The Road to Hana on Maui. By the end of summer, Hawaii may be fully reopened.
Good news has poured out of Hawaii in the past week, and we are now in a position where the light at the end of the tunnel is burning bright.
Recently, the State put an end to the pre-arrival testing program for interisland travel, and it also set real, tangible goals for a “Vaccine Passport Program” and even the end of its pandemic travel restrictions altogether.
Here’s what you need to know:
Starting June 15th, no pre-arrival test is needed for interisland travel.
Previously, travelers needed to take an additional COVID-19 pre-arrival test if they wanted to travel from, say, Oahu to Maui or the Big Island.
But starting next week, that will no longer be necessary.
The new guidance allows travelers already in Hawaii - residents and visitors alike - to travel freely between the islands without the need for a pre-arrival test.
Once the State’s vaccination rate hits 60%, vaccinated trans-Pacific travelers won’t need a pre-arrival test.
We’ve all been wondering when some sort of vaccine passport would be created in Hawaii, and now we finally have something tangible to anticipate.
Once the vaccination rate hits 60%, trans-Pacific mainland travelers will be able to bypass a pre-arrival test and quarantine by uploading their vaccination card to the Hawaii Safe Travels website.
Currently, the vaccination rate is about 53% and climbing, so we could realistically get to this mark by July, which was the original goal.
When the State’s vaccination rate hits 70%, the Safe Travels Program will end completely.
This is the big one - the end of the line, when things return to normal. Once the vaccination rate reaches 70%, Governor David Ige said he will end the Safe Travels Program in its entirety.
This means that things will truly be back to the way they were pre-COVID. There will be no requirements, quarantines, or restrictions for any traveler coming to Hawaii, vaccinated or not.
Of course, as with anything COVID-19 related, things can change on a dime.
But, with these realistic goals in place, Hawaii seems poised to fully reopen later this summer. We’ll keep an eye on the vaccination rate and provide an update when necessary.
