Usually crowded Kaanapali Beach is nearly deserted Wednesday afternoon. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

COVID-19 has left Maui feeling drained and empty.

Empty roads, empty shelves, empty beaches, empty stadiums and empty pocketbooks, each day the coronavirus pushes the island further into an unprecedented void.

For essential workers still out driving the roads, or those folks lucky enough to get to the beach or in the water to exercise, the desolation seems almost otherworldly. Despite the hardships caused by the virus, it is pleasantly strange to walk a deserted beach and to drive without bumper-to-bumper traffic. The contrast offers perspective on just how busy Maui had become before the threat of COVID-19 turned the economy on its ear.

For old-timers, it’s a glimpse of days long gone by. Ask a kupuna and they may tell you how in the 1950s and ’60s it was common for a Maui family to have an entire beach to themselves when it went on weekend outings to fish, swim and play. If another family arrived, out of respect, it would keep moving down the coast to claim its own empty stretch of white sand.

Back then, Maui basically rolled up its streets and went to bed early. Gas stations closed at 6 p.m., and if you were out driving late you might not pass another car on your entire trip, even if the journey took you from Kula to Lahaina and back.

Check-in counters sit empty at Kahului Airport on Thursday afternoon. Only one flight from the Mainland regularly lands at the second busiest airport in the state these days. Annually, 6.5 million passengers have been passing through the airport. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Suddenly squeezed by the grip of COVID-19, Maui once again has that sleepy vibe. Lahaina is lined by closed shops. Front Street boasts more bicyclists, skateboarders and joggers than cars. Kahului Airport has more workers working than travelers traveling.

Across the island, many businesses are either shuttered or hanging on for dear life. On the line are the livelihoods of employees, owners, suppliers, landlords and other folks whose income depends on their success. State and county tax bases are also being hit hard. Considering the economic toll the island and its people face, it’s no wonder COVID-19 has left Maui feeling drained and emptied.

On the positive side, for a while at least, the clock has been turned back and Maui is once again a sleepy hamlet with vast stretches of open sand, bright blue skies and crystal clear water. When restrictions are eased, and we’re free to roam, we may need to enjoy it all from 6 feet apart, but we’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what Maui was like back in the day.

* Matthew Thayer can be reached at thayer@maui.net.

Empty toilet paper shelves became the new normal for grocery stores on Maui and across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. This Kihei store’s paper products were picked clean in mid-March. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

A stretch of Lahaina bypass that often had bumper-to-bumper traffic in the days before COVID-19 is nearly void of vehicles in this photo taken Wednesday afternoon near Launiupoko. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Ching Store in Keokea was open for business last week, but there was not much business to be had. Store matriarch Florence Ching said she has never seen anything like COVID-19. “It’s been very slow, very quiet,” she said. “I want the virus to go away real quick.” Ching said she puts her mask on when customers come in. “I should wear it all the time.” This photo was taken April 14. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

With nearly all of Lahaina town’s businesses shuttered, Front Street has as many human-propelled devices like skateboards, bikes and roller skates, as cars Wednesday afternoon. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Kihei’s usually busy Piilani Highway has little traffic in this photo taken April 1. Despite the hardships caused by the virus, it is pleasantly strange to walk a deserted beach or to drive without bumper-to-bumper traffic. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo