CVS Pulls Out Of Hawaii Testing | Vault + Others Overwhelmed

CVS Pulls Out Of Hawaii Testing | Vault + Others Overwhelmed

If you’re visiting Hawaii in the near future, or at the holidays, this news is critical.

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331 thoughts on “CVS Pulls Out Of Hawaii Testing | Vault + Others Overwhelmed”

  1. Thank you so much for this list. We live in San Diego and this really helped us in deciding where to get tested for our trip next week. We purchased the Vault tests but after reading this and other sources about issues, we decided to save the Vault for our trip in March. Carbon added more airports recently so we decided to go with that and a back-up through Westpac Lab which is covered by insurance. Fingers crossed!

    1. Hi Lisa.

      Thanks. Yes, it would seem Vault will be better positioned then, following the UPS rush over the holidays.

      Aloha.

    2. Update – We went to Carbon Health at the San Diego at 10am on 11/27 and received our results by 10:45pm the same day. We also went to a clinic that uses WestPac Lab on 11/27 at 12pm and got our results at 3pm on 11/28.

  2. Please can someone confirm that the Rapid Now by Walgreens is accepted by the Hawaii Safe Travels Website ?

    Thank you !

    1. Hi Quant.

      The best and safest answer we can provide is to refer you here. The State of Hawaii maintains a travel helpline that can be reached at 1-855-599-0888. Let us know how that goes.

      Aloha.

      1. As requested, here in my feedback.

        So, I called the number you provided. I was put on hold for about 40 minutes. Then I was asked to just leave a Voicemail with my name, phone number and email address. And, it said someone would call or email me back. Days have now gone by and there has been No call back or any email from them!

        I believe they don’t care one iota!

        Do you know what happens if your test does not arrive in time and you are the airport at the connection leg of your flight to Hawaii, and then decide not to board the flight at the last minute ?

        Can you then board hours later or the next day on the next flight, as soon as your test results arrive, because now it is not within the 72 hour window of your new/next available flight ?

          1. Arriving this weekend. Took Walgreens test this PM. Got negative results within the hour.

            Have uploaded to Safe Travels site. Others in my party ( diff city ) also used Walgreens ID Now red dot test. Recd negative results within the hour. Anyways, I had also paid for the Costco test and had my video observation and mailed test via UPS this pm.

            May not return once I get there ! Lol 😂👻😎🎅😜

      2. FYI, as a further update, all 3 of us got here , no problem and on time. Airport screening was busy maybe 15 minutes but still before luggage. Car rental was not too busy. Costco was busy but quick ( we did this because most places around hotel were closed and we needed large quantities of water, coke cans, and other essential taken up to our suites,

        A young Canadian couple from Calgary, on our flight, had used the unapproved test company locally and was not allowed to enter. Flew back to mainland and returned 24 hours later getting a rapid airport test for an incremental flight cost of $2,000 to/ from for a total of 3 one ways in about 24 hours. !!!

        Arriving in Lahaina and Kaanapali in the PM was a bit jarring due to all the Covid restrictions which is very strict. On Front ST, Sat at 6 pm, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bubba Gumps, Lahaina Pizza Company were all closed. But lots of Christmas lights in Kaanapali was nice to see. No valet parking but bellmen avail but could not put luggage in rooms , only leave outside the door.

        On Kaanapali strip, Westin seems to now have a best open times for restaurants. The new Oceanside bar is huge and the seating area and live music 7 days a week until 9 pm is sure to be the spot after early dinners.

        Leilanis closed as of today for at least 10 days due to a positive test among 3 of their restaurant staff.

        Nothing is open after 9 pm even even at The Hyatt or Westin for example, even on a Thu, Fri, Sat,Sun. So, your experience will be different. But Oceanside and in the pool etc, things will feel somewhat better despite the mask requirements, which I support.

