Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino has delayed the start date of new rules that say to be considered “fully vaccinated” a person must have a booster shot from Jan. 8 to Jan. 24. 


What You Need To Know

  • The rules were originally set to start Saturday but will now begin on Jan. 24

  • The booster rules apply to Maui's "Safer Outside" program, which requires vaccine cards to enter restaurants, bars and gyms

  • The start date was moved back in order to give adolescents time to comply

On Dec. 29, the Maui mayor announced that new rules would be implemented, which say to qualify as “fully vaccinated” a person must have their initial series of vaccines and, if they are eligible, a booster shot. 

The new requirement will apply to Maui’s “Safer Outside” program, which says vaccine cards must be shown as proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, bars and gyms. A negative COVID-19 test or proof of a positive test from less than 90 days and more than 11 days is also acceptable. 

The mayor said in a press release on Thursday that the new rules would be postponed to allow time for children older than 12 to meet the requirements. 

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the eligibility for Pfizer booster shots to children between the ages of 12 to 15 years. The FDA also shortened the time between the second Pfizer dose and the booster from six months to five months. A booster shot was also approved for children ages 5 to 11 who have compromised immune systems. 

The Moderna vaccine is available for children ages 18 and up. 

“The good news is that most medical providers are seeing a noticeable increase in demand for booster shots in Maui County for people of all ages,” said Victorino in a press release. “Many parents are eager to get additional protection for their teens. Postponing the effective date will give residents and providers additional time to respond to the CDC’s new guidance.” 

“I want to thank everyone who is stepping up to protect themselves, their families and our wider community by getting a booster shot,” the mayor added. “Given the highly contagious nature of the omicron variant, boosters are the best way to prevent our health care facilities from being overwhelmed.”

Maui County, which includes Maui, Lanai and Molokai, saw a record-breaking number of COVID-19 daily cases on Thursday, with 734 new cases reported. As of Jan. 7, only 68% of residents on Maui have received the initial series of vaccinations, which is 112,102 people out of a population of 166,043. Of that amount, 38,349 residents have received the booster.