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Maui mayor says the county is much better equipped to handle an increase in COVID cases

Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino gives his State of the County address on March 16, 2022.
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Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino gives his State of the County address on March 16, 2022.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino says the county is much better equipped to handle an increase in COVID cases, and he’s hopeful mask mandates will not be required again.

Victorino made his comments as the state’s case numbers increase due to the spread of the BA-2 subvariant, a highly contagious version of COVID.

Victorino says hospitalizations remain low, giving hope that Hawaiʻi can avoid a surge similar to those seen with the delta and omicron variants.

"We were warned by late April or early May, we may see another surge. I’m praying that that doesn’t happen. All of us don’t need to go back to wearing masks, physically distancing and staying home. We don’t want that. However, we all understand too that this variant, we learned to live with it, we’re learning to manage it," he told HPR.

Victorino tested positive for COVID earlier this year, and on Wednesday Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s office said he has tested positive as well.

Earlier this week, Gov. David Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he didn’t think a reinstatement of mask mandates and other restrictions was necessary, considering the state’s low hospitalization rate.

This interview aired on The Conversation on April 14, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.

Scott Kim was a news editor at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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