    2. Stating up front that I am not an expert… Walgreen shows on their website three kinds of tests and next to each states which are “NAAT” tests and which one is not (“Antigen Test”).
      The advice to check the Safe Travels site is the WISEST but I’ve been informed by the Safe Travels Team that the Rapid Results Test that Walgreens does is acceptable. ONLY the antigen test is not. And of course, whatever you do, it has to be done by a Trusted Partner. BE CAREFUL… Walgreens site leaves you with the impression you can get any of the tests they offer but if when you enter your city/state, the only ones that come up have a “black dot”, that means the Rapid Results test (“red dot”) is not available in your area.

    3. QUANT C…
      I’m not as cautious as BOH in giving you feedback! As long as the test states it is an NAAT test, it is accepted. That Walgreens test that is NOT acceptable is the antigen test. But as things seem to be changing daily – BOH’s suggestion is the best – check the State’s website!!!

  3. FYI- I called my Walgreens in Maine and they only used the Binax test which is not accepted by Hawaii. Also Xpress Check at Logan airport is for employees only at this time no travelers.

  4. Success with Kaiser WA: For our flight Friday 10am (tomorrow) we took tests at Kaiser Bothell Tuesday @ 1pm. Received results Thursday at 1am (36 hr turnaround) and 9:22am (~45 hr turnaround). Not sure why the difference, maybe they randomly sort the processing order.

    Grateful to Kaiser but the Hawaii rule change definitely made this way higher anxiety than a prior experience with pre-travel testing (to Alaska in June, when covid levels were much lower but pre-travel testing was new – their program we arrived with results still pending). It was hard not knowing whether or not we’d be able to board our flight, given we traveled to test and get to the airport, and self-isolated / increased social distancing prior to travel.

  5. Followed the Safe Travel guidelines. Since test results(Walgreens) did not come back in time, my husband and I had to cancel our trip. We are so disappointed in Gov Ige’s rule changes!

  6. Thanks for the info. I was so ecxited for my son to get transferred to HI from Africa! I have not seen him going on 2 years. Covid is surely messing up or Christmas!Praying 2021 we can be together on the beach! Praying for a cure!

  7. Hawaii is really only geared for west coast residents. For those wanting to travel to Hawaii from the East coast or Midwest are essentially out of luck because there are no longer trusted test sites anywhere near these areas that are reliable or able to provide appointments for testing.

  8. My wife and I had to cancel our trip because we had a test booked for CVS 72 hours before we would fly and they told us the day of the test it was averaging 5-6 days for results. We tried to book Walgreens and they had no availability until 2 days after our flight. In AZ no other approved providers were listed on Hawaii’s site. We could have gotten am NAAT test elsewhere and had results in time but we read that this is unacceptable. We had already rescheduled from September when they extended the quarantine. No Hawaii for us. Seems ridiculous since we always followed rules and wear masks.

    1. Xprescheck.com is a Trusted Partner and we were able to scheduled them all the way out to January when our trip commences. I’m sorry you had to cancel your trip as I know what those trips mean to us but for future reference, try using them. I only found them by accident when someone posted about them here.

  9. Woo-hoo! Just received our negative test results from AZOVA (through Costco). Could not be happier with the process and quick result despite their lab being in Savannah, GA. Everything overnighted via UPS. We are now relaxed to be in full compliance with a “Trusted Partner” of the State of Hawaii – arriving on Kauai this coming Friday, Nov 27, for eleven days. ALOHA!!

  10. We did Carbon Health with Alaska yesterday for our flight on Friday. They said results by 3 pm the next day. We didn’t get them until 9 pm tonight. The Hawaii specific test result page to upload does not list the time collected, only the date. I hope that won’t be an issue. There is a second lab result sheet that is not specific for Hawaii that lists the time though. This is all so stressful.

  11. Cancelled Hawaii trip due to no CVS test results. Tested 11/21/20 for UAL flight departing LAX to OGG on 11/24/20. As of 11/25/20 PM, no test results received. $ 139.00 for test and Hawaii Thanksgiving trip gone. Disappointing and costly…

    Very few choices on mainland that comply with Hawaii “trusted partner” list. Walgreens and
    CVS both sketchy. Testing only available at certain locations in a few cities. Kaiser is for
    members only. Several local California labs able to perform “expedited testing” but not specifically approved by State of Hawaii. Couldn’t use them.

