COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)

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SAFE TRAVELS HAWAII

The list of approved Trusted Testing Partners is available at HawaiiCovid19.com. Trusted Testing Partners with an "+" notation must use the Standard State of Hawaii TTP Results Form.


On April 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance for domestic and international travelers who have been fully vaccinated.
Domestic Travel
International Travel
Despite the CDC’s announcement, Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine remains in place even for fully vaccinated passengers. Although Hawaii’s policy may change in the near future, it remains in place today. You may still elect to take the acceptable test (not antigen) from a trusted testing partner by following the instructions and links from https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/. Continue to check that website for news of any change in Hawaii’s quarantine policies.

 Read the FAQs here.

Email: [email protected]

Call Center: 1-800-GO-HAWAII

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CDC Updates Recommendations* for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

Read here for updates as of April 27:

  • Guiding principles for fully vaccinated people are now provided.
  • Underscore that immunocompromised people, need to consult their healthcare provider about these recommendations, even if fully vaccinated
  • Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask outdoors, except in certain crowded settings and venues.
  • Clarification that fully vaccinated workers no longer need to be restricted from work following an exposure as long as they are asymptomatic.
  • Fully vaccinated residents of non-healthcare congregate settings no longer need to quarantine following a known exposure.
  • Fully vaccinated asymptomatic people without an exposure may be exempted from routine screening testing, if feasible.

*While the State of Hawaii is aware of the new CDC guidelines, Hawaii’s mask mandate still remains in effect, and the policies/protocols regarding travel to Hawaii still remain in effect even for those fully vaccinated.

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Inter-County Travelers Vaccinated in Hawaii May Bypass Pre-Travel Testing, Quarantine Starting May 11

Starting May 11, individuals fully vaccinated in the State of Hawaii may travel inter-county without pre-travel testing/quarantine starting the 15th day after the completion of their vaccination.

Travelers who arrive in Kauai, Maui and Hawaii counties before they are fully vaccinated or before the 15th day after the completion of their vaccination, will be placed into mandatory quarantine for the full 10 days, unless they meet the criteria for other exceptions (pre-travel testing and CISA). The City and County of Honolulu does not have an interisland travel quarantine order.

The trans-Pacific (continental U.S.) program is still in development and may begin this summer, and the international program is set to begin later this year.

View Traveling to Hawaii and Interisland for details.

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Hawaii Expands Pre-Travel Testing Program to Taiwan and Southern California's Ontario International Airport

Travelers from Taiwan and Southern California’s Ontario International Airport may bypass the State of Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing partner. In all cases, the test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure and the negative test result submitted prior to departure for Hawaii. Read the news release.

Taiwan Trusted Testing Partners

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has approved the use of the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) for Taiwan’s pre-travel test, conducted by a laboratory authorized by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare. The following trusted testing partners at these locations in Taiwan have been approved as of April 13:

Southern California’s Ontario International Airport Trusted Testing Partner

Ontario International Airport is the second airport certified by the Hawaii State Department of Health as a trusted testing partner. Together with Ontario International Airport Authority’s (OIAA) testing partner Covid Clinic, Inc., OIAA will offer several COVID-19 testing options, including for those traveling to Hawaiʻi under the Safe Travels Hawaii pre-travel testing program. Passengers may choose one of two testing options for travel to Hawaii – an expedited PCR test that provides results the next day or a rapid molecular NAAT test that provides results within 60 minutes. Travelers may utilize these testing options either on a “walk-up” basis or by appointment, 6:30am – 10:30pm every day, at the airport testing location in Parking Lot 3. Full details and appointments are available at www.covidclinic.org/ont.

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State of Hawaii and Airline Carriers Partner to Expand Pre-Clear Programs

In anticipation of increased travel to the Hawaiian Islands during the upcoming summer months, Gov. David Ige and his Hawaii Safe Travels team have led an effort to establish and expand Pre-Clear programs with domestic and international airline partners that allow travelers to confirm compliance with the Safe Travels Program prior to departure and bypass mandatory airport screenings upon arrival.

The pre-clearance option not only helps keep Hawaii communities safe, but also streamlines the arrival process, providing travelers peace of mind and confidence in booking a trip to the Hawaiian Islands.

Pre-Clear programs are offered in numerous cities and the list continues to grow as airline carriers resume and add routes to Hawaii. Please see individual carrier websites for the latest list of originating cities. Read the press release for more information.

  • Alaska Airlines: Pre-Clear is offered from all U.S. mainland hubs with non-stop flights to Hawaii.
  • All Nippon Airways: Currently in training and will soon offer pre-clearance for its flights from Japan.
  • Hawaiian Airlines: Over 15 cities, including Japan and Korea, offer Pre-Clear. Austin and other locations are coming soon.
  • Japan Airlines: Pre-Clear is currently offered for premier guests out of Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and will be expanded to all travelers starting March 26.
  • Southwest Airlines: Offering Pre-Clear service from five gateway airports in California.
  • United Airlines: Pre-Clear is offered from all U.S. mainland hubs with flights to Hawaii.

