Hawaii Officially Ends Safe Travel Program

Above, the pool area of the Sheraton Waikiki. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's some good news for people who are planning to take a vacation trip to Hawaii.

The governor of Hawaii has ended the state's Safe Travels Program as of today.

According to TravelPulse:

Hawaii's governor David Ige has announced that the state's current emergency proclamation will expire on March 25, 2022.

The end of the proclamation means an end to the Safe Travels Hawaii program and the end of the state’s indoor mask requirement. However, the governor noted that the CDC and Dept. of Health continue to recommend mask use while indoors for certain populations.

The governor also noted that businesses have the right to create their own rules to ensure safety for both their customers and their workers.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Sets Date To Lift Mask Mandates

Above, visitors inside the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The date has been set for when the state of Hawaii lifts its mask mandates.

TravelPulse reported:

Local government officials in Hawaii announced the state would become the last in the United States to lift its mask mandates on March 26.

According to The Associated Press, Hawaii Governor David Ige revealed Tuesday the state’s coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have decreased and the data suggests the numbers will continue to decline.

As a result, Hawaii is the last to drop the indoor mask mandates implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety measures were added in April 2020 and have been in place ever since to protect the local communities.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Abandons Plan To Add Booster Requirement

Above, visitors no longer have worry about getting a booster to go to Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like the state of Hawaii will not be requiring a booster shot to be considered as fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The idea was floated for weeks by Hawaiian officials, but has abandoned it.

USA Today reported:

Want to visit Hawaii without taking a COVID test or quarantining? Flash your COVID-19 vaccination card. And, no, you won't have to be boosted to be considered fully vaccinated.

The state, which has had the most strict entry program in the country since reopening in October 2020, decided against adding a booster requirement, Gov. David Ige said Tuesday.

Ige had repeatedly said the idea was on the table, going so far as to tell at least one mayor the target date to implement the program was Feb. 18 and have officials start tweaking the website where travelers upload vaccination information.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii: Booster Shot Requirement May Be Added

Above, a luau dancer in Honolulu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is planning to vacation in Hawaii this year, they may have to have a booster shot to be allowed into the islands.

Travel Pulse has posted an article that Hawaii is possibly targeting a booster requirement on February 18.

They reported:

Hawaii is looking at February 18 as a possible target date for adding a booster shot as a requirement to its Safe Travels Hawaii and Safe Access Oahu programs, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi told KHON television.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige suggested as recently as a week ago that the booster would be added to the program adopted by the state to help stem the tide of COVID-19 transmission. That would also include any tourists visiting Hawaii.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii's COVID-19 Rules Vary By Island

Above, the food lines at an Oahu luau. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Heading to Hawaii?

Before going it may behoove you to check what COVID-19 rules are at the places on the itinerary. Rules for visitors vary by county and island.

The following will be a big help in one's research before going.

Travel Weekly posted:

Just prior to Thanksgiving, Gov. David Ige announced that starting Dec. 1 all statewide restrictions on social gatherings, gyms, bars and restaurants would be lifted. Additionally, the state is no longer requiring county governments to obtain state approval prior to enacting emergency rules, allowing mayors more flexibility to adjust emergency regulations.

However, a statewide indoor mask mandate and Hawaii's SafeTravels Program remain in effect. SafeTravels requires out-of-state travelers to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative test no more than 72 hours prior to entering Hawaii or submit to a 10-day quarantine. 

"Hawaii continues to have amongst the lowest rates of infection and fatalities in the nation due to the Covid-19 pandemic," Ige said. "As we have seen an improvement and stabilization of the virus activity in our community, it really is a good time to pivot state coordination back to the counties."

Hawaii's current rate of 10 Covid-19 cases per day per 100,000 people is the third-lowest in the U.S., and 72% of the total population is fully vaccinated.

In conjunction with the governor's announcement, the county mayors have all eased Covid-19 rules, but the regulations within each county all differ in some way, and travelers to the Islands, especially those planning any type of event, should be sure to consult the specific restrictions for the county they are visiting.

