Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed a new COVID-19 emergency proclamation last week, keeping COVID-19 restrictions in place. It also adds that cruise ship passengers must abide by Safe Travels Hawaii program requirements.
“Just a few weeks ago, Hawaii saw record high COVID-19 cases in our communities,” Ige said in a news release. “While we believe we may have hit the peak, we must continue to remain vigilant. Mask wearing and asking travelers to get vaccinated or tested before they fly to Hawaii are among some of the measures that have helped keep COVID-19 case numbers manageable for our limited resources here. I thank everyone for their diligence and patience.”
All travelers entering Hawaii must follow the state’s Safe Travels program. It includes a temperature screening and a five-day quarantine. To bypass quarantine, you have two options. You may receive a vaccination exception by uploading your card digitally for validation, or you may receive a negative pre-travel COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your departure time. For multi-city flight itineraries, you’ll have to ensure the 72 hours prior to departure time is from the last leg of your itinerary to Hawaii.
While there have been discussions of a booster shot possibly being required for a vaccination exception, no changes to the rule have been made as of yet.
If you choose not to participate in the Safe Travels program, you will be required to quarantine for five days. Failure to comply with any of these rules results in a misdemeanor upon conviction and a fine of $5,000 or imprisonment.
In addition, each county may create its own regulations that differ on items such as indoor or outdoor capacity limits, mask requirements and what’s considered full vaccination.
The biggest change is in Maui County, which includes the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai. As of Monday, Jan. 24, a booster shot is required to be considered fully vaccinated to go inside restaurants, bars and gyms. It’s the first and only county in the state with this rule.
“If omicron continues to spread at the current rate, our hospitals will be forced to implement emergency procedures,” said Maui Mayor Michael Victorino in a press release. “We can’t send patients to Oahu or other islands, so booster shots, masks and physical distancing are more important than ever in high-risk venues like bars, restaurants and gyms.”
On Oahu, proof of vaccination or verification of a negative COVID-19 test are required to dine indoors at restaurants and to visit other entertainment and recreational venues.
Hawaii Island limits social gatherings to 10 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Kauai gathering limits are 40 indoors and 100 outdoors.
Keep track of Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii county mandates by visiting their respective websites. To stay up to date on Hawaii’s COVID-19 numbers, visit the state’s online dashboard, which shows numbers on the county level.
https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/Covid-Hawaii-travel-test-requirements-16826332.php