Pre-Clear Process

  • Create a Safe Travels account for every adult on the itinerary. Minors to be added to an adult itinerary.
  • Add all flight and lodging information to the account.
  • Complete the mandatory health questionnaire within the account.
  • Upload negative test results (PDF format) for every adult and minor (five years and older) on the itinerary to Safe Travels prior to boarding. Bringing a printed copy of negative testing results is also recommended. Note that the COVID-19 test must be from a Trusted Testing and Travel Partner and taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure.
  • Travelers meeting Hawaii’s testing requirements will be exempt from quarantine and receive a Pre-Clear wristband from their air carrier’s guest-service agents who will verify their documents before boarding. Once in Hawaii, travelers will be allowed to deplane and bypass airport screening lines.

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U.S. Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Travel

On January 21, United States President Joseph Biden signed an Executive Order which requires mask-wearing in or on airports, commercial aircraft, trains, public maritime vessels including ferries, intercity bus services, and other forms of public transportation. In addition, Section 5 states that travelers seeking to enter the United States shall be required to produce proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test prior to entry; and required to comply with other applicable CDC guidelines concerning international travel, including recommended periods of self-quarantine or self-isolation after entry into the United States. Read more.

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CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States

Before departure to the United States, a required test, combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and stay home for 7 days post-travel, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 within U.S. communities from travel-related infections. Pre-departure testing with results known and acted upon before travel begins will help identify infected travelers before they board airplanes.

Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger. Read the news release.

*Despite the new test requirement by the CDC, international travelers to Hawaii must still have a negative test result from a State of Hawaii Trusted Testing and Travel Partner (before departure to Hawaii) in order to avoid the 10-day traveler quarantine. Those who have a test result from a non-State of Hawaii Trusted Testing and Travel Partner may meet the federal requirements to board the plane bound for the U.S., but will be required to quarantine upon arrival in Hawaii.

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AlohaSafe Alert App

The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with aio Digital and the Hawaii Executive Collaborative (HEC), has launched AlohaSafe Alert, the free State of Hawaii officially approved exposure notification app to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

***As of January 19, all passengers arriving to Maui County must upload the AlohaSafe app or other Google-Apple exposure notification (GAEN) system to their mobile phones. Failure to do so will result in a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

Some key features of the app include:

  • Participants may opt in/out at any time.
  • The app allows smartphones to interact and exchange anonymous codes that are frequently changed, but it does not keep track of any geo-location or GPS data.
  • Only DOH authorities will have access to data, and all data will be kept anonymous.
  • Should you test positive for COVID-19, your identity is kept private from anyone who receives an alert, and their identities are kept private from you.
  • AlohaSafe Alert is interoperable with other similar official notification apps in other states and those apps can also be used by visitors to Hawaii.

To download the free app, go to the Google Play or Apple App Store on your phone. For more information visit www.alohasafealert.org.

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"Resort Bubble" Option on Kauai

Kauai has rejoined Safe Travels which requires a negative PCR NAAT test from a Trusted Travel Partner 72 hours prior to departure and must be uploaded into Safe Travels. In the event someone has taken the wrong test, there is an option with Resort Bubble properties.

Kauai has an Enhanced Movement Quarantine “resort bubble” program which accepts any COVID-19 diagnostic test (antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is an option for travelers who arrive with a test that is FDA approved but not approved by the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels program. Travelers must stay on the Resort Bubble property for 72 hours or more until they take a post-travel test. If you arrive with no pre-travel test you cannot participate in the Resort Bubble program and will have to quarantine for 10 days or leave the state.

In the Resort Bubble, travelers wear a tracking wristband and are allowed to leave their rooms to access the resort property within the bubble, as designated by their hotel. They cannot leave the designated bubble areas until completing the program and being certified by their hotel.

To qualify for this option, travelers must do the following:

  • Create a Safe Travels account and complete the mandatory State of Hawai‘i Travel and Health Form at: https://travel.hawaii.gov/
  • Take a pre-travel test within 72 hours before the final leg of departure for your trip to Kauai and receive a negative test result. This test can be any COVID-19 diagnostic test (antigen or PCR test) with emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The lab does not need to be on the state’s Trusted Testing and Travel Partners list for use in Kauai’s resort bubble program.
  • Make a reservation at an approved Enhanced Movement Quarantine (EMQ) “resort bubble” hotel.

The approved “resort bubble” hotels on Kauai are listed here.

For more information read Emergency Rule 24 and Kauai County travel information.

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Wearing a Face Covering is the Law in Hawaii

Wearing a face covering, or mask, is the law in Hawaii. All persons in the state shall wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when in public. The requirements of this statewide mask mandate are set forth by the emergency proclamation, which will be enforced in each county. All persons shall comply with applicable safety, hygiene and physical distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as with state, county, industry and regulatory practices for safety, hygiene and physical distancing, including standards and requirements adopted and issued by Hawaii Department of Health (DOH).

An owner or operator of any business or operation shall refuse admission or service to any individual who fails to wear a face covering, unless an exception applies under this section. Businesses or operations may adopt stricter protocols or requirements related to face coverings and face shields. Businesses or operations not enforcing this rule may be subject to enforcement, including fines and mandatory closure.

For more information on county rules, read the latest guidelines (City and County of Honolulu, Maui County, Kauai County, Hawaii County).

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