Here's an up-to-date look at the regulations in place across the state and its four counties.  

To read what the regulations are, go here. 

Hawaii Welcomes Tourists Back

Above, the Battleship USS Missouri and the Battleship USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hawaii is now welcoming tourists back, now that it's November.

According to Yahoo! Finance: 

Tourists can finally say “aloha” to Hawaii, as the state formally welcomes back visitors for nonessential travel.

In August, Hawaii Gov. David Ige called upon visitors to delay all nonessential travel through the end of October due to an accelerated surge in COVID-19 cases, which he said had been overburdening the state’s health care facilities and resources.

While that certainly didn’t stop travelers who were entering the state for purely leisure activities, it did signal that tourists weren’t exactly welcome by all in Hawaii. That changes now that it’s November.

"Our hospitals are doing better and seeing fewer patients," Ige said in a statement on Twitter. "This gives us the ability to move forward in our economic recovery and safely welcome back fully vaccinated domestic travelers."

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Welcoming Vaccinated Tourists Starting November 1

Above, evening at the Sheraton Waikiki infinity pool. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few months ago, Hawaii Gov. David Ige asked that people refrain from traveling to Hawaii.

Now that cases of COVID-19 are subsiding, he says all are welcome starting November 1. That is, people who are vaccinated are welcome.

Travel Agent Central reported:

Hawaii will allow for vaccinated residents and domestic visitors to travel to and between the islands starting November 1. Hawaii Governor David Ige made the announcement earlier this week at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, according to the Star Advertiser.

“I think we are all encouraged by what we’ve seen over the last several weeks with the continuing trend of lower case counts,” Ige said at the time. “Our hospitals are doing better, and we have fewer COVID patients in them. Most importantly, our health care system has responded, and we have the ability to move forward with economic recovery. Because of this, it is now safe for fully vaccinated residents and visitors to resume non-essential travel to and within the State of Hawaii.”

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Visitor and Spending Down From Pre-Pandemic Levels In August

Above, a Waikiki sunset. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, this certainly was not unexpected.

Tourism and spending in Hawaii was down in August from pre-pandemic levels according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

They wrote:

A lack of international visitors to Hawaii combined with a COVID-19 surge and Gov. David Ige’s plea for travelers to avoid non-essential trips to the state contributed to a 22% drop in August visitor arrivals from pre-pandemic times.

In August, 722,393 visitors arrived by air to the islands, up significantly from the 23,356 visitors who came to Hawaii in August 2020, but down from the 926,417 who traveled to Hawaii in August 2019, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

On any given day in August, there were 211,269 visitors in the Hawaii up significantly from 22,625 visitors a day in 2020, but below the 252,916 in August 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Is Not Closed, Go Ahead and Plan A Trip

Above, the pool area of the Sheraton Waikiki. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Despite what Hawaii's governor said a week ago, Hawaii is not closed. A sound bite got a little bit blown out of proportion by the media. It was even picked up by this blog.

That is the crux of an article in the Monroe News Star.

According to their article:

Don't come to Hawaii.

These words, spoken by Hawaii's Governor David Ige, became the sound bite takeaway from a press conference last week that traveled around the world.  Said in response to a question about the islands' recent surge in Covid 19 cases, where-- just like us in Louisiana-- hospitals  are jammed to capacity, the governor spoke honestly and further explained,   "Now is not a good time to travel to Hawaii...give us 6 to 7 weeks to make significant changes."

The intent of his message was a plea to postpone your trip to the islands until the end of October, but, let's be honest, the "don't come to Hawaii" sound bite certainly reads better.  Media and marketing experts tell us that if a text, an image, or a video cannot be digested within 8 and 30 seconds or less, there is little hope the content will ever be read.  On the phone, attention span drops off after 15 seconds.

To read more, go here.

Hawaii Sees Drop In Visitors After Governor's Request

Above, a view of Diamond Head from the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like people were listening when the governor asked that they don't travel to Hawaii at the present time due to the surge in coronavirus cases.

