(BIVN) – There was one newly reported case of COVID-19 in the State of Hawaiʻi as of noon on Wednesday, however the cumulative case count of 653 remained the same from the day before “as a result of updated testing information” that removed one case from the total, health officials said.

There were no active cases of COVID-19 reported on Hawaiʻi island.

Waikoloa Cancels 4th of July Fireworks

The Waikoloa Beach Resort announced that COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings have prompted a suspension of the annual 4th of July tradition. Resort reps stated in a media release:

The Waikoloa Beach Resort announced today that its annual Fourth of July Extravaganza fireworks show will be cancelled this year, due to the continued COVID-19 public health threat.

“We are saddened to make this difficult decision because we love welcoming our community to the resort for this annual tradition every Fourth of July,” said Scott Head, Waikoloa’s vice president of resort operations. “Our community’s health and safety is our top priority.”

The Fourth of July Extravaganza is a much-beloved annual event that draws 4500 guests – locals and visitors alike to Waikoloa Resort each summer. Originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the resort, organizers decided to suspend the 2020 celebration in compliance with state and local guidelines on large gatherings, intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the island.

Waimea Fall Festival Cancelled

Event organizers had this report on the cancellation of the event planned for October 2020, as well as plans to coordinate a community sports equipment fund drive for South Kohala keiki. This media release was issued on Wednesday:

The annual Waimea Fall Festival, scheduled for October 10, 2020, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by Waimea Athletics, which hosts the annual event.

“Due to concerns for the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, and our community, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event,” said Melissa Samura, Waimea Athletics event director and volunteer coordinator. “Our goal is to present the Waimea Fall Festival again on Oct. 9, 2021.

In lieu of the festival, Waimea Athletics is conducting a community sports equipment fund drive through June 19. All monetary donations, which are tax deductible, will be used to purchase sports equipment that will be donated to South Kohala keiki and their families.

“We want to make sure our island families have the proper equipment to remain active throughout the summer, so once we’re able to host athletic events, they’ll be ready to go,” said Samura.

To make a donation, or for more information, contact Melissa Samura at waimeaathletics@gmail.com.

Boating Restrictions Relaxed Statewide

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources issued this media release on Wednesday:

Effective immediately, emergency restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic for commercial and recreational boating and ocean recreation are being relaxed statewide.

Commercial and recreational boating can now include up to ten people on a vessel at one time, operating under new COVID-19 “Act With Care” guidelines. This includes passengers and crew and applies to all recreational and commercial vessels. It applies in all four Hawai‘i counties. The ten-person limitation can be exceeded if everyone is from the same household.

Commercial water sports operators, like surf schools and kayak rental companies, can also resume operations with the same restrictions – a limit of 10 people including crew or staff.

Boating and Ocean Recreation COVID-19 guidelines are based on Dept. of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, as well as input from boaters in Hawai‘i and in coordination with the counties. These guidelines remain in effect and call for physical distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing of masks, when practical. Boating and Ocean Recreation COVID-19 guidelines to be followed are linked below.

Additionally, offices of the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) across the state will reopen for transactions tomorrow. All patrons will be required to abide by now common health protections. This includes asking whether someone is sick prior to entering an office and only allowing one customer in at one time. Face masks are required. Maintenance of six-foot social distancing will be in place as practical and hand sanitizers or disinfectant wipes will be available. Further protective steps include the installation of barriers to separate staff from visitors, frequent hand washing and frequent disinfection of high use areas. Note, that many boating and ocean recreation transactions can now be accomplished online.

Passenger Arrivals By Air (Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority)

Yesterday, 1,587 people arrived in Hawaii. During this same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in Hawaii daily, including residents and visitors. The state’s mandatory 14-day self-quarantine started on March 26th for all passengers arriving in Hawaii from out of state. The quarantine order was expanded on April 1st to include interisland travelers. This table shows the number of people who arrived by air from out of state yesterday and does not include interisland travel. This data was collected from the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Mandatory Travel Declaration Form.