    1. I would suggest disputing your charges for the covid test with your credit card company. If a merchant is unwilling or unable to provide advertised services,especially knowing as a trusted partner of the Hawaii Safe Travels their obligation to get test results back in a timely manner for the express purpose of traveling to hawaii. Your Visa or Master Card would be able to recover your money for you.

  12. We were pleased with our recent Walgreens experience.
    As a family living in Florida, our trusted partners seemed limited to CVS and Walgreens. I tracked availability of appointments at Walgreens. There seemed to be ample open times until late the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Folks presumably were trying to get clearance prior to a visit to “grandma’s” house. However, by monitoring when Walgreens opened up the each day’s availability, I was able to select the exact day and time we desired for our test – 71 hours and 55 minutes before our flight departed LAX. Furthermore, Walgreens offered a few locations with the Rapid Test ID Now, approved by Hawaii. We had our lab report in less than 3 hours. Our experience with Walgreens was wonderful.

  13. I’m curious what exactly the airlines are *doing* before you board the plane to Hawaii. Are they tagging you on some type of list, pinning a ribbon to you..injecting you with a chip?

    Or, are we under the impression that nothing is truly checked until you arrive in Hawaii?

    1. Airlines don’t do anything except require mask wearing on flights. Some (Southwest comes to mind) were also leaving middle seats open. I think that deal is ending.

      The “pre-test safe travels program” is a state of Hawaii thing. It all happens at the airport upon arrival.

      1. Thanks – makes sense. It seems it’s mostly just a deterrent to play it as safe as possible. I don’t envy the Governor’s position but respect he’s trying to find balance.

  14. What about the disabled seniors that are Hawaiian like me that can’t afford the $150 for a covid test to go off Island for doctors appointment anybody realize anything about that either. Thanks

    1. Hi Joe.

      Unfortunately, we haven’t heard anything about tests for traveling residents, seniors, disabled, or otherwise that are at leass than regular prices.

      Aloha.

    2. I just recently returned back to Honolulu from being on the East Coast. I usually fly Hawaiian Airlines my preferred choice. What I didnt know was that Hawaiian Airlines, wasnt departing from JFK, anymore due to this pandemic. There using there partner carrier Jet Blue. My flight was from JFK to LAX to HNL.
      The 72 hour schedule was made from LAX which I had to time the difference as California is several hours from the East Coast. Doing so I had to plan ahead with ordering my Covid-19 Home Test Kit from Vault Health which is partner with Hawaiian Airlines. I timed my schedule taking my test on a Tuesday at 10am with a Vaulth Supervisor through a ZOOM. After the testing I double checked my mailing package and made sure to write
      “Stats Hawaii” on the yellow label and dropped it off at a UPS Store. The next day I recieved an email from Vaulth Health my package was recieved. Several hours after my result came back “Negative”

      Shortly after I created my “Safe Hawaii Travel” account and uploaded all my information, flight, picture and results. Within a short time I recieved my QR Code from the Safe Hawaii Travel site. Sounds easy, but believe me it was more of a stressful situation.

      Arriving to HNL your not greeted at terminal as you get off plane but greeted by several Agents escorting you down a rope-off pathway to a open room filled with other Agents awaiting to scan you. They took look at my drivers license and my QR Code.

      Everything went smoothly!

  15. A number of folks have had issues with not finding Covid testing sites on the East Coast. For whomever this might help…

    Two folks here on BOH suggested we use xprescheck.com at the Phoenix Airport. We were able to book all the way into January!!!

    They only have 4 locations nationally and you have to check to see what days of the week they’re open. (In our case we have to spend a few extra nights in Phoenix because they are not open on Tuesday and Wednesday but bless Marriott points!!!). They are at Boston Airport, JFK and Newark (plus Phoenix).

