State calls on Maui church to stop in-person services after COVID-19 cluster spreads to school and workplace

State health officials today urged a church in Maui to cancel all upcoming in-person events and offer virtual services until a large number of COVID-19 cases are contained .

The Hawaii Department of Health said it had “encouraged” the King of Kahului’s Cathedral to do so due to the looming health threat posed by the cluster, which has grown to 50 cases since it was first identified on March 7.

Those infected are between 10 and 77 years old, health officials say, and transmission of COVID-19 has spread from church to school and workplace. The DOH fears that more cases of contagion are threatening the community as a whole.

Health officials say people who have attended events hosted by the Cathedral and King’s Chapels in the past 14 days should get tested for COVID-19 and monitor themselves closely for symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.

If symptoms develop, they are advised to self-quarantine and seek medical attention.

The state’s health department first met with church officials on March 10 to recommend containment measures, including isolation, quarantine and transition to virtual services, as well as other preventative measures.

However, officials later discovered other transmissions related to in-person services, a youth conference, and other gatherings.

“The DOH does not disclose specific cluster locations unless there is an imminent risk to public health,” Acting State Epidemiologist Dr Sarah Kemble said in a press release. “Based on the findings of our investigative team, we believe disclosure is warranted to prevent further transmission of the disease.”

News of the cluster comes as the number of cases in Maui and across the state continues to rise.

Health officials are reminding people of the importance of continuing to wear masks, maintain physical distance, avoid crowds, and wash their hands regularly.

Officials said anyone who thinks they’ve been exposed or attended a ceremony in the King’s Cathedral and Chapel in the past two weeks can schedule a COVID-19 test by registering at minitmed.com/pre- register-maui-covid-19.