Maui Mayor Michael Victorino expects Lanai residents and visitors will be under a mandatory stay-at-home order beginning Tuesday. The order is subject to approval by Gov. David Ige, who Victorino said should be signing off on it this weekend.
The stay-at-home order means those on the island can only leave their homes or lodgings to pick up groceries or for other essential needs, such as to attend medical appointments.
Pending the governor's approval of the order, the county is recommending residents and visitors shelter in place and only go out for essential purposes. "Everyone must wear masks in public," the mayor said in a news release last night.
The request for the stay-at-home order comes as the number of COVID-19 cases mushroomed to 65 as of yesterday afternoon. Lanai, home to about 3,000 people, had no coronavirus cases until the first four were reported on Tuesday.
The county is restricting travel to and from Lanai to only essential work and medical reasons. All other travelers would be required to quarantine for two weeks.
Victorino said during his video update that the county is not asking for the lockdown to take effect immediately so that essential workers can complete their work and tourists can finish their visits before the order takes effect.
The lockdown, once approved, would run initially for two weeks.
"However, if things don't improve, we can extend it just like what Oahu was doing. They kept extending it until we know they got their numbers to a safe level," the mayor said.
Mass testing on the island is scheduled for today, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the old Dole Administration Building. Testing is by appointment only and can be made by calling the Lanai Community Health at 808-565-6919 or the Straub Medical Center's Lanai Clinic at 808-565-6423.
