Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park closed to visitors as of Sunday
RONIT FAHL / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Visitors looked out at the caldera at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on its opening day in 2018 after being closed for an unprecedented 134 days due to eruptions at Kilauea.
The Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii island is now closed to all park visitors until further notice.
The park closed Sunday due to the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) as well as actions outlined by Gov. David Ige, announcing additional measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the weekend, Ige ordered visitors and residents returning to Hawaii to undergo a mandatory, 14-day quarantine starting Thursday to safeguard the greater population from the coronavirus.
On Sunday, the following actions were implemented:
>> All public areas, including trails, roads, campgrounds, the backcountry, and public restrooms were closed to visitors.
>> All commercial tours and special use permits were suspended.
>> The park’s Kahuku Unit was closed.
“The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is our number one priority,” said the National Park Service in a statement.
NPS will continue to work with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor COVID-19. Updates will be posted to nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s social media channels.
In the meantime, the NPS encourages people to take advantage of digital tools to explore Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, including U.S. Geological Survey webcams. The park’s education team has also created curriculum resources highlighting the geology, biology and Hawaiian culture that define the park.