According to Hawaii News Now:

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii is seeing a drop in tourists two weeks after Gov. David Ige asked visitors not to travel to the islands amid a COVID surge, according to state data.

Safe Travels data shows Hawaii saw roughly 380,000 visitors in the two-week period leading up to Aug. 23, when the governor made the announcement.

Following the request, the state has seen around 252,000. While this does not include full numbers from people flying into Hawaii on Monday, it’s unlikely the state will see as many visitors as it did earlier this month.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Travel: Now Is Not A Good Time, Says Governor

Above, inside the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The governor of Hawaii asks that people curtail travel to the islands for now, or at least until the end of October.

This is in fear of the delta variant of the coronavirus that seems to be spreading. 

According to the Seattle Times:

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s governor asked Monday that visitors and residents reduce travel to the islands to essential business only while the state struggles to control COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads in the community.

Gov. David Ige wants to curtail travel to Hawaii through the end of October.

“It is a risky time to be traveling right now,” he said.

He said restaurant capacity has been restricted and there’s limited access to rental cars.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Governor Restates Plan For Lifting Restrictions

Above, nearing sunset in Waikiki. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Currently, travel to Hawaii is allowed when certain guidelines are followed. However, the guidelines are a little confusing on what is required to go there (as many have found out).

If one is willing to wait a couple of months, Hawaii will be welcoming with open arms without any restrictions.

According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph:

Hawaiian Gov. David Ige reiterated plans to keep current COVID-19-related travel restrictions in place until the state reaches a 70% vaccination rate, likely by September.

According to Hawaii News Now, state Health Department statistics show that 68.6 percent of the population 12 and older is fully vaccinated, but Ige’s 70% vaccination benchmark refers to the total population.

Only an estimated 58.6% of all Hawaii residents were fully vaccinated as of mid-July.

“We believe the 70% target is good for us,” Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “We’re making good progress. Those who are not vaccinated are the most vulnerable and those who are not eligible for the vaccinations are our children.”

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii To Ease Travel Restrictions From June 15

Above, a view of Diamond Head and hotels along Waikiki Beach. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are about to heat up for travelers to Hawaii.

Starting June 15, travel restrictions for travelers from the mainland U.S. will be easing.

According to Luxury Travel Advisor:

Beginning June 15, Hawaii will end some of its travel restrictions. First, according to Hawaii Governor David Ige, all restrictions for inter-county travel will end on that date. At the same time, travelers who have been vaccinated in Hawaii may bypass quarantine without a pre-travel test (such as a resident returning from the mainland U.S.). The decision to terminate testing/quarantine requirements comes as the State of Hawaii approaches the 55 percent vaccination rate. As of today, more than 52 percent of Hawaii’s residents have been fully vaccinated, according to Gov. Ige’s office.

Then, when the state reaches a 60 percent vaccination rate, individuals vaccinated in the United States who are traveling domestically will be able to bypass the testing/quarantine requirement with proof of vaccination through the state’s “Safe Travels” program. When the state achieves a 70 percent vaccination rate, all restrictions on travel will be lifted and the “Safe Travels” program will end.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Not Ready To Open Up To Vaccinated People

Above, don't expect to dig into a luau roasted pig just yet. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you have been fully vaccinated (both shots) for COVID-19, you can go take a vacation to Hawaii, right?

Not so fast! Hawaii's governor isn't ready to open the state to those who have been vaccinated.

According to USA Today: 

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's governor has said he is cautious about loosening air travel restrictions for people who have received a coronavirus vaccine, while stressing that new virus variants are not widespread in the state.

Democratic Gov. David Ige said Monday that researchers are still unclear about whether the vaccine hampers virus transmission.

“Until the science (tells) us that those who are vaccinated cannot carry the virus and, I think most important, do not transmit it to other people, I think it would be irresponsible to say that those vaccinated can travel about freely,” Ige said.

Ige’s comments contradicted Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who said last week that changes could be in store for Hawaii’s Safe Travels program for people who show they have been vaccinated.

The program requires visitors and returning residents to receive coronavirus tests before arrival to avoid a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

To read more, go here.