HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Following a closure due to a norovirus outbreak, the Kalalau Trail is set to reopen on Tuesday.
The area has been closed since Sept. 4 after recommendations from the Department of Health.
"During the temporary closure and in consultation with Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks (DSP) initiated a thorough disinfection and cleaning and removed and airlifted barrels of effluent for treatment and disposal from the Hanakāpī’ai, Hanakoa and Kalalau composting comfort stations. A crew of three flew in and conducted two maintenance passes at both Hanakāpī’ai and Kalalau, and a six-person crew flew into Hanakoa and spent a day performing maintenance activities. Painting and vegetation removal was also performed as warranted among the comfort stations," DLNR said in a news release.
Officials believe the initial source to have been an already infected person who became ill while visiting the park and from there the infection spread from person to person as well as during contact with contaminated comfort stations.
The cave will not reopen until after winter due to evidence of fecal contamination.
The CDC said tests of water, sand and sediment from Kalalau Valley did not show norovirus.
Approximately 50 cases of norovirus have been reported to date.