    You have to go to the airport but they tell you which terminal etc. They do a series of types of tests and three of them are Hawaii acceptable. Their “PRC w not antibody” is $70!!!

  16. SARAH R…

    Can’t find your post to me directly but yes, you are correct. Unfortunately, when I answered the question honestly as yes, we have Medicare, they now won’t let me change that entry! But we’ve finally found an answer in xprscheck.com which is only at 3-4 airports but fortunately at the one we fly out of, Phoenix. We’re going to have to spend a few extra night there but at least I”ll won’t have an ulcer by January! (They let us book that far ahead!!!)

  17. Hi, do you think that there is any way possible that the current policy as implemented on 11/24 will be revised back to how it was?

    We are supposed to leave for Hawaii on Dec 16 – taking the test on the 14th with faith that we would get a negative results before or slightly after arrival. Now with the requirement to have a negative test result prior to departure and still being within 72 hours of departure it is not physically possible.

    The only thing I can surmise from these new regulations is that Hawaii do not want any visitors or tourism revenue because these testing rules just won’t work for almost all people.

    Thanks

    1. Hi Brett.

      Our crystal ball is broken at the moment with regards to Hawaii politicians and what might be next. Sorry.

      Aloha.

    1. The alternative is mandatory 14 day quarantine for all arrivals. The testing is not perfect but certainly much better then just opening the doors unchecked. If Hawaii had the infection rates of many of the mainland states it would be a disaster.

  18. We are here to let you know that we fell into the CVS failure to turn our test around in 72 hours thus leaving us to sadly cancel our trip yesterday 11/24 from Atlanta to Honolulu to visit our daughter and her Naval enlisted husband for the first time in well over a year. When we got our tests last Saturday their website and the clinic who administer the testing, said we would have the results back within 48 hours. Not only is this very disruptive and sad, after making the hard decision to to cancel our travel, it’s also very expensive for all involved.

    1. Our son and his family are also stationed in Oahu and we are supposed to leave next Saturday to see them in almost a year. It’s not looking good 🙁

      1. Arrived at HNL last Thursday. My results didn’t come until Friday night luckily my wife had her results otherwise no car rental and the hotel would have given me a key that would only work once. Wouldn’t be travelling now. Waiting nervously for Tuesday test to travel to Maui on Friday. $1000 of tests

  19. With all these new requirements as of 11/24…can you please verify that the PCR test can also be used as a Covid test besides the NAAT? Bad enough it is difficult to get results under 72 hrs in the Midwest to have results submitted before you leave, use time of last connecting flight to Hawaii and cannot submit in air or when landing…Mahalo for your assistance. We really want to come home not to be quarantined.

  20. Has anyone had luck with Vault being able to test someone who is on Medicare? Or is the problem in my state only?

    1. Barbara,

      Are you trying to use Medicare to pay for your test? This may be what’s causing you this problem.. Testing for Hawaii’s Safe Travel’s program is considered a voluntary non medical test and thus might be why Medicare won’t allow for it to be ordered or covered.

      Maybe just order the Vault test directly for $119 dollars and it will all work out for you! Other options include not traveling can or to travel and be subjected to the 14 day quarantine.

      Best of luck to you!

  21. Please be careful when recommending Covid testing sites… They have to be a Trusted Partner or the test results will not be accepted. Xprescheck.com is no presently a Trusted Partner.

    1. Hi Barbara.

      XpresCheck is a trusted testing partner of the State of Hawaii Safe Travels program.

      Aloha.

      1. Guess I never got past “W” for Walgreens. I think they are our saving grace!!! They let you schedule months in advance. Apparently they aren’t available on Tuesday or Wednesday but we’ll just go down to Phoenix on Monday (when our 72 hours starts anyway) and use Marriott points to hang out for three nights!

        HALLEUIA!!! We might make it after all.

        BOH – please say mahalo nui loa to whomever it was that I responded (inaccurately) to!!!

