Large weekend gatherings cause concern over enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions

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    Honolulu, HI (KITV) — Several large gatherings over the weekend are now drawing criticism.

The Department of Health traced at least one new COVID-19 case to a drum circle at Little Beach in Makena State Park, where hundreds of people were spotted disregarding physical distancing guidelines over the weekend.

Members of the group Hawaii Quarantine Kapu Breakers alerted police ahead of time and captured video of scene.

Angela Keen, the group’s administrator, says Maui Police Department officers told them it was out of their jurisdiction.

Group members then turned to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, however Keen says they showed up too late.

She wishes there was better communication and enforcement.

“We were very disappointed that we made a call ahead of time to law enforcement to let them know that we were going to be there, and they weren’t there to back us up,” Keen said. “When you put a statement that we’re going to bust everybody and then it doesn’t happen, it becomes a joke.”

The Department of Land and Natural Resources says it’s doing the best that it can with just over half of its normal manpower, after staffing was reduced from roughly 100 people to nearly 70.

“Our normal job is to protect the natural resources of the state of Hawaii, but with these COVID-19 restrictions and the emergency rules and orders, we’re being diverted from our natural resources mission, to perform public safety and law enforcement for COVID-19,” explained Jason Redulla with DLNR.

Ultimately, DLNR believes it’s everyone’s personal responsibility to comply. Large gatherings not only pose a health risk to the people involved, but also to law enforcement officers who are forced to respond.

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