used but only for fishing, surfing, spearfishing or paddleboarding, . . . swimming. You can walk through the beach, enter the water, do your activity, and then leave the water and leave the beach and beach park and go home,” Victorino said.

The new supplemental emergency rules also have provisions for boating, fishing and hiking, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

No more than two people are allowed on any boat in Hawaiian waters for recreational purposes, unless they are part of a single residential or family unit sharing the same address. All people on the boat are required to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet from one another, as is reasonably possible. All boats are required to stay 20 feet from one another.

Group hiking on state trails is not allowed — unless all participants are part of a single residential or family unit sharing the same address. People who want to hike in solitude but wish to have another person nearby for safety reasons are required to maintain a distance of not less than 20 feet from each other.

Fishing and food gathering in the ocean and at beaches are allowed. However, groups of two or more people cannot engage in fishing and gathering in state waters or on state lands, unless all in the group are part of a single residential or family unit sharing the same address, according to DLNR.

Many beach activities already were restricted in Hawaii. No sitting, standing, lying down, lounging, sunbathing or loitering on the coastline and sandbars were allowed, state and local officials have said. Counties have allowed exercise on the beaches so long as people are not sedentary.

The county also will begin enforcement of travel limits to Hana, established about a month ago. Victorino announced Friday that permanent checkpoints will be set up near Twin Falls and Keokea to limit Hana access to residents only. The 24hour, daily checkpoints will be manned by members of the Hawaii National Guard, Maui Police Department and other law enforcement and be in place beginning at 6 this morning. Checkpoints will be up until further notice, Victorino said.

Previously, only signs were put up to inform travelers of the rule.

Official placards will be available for residents to streamline checkpoint access, according to the county. Residents may contact state Sen. J. Kalani English or the Council Services District Office to obtain a placard.

In other coronavirus-related developments:

≤ 100 bags of local produce purchased from local farmers were given to Lanai residents in need on Friday. An additional 100 bags of produce were delivered to Lanai kupuna through the Meals on Wheels program. In all, more than 2,000 bags of food have been distributed to residents at events around the county.

≤ Hana drive-thru tests were performed on 191 people on Friday, led by Drs. Scott Miscovich and Chad Meyer.