May 11, 2025

FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube
  • Home
  • Events
  • NEWS
    • Top Stories
    • National News
    • National Sports
  • Current Contests
  • Photos/Video
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • On-Air
    • Kat & Ku`ehu
    • G. Cruz
    • Kaohu James
  • Podcasts
    • KWXX Mauna Loa Eruption Updates
    • Island Conversations
    • COVID-19 Interview
  • Contact
  • Info
  • Search
  • FCC Applications
MENU
  • Home
  • Events
  • NEWS
    • Top Stories
    • National News
    • National Sports
  • Current Contests
  • Photos/Video
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • On-Air
    • Kat & Ku`ehu
    • G. Cruz
    • Kaohu James
  • Podcasts
    • KWXX Mauna Loa Eruption Updates
    • Island Conversations
    • COVID-19 Interview
  • Contact
  • Info
  • Search
  • FCC Applications

Puna Trail, Shipman’s Beach closed til Sept. 18

September 4, 2020 at 3:40 pm sbracken
  • Blogs
  • Covid-19
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Reddit
  • +1
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn
puna-trail-closure-signs-sept-4-2020-1

 The Puna Trail and Hā’ena Beach (Shipman’s Beach) in the Puna District on Hawai’i island will be closed at midnight today. The 2.5-mile-long trail leads to Hā’ena Beach, known locally as Shipman’s Beach, and has seen large group gatherings dating back to original COVID-19 related orders and closures back in April.

Mayor Harry Kim has also ordered all County beaches and parks closed.  All State and County closures are in effect at least through Sept. 18, 2020.

Surveys conducted in April by staff from the State’s Nā Ala Hele Trails and Access Program, showed an eight-fold increase of usage of the Puna Trail, compared to data from 2019. At that time an average of 16 people a day used the trail, while the COVID-19 survey period showed an average of 140 users each day.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources supports all county and state rules in an effort to reduce the chances of coronavirus infection on Hawai’i island, which recently, like O’ahu, has experienced a surge in cases. Closed signs were put up at the trailhead this afternoon.   The WH Shipman Estate, which co-manages the trailhead parking lot with the State, supports the closures, as enforcement is difficult at the remote Hā’ena beach. County and State law enforcement officers will be patrolling all closed areas this weekend to ensure compliance with all emergency rules.

As of this afternoon, there are at least 255 active cases of COVID-19 on the Big Island.  Mayor Harry Kim has said he does not want to order a complete island shutdown, as was done before, but since so many cases have resulted from gatherings at beaches and parks, he felt this was a way to help control the spread.  He has reinforced that everybody really needs to do their part.  Right now, there are 11 people suffering from COVID-19 in Hilo Medical Center and 6 people on the island have died.  There is one person in Kona Community Hospital.

Tags: Ha'ena Beach, Puna trail, Shipman's Beach, W. H. Shipman
Previous Story
Hilo Med Center: 11 COVID patients (3 ICU); 41 COVID residents at Vets Home–1 passes
Next Story
Need COVID testing? Today, Kea’au High, 9 a.m. til 1 p.m.

Facebook

Twitter

Tweets by KWXX

"Hawaii's Feel Good Island Music Radio Station"

Info

  • Home
  • Contests
  • Socialize
  • Contact Us
  • Station Info
  • EEO
  • FCC Public File (KWXX)
  • FCC Public File (KAOY)

National News

President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hold a joint press conference at the White House. WASHINGTON – Feb 27^ 2025

President Trump announces trade deal between the U.S and the U.K.

Vatican City - 04-25-2025: White smoke from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel. It indicates that the Pope has been elected.

Cardinal Robert Prevost announced as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first American ...

Social

Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube
© 2025 KWXX - Hilo, HI Powered by OneCMS™ | Served by InterTech Media LLC
Are you still listening?
316589405
Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
bc22ccf960e9fee0b61581b0c8794c10ac976e9c
1
Loading...