Only one condition: You’ll have to get tested for COVID-19 before being allowed in.
Summer has arrived and with it our chance to enjoy Hawaii’s wonderful Aloha Spirit once more! That is if we test negative before traveling, of course. Hawaii officials recently announced they would be establishing a new safe and healthy pretravel plan for all out-of-state visitors starting August 1.
Starting in August, Hawaii will require visitors to get pretested for the virus no earlier than 72 hours before traveling. Test results will then have to be shown to airport officials and anyone with negative test results will be allowed in, no quarantine required. Those choosing not to take the pretravel test will be subject to 14-day mandatory quarantine.
“The health of our community continues to be our primary focus and priority. This multi-layered screening process allows travelers to return and allows us to continue to protect the health and safety of our community,” said Governor David Ige.
The state’s current ruling mandates a strict 14-day quarantine for all travelers returning to the islands from now until August. If quarantine is broken, it could have serious consequences. “The knowing and intentional failure to follow any part of this order constitutes a criminal offense punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000, or imprisonment up not more than one year, or both,” explains the state’s official safe travel website.
Other health and safety precautions will also remain in place. Hawaii officials have set aside $90 million for thermal screening machines at airports as well as other travel supplies and visitors could be subject to health screenings even with negative test results.
[Featured image: Braden Jarvis via Unsplash]