Travelers to Maui County -- which includes the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai -- will be required to download a smartphone application that alerts them to possible exposure to the coronavirus as part of a series of measures the county recently adopted to help fight the spread.
The county has mandated the use of the state's AlohaSafe Alert app, which notifies users if they were in proximity of someone who later tests positive for Covid-19, or a similar service for all arrivals. The new rule applies to both interisland and transpacific travelers as well as critical infrastructure workers.
Travelers entering Maui County must show airport screeners that they have downloaded the app in order to bypass quarantine; those who have not done so will be asked to download it. If someone does not have a mobile device, just one person in their party has to have downloaded the app, and travelers under the age of 18 are exempt from the requirement.
The AlohaSafe Alert app, which uses the Google-Apple exposure notification system (GAEN), launched on Maui in December and was rolled out statewide in January. Travelers to Maui may also download and use other GAEN systems if they prefer. Travelers who are not registered with a GAEN system prior to arrival will be subject to a 10-day mandatory quarantine.
Additionally, in a change from previous policies, interisland travelers to Maui must now upload their Covid-19 test results to the state's Safe Travels application prior to their departure. Prior to the new regulations, only those arriving from outside the Islands had to upload their results before departure.
The latest emergency orders for Maui also adjusted regulations on some businesses. Retail shops must now limit capacity to 30% of the facility's maximum occupancy. Gyms, yoga studios and other similar venues must require customers to wear face masks at all times, whether indoors or outdoors. Individuals also must wear face coverings while walking to and from a pool or beach.
Under a previous order, all bars and restaurants are required to close by 10 p.m., but moving forward they can offer alcohol-free drive-through or curbside pickup services past that time, provided customers do not enter the establishment.