Governor David Ige announced that Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels program will continue unchanged at this time and that domestic travelers will not be required to include proof of COVID-19 booster shots. Individuals who received their primary COVID-19 vaccination series 14 days prior to arrival, or those who provide an acceptable negative pre-travel test, will continue to be exempt from the mandatory five-day quarantine.
“Today’s decision by Governor Ige strikes a good balance between protecting public health and safety, and continuing the recovery of our economy which supports so many of our kamaaina families. While booster shots are not required to travel, we encourage visitors to stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines, wear their masks, and travel responsibly throughout our islands,” said John De Fries, HTA president and CEO. “Many of Hawai‘i’s businesses and visitor industry partners continue to work diligently to get their employees vaccinated and boosted to ensure that we can continue to keep Hawai‘i safe and to be effective hosts to our visitors. We appreciate everyone taking personal responsibility to mālama (care for) ourselves and one another.”
De Fries also credited the various entities in the visitor industry that have been working hard to keep travelers informed and prepared – from airlines stepping up to pre-clear their passengers, to the multi-agency team answering questions at the call center, to the airport screeners checking the QR codes of incoming passengers.
The mandatory Safe Travels program remains in place for Canadians traveling from the U.S. mainland and its Territories to the Hawaiian Islands. Travelers are considered up to date on the 14th day for vaccines that require two shots or for vaccines that require only one shot. The vaccination record must be uploaded to the Safe Travels website at https://travel.hawaii.gov/ prior to departure to Hawai‘i. Travelers who arrive without proof of vaccination or an acceptable negative pre-travel test result will be subject to a mandatory five-day quarantine.
Canadian passengers flying directly to Hawai‘i from Canada will have to abide by the federal requirements for entry into the United States. Canadians traveling directly to Hawai‘i must present both a vaccination records and a negative COVID-19 test result (NAAT or antigen) within three days of boarding their flight. There will be no additional State of Hawai‘i requirements for passengers flying directly into Hawai‘i from Canada.
For more information about the State of Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels program and what you need to know before boarding your flight, visit www.hawaiicovid19.com/travel.
