Maui Mayor Victorino’s rule changes start Tuesday, what people can expect

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii Gov. David Ige approved Maui County Mayor Mike Victorino’s request to modify retail store capacity and to require travelers to download the “Aloha Safe Alert” app. The changes will take effect on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Both big-box stores and smaller retailers will need to limit their capacity to 30%. If the maximum capacity of a store is under 50, however, they will need to calculate how many people can be inside based on its size.

For some stores, less people inside, means less revenue.

“I worry about making the sales with such little capacity of people in the store,” said Jordan Keahi, store manager of Locomotion in Lahaina. “I worry about, ‘Oh am I allowed to let, you know, them in because they have three?’ It stresses me out.”

Keahi said, many big families like to browse their store together and now they will likely have to limit that. She said, another worry is having to cut down on staff.

“Working with less staff is harder because you know we are constantly sanitizing we’re constantly cleaning things, making it better for our customers safer for everybody.”

Jordan Keahi, Locomotion Store Manager

As for people traveling to Maui, besides having the Safe Travels information ready, they will also need to have the Aloha Safe Alert App downloaded on their phone or another Google-Apple Exposure notification system.

“If you arrive on Maui and you haven’t downloaded it, we’re going to ask that you download it on your Iphone,” said Sandy Baz, Maui County Managing Director. “There’s a way to flip a switch and its turned on. You don’t even have to download anything. Then you’ll be able show screeners and they’ll be able to let you through.”

For those that do not have a phone,

they will need to be traveling with someone who does and who has the app.

Sen. J. Kalani English said, he believes making the Aloha Safe Alert app mandatory for travelers will help control COVID-19 cases in the county.

“Let’s say that they’ve taken the test they’re negative, but then they develop COVID here, after they come through. This will help to, you know, we’ll be able to find it,” said Sen. English.

“It helps us to find people that meet the criteria for exposure, very, very quickly and that therefore it brings down the amount of time that the virus has incubate.”

Sen. J. Kalani English, (D) Hana, Molokai, Lanai

To read the full rule changes, people can visit this website.