County to Close Waipi‘o Valley Public Access

Hawai‘i County announced Thursday that it will close public access to Waipi‘o Valley over the weekend to help control crowds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21 and extend through 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. As the Statehood Day holiday weekend approaches Friday, the public is reminded to continue practicing preventive measures such as wearing face masks, observing social distancing, and focusing on hand hygiene.

Special duty officers and Waipi‘o Valley Rangers will be on-site at the top of the road leading into the valley to ensure that valley access is restricted to local traffic only, which includes residents, landowners, and farmers. Local traffic will be allowed to pass through a single-vehicle at a time.