      2. BOH>>>

        And they just let us book in January for both of us at the same time!!! We have to go to Phoenix for an extra three nights (we have to get there the day before anyway) but at least I’ll be able to sleep between now and then! (We fly on Thursday and they are closed at the Phx airport on Tuesday and Wednesday.)

  22. We just did the Hawaiian Airlines sponsored Covid test in Los Angeles. The test is performed thru “Worksite Labs”. The site is located in Culver City, which is located near LAX. The site located in a parking lot and they were very organized. We took the test at 9:30am Tuesday 11/24/20, and received our results at 5:03am Wednesday 11/25/20.

  23. Anyone aware of rapid test results in the LA area? We took CVS tests on Monday before we were aware CVS was no longer participating and have a flight at 6 tonight and don’t know what to do.

  24. American Airlines Carenow has 2hour waiting even with appt time. Cost was 150.00. At airport, test is 250.
    All In all happy.

    Thank you for info. Happy and safe travel 🙂

  25. Appreciate you guys so much! I ordered 2 vault Kits through the Hawaiian Air link. However, i flew Southwest. Thought it was worth trying! You do not have to enter any flight info. Test package had a pink sticker referencing it was Hawaiian Air and to expedite testing. Took Tests last Friday for a Monday flight and sent off. Wrote Stat Hawaii on box as well as outside on shipping package. The person did not tell me to write that but i read on here from a previous comment. My husbands person did tell him to write it. We live in California. Received results Sunday morning. Uploaded into safe travels and Monday took about 2 minutes to verify and we were on our way! Hope this helps someone. Thank you again for all ur updates. Always very helpful. Happy Thanksgiving!

    1. Hi Brandie.

      Thanks for the report on your testing. Glad it went well. Have a great time. Happy Thanksgiving.

      Aloha.

  26. I noticed that walgreens released new appointment times 3 days in advance so we were ready when the day came. Easily made appointments for 8 people. (Otherwise we were advised to get in line at 3am to try to get a test without appointment.) Made sure to get tested at a location with rapid point of care test to get results quickly. Received results in about 2 hours, 48 hours before our trip. Studied the process ahead of time and it all worked out incredibly well.

    1. JOSE…
      Congratulations on being one of the few that used “the system” successfully. I tried to get a (fake) appointment with Walgreens every day for two weeks and was not able to. There isn’t a Walgreens in out state that offers the Rapid Results Test. Congratulations – it worked for you but a lot of us are just plain stuck!

    2. Jose,
      We have Walgreens by us, but how do we know it is the rapid test that they are doing? Did you have to call and confirm this first? Thank you!

      1. Once you register and choose which state you want to be tested in, the Walgreen’s Covid testing website will indicate which locations provide which type of test and the turnaround time for results. Be sure the type of test you choose is accepted by Hawaii.

        1. SUZANNE…

          There is a map on the Walgreen’s site that will tell you which locations have a black or red dot (the other color isn’t acceptable). I kept wondering why my choice always defaulted to the black dot until I expanded the map and realized there isn’t a red dot in our state!

  27. Im on a plane home right now back to my home Hawaii. And I used a CVS test that did not come back in time. The airport is offering tests for $249.00 and there was no line. Seems extreme for a covid test. They made it seem like I had no option. The employee stated that Hawaii would not allow me to self quarantine in my home. What a perfect storm.

    1. Yes, I need to return home too. The sudden change in requirements has me panicked that I could be stuck in California if everything doesn’t fall into place just right. At least with the previous conditions I could at least get back home & quarantine. What I am supposed to do now if I cannot get back home? It seems these decisions do not take residents into consideration.

  28. great list, thank you!

    city health (at OAK/SFO) is also offering a hawaii-travel-acceptable test with a 10 hour turn-around time (aka “same day”), for an additional fee ($120, says their website). i confirmed by phone, they courier the tests to a local lab twice a day.

    they’re by appointment though – and booked solid for 4-6 weeks out – so not a good last minute option.

    safe travels & happy holidays!

