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Maui Mayor Michael Victorino announced today that the county will distribute a few thousand BinaxNOW self-test kits for free on Wednesday.
The kits will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis starting 4 p.m. Wednesday, while supplies last, at the War Memorial Gymnasium parking lot in Wailuku. The county will also provide several hundred kits to Molokai and Lanai residents at a later time.
“We ordered these take-home test kits in anticipation of another outbreak of COVID-19, and this distribution is aimed at providing our residents with a fast and easy way to see if they have the virus and need to isolate at home,” said Victorino in a news release. “The omicron variant is highly contagious, and we need everyone’s help to identify positive cases early and slow the spread of the virus.”
Today’s total new coronavirus case count includes 132 for Maui County — including 107 on the island of Maui and 25 on Molokai. The 7-day average of new cases for Maui County is now at 93, a 438% increase from two weeks ago, and the average positivity rate is at 9%.
Maui officials said testing is recommended for anyone who might have flu-like symptoms of COVID-19; those who have been in contact with an infected person; or those who traveled off-island recently.
Officials also urged eligible residents to get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that boosters increase antibodies by about 10 times and help build immunity.
To find more at-home test kits, officials said to check with a local pharmacy, and to visit www.mauinuistrong.info for a nearby test site or vaccination clinic.
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