  29. Mahalo nui loa for a great update. We traveled from Oakland to Honolulu on November 19th. We tested with Kaiser and the results didn’t come back in time, so we were quarantined for 1 day. According to the new rules, we would have been quarantined for our entire trip! Since we were quarantined, the car rental company wouldn’t rent us a car. So we had to take a Lyft/Uber to the remote part of the North Shore where we were staying. When our quarantine was lifted, we tried to get a Lyft/Uber back to the airport to get our rental car and there were no cars available. So we tried to take the bus, but we had a bag with us and they said “no luggage allowed.” So we kept trying Uber and Lyft and finally got a car after 2 hours. This makes no sense. If we’re quarantined, the government should want us in a private rental car instead of a shared Uber/Lyft or taxi. The government knew where we were staying and said that we had to quarantine there, so we didn’t have the option to switch to an airport hotel until the quarantine was lifted. I’d definitely add Kaiser to your “not recommended” list. A big shout out to Quick Cuisine Hawaii for no contact food delivery during our one-day quarantine. Thanks again!

    1. No, with the new rules you would not have made it to Hawaii. No getting on the plane if you do not have negative results. You need negative results to board the plane now.

      1. This is not accurate. You can get on the plane without test results. It’s just that Hawaii will make you quarantine for two weeks on arrival.

        Unless-until the federal government and/or individual airlines impose a pre-travel testing requirement, there is no stopping someone from boarding.

        As a practical matter, unless you have a residence on Hawaii, or just crave being locked in a dingy hotel room for two weeks, you would be a fool to get on board. But, fools are allowed.

        Hawaii had No pre-travel test requirement until Oct 15, and tens of thousands of people still flew here since March, and had to quarantine. Kawakami wants Kauai to go back to that. There would be no reason to stress out over getting test results in time, you can instead stress out about being under house arrest for two weeks. For shut-ins that watch TV all day, maybe quarantine is not a big deal, IDK ….

  30. it’s almost a moot point as the CDC recommends no travel especially to Hawaii during this time. The locals don’t want folks bringing in the virus as you can see we only have so many hospital beds. Kauai has already requested more testing or opt out to 14 day quarantine. Why would anyone in their right minds take a vacation during a pandemic? If you are one of those people, go to bermuda, BVI anywhere but Hawaii. And yes we have a mask mandate with fines.

    1. Mahalo Cynthia T. It’s upsetting to see how many people want to come to Hawaii during a pandemic. Positive cases will create catastrophe in Hawaii and people aren’t willing to accept that they are risky travelers.

  31. We used letsgetchecked.com and it was very efficient. We completed our test on Monday at 5PM, took the test directly to UPS (did not trust scheduling a pickup). The test was overnighter to California, and we had results by Tuesday at 4PM, less than 24 hours. Quick and easy.

    1. Keith, Is letsgetchecked.com a Trusted Partner of Hawaii? I don’t see it on the list unless it is called something else.
      Thanks

  32. Since the entire state of Hawai’i only has 300 ICU beds and us being located in the middle of the Pacific means we cant be life flown to another Hospital. Please keep this in mind when you are encouraging people to come here during a global pandemic. Hawaii is more than just a tourist spot, we do not need tourism nor do we want it, when the mainland is having another spike in covid-19. Please think of others.

    1. Mahalo TJ R. Please be responsible and don’t travel yet. It’s a burden on Hawaii to get even more positive cases. Plenty people are asymptomatic arriving and this creates transmission to our fragile islands.

  33. I had to cancel my trip to Honolulu for March 2021 due to lack of testing.bi live in NYC and we don’t have drive-through testing sites. Furthermore, testing is not available at Newark or JFK on either United or Hawaiian Airlines.

    This must be resolved before I’ll even think about booking a future trip to Hawaii.

    1. SUSAN M…

      Thanks to BOH and two other folks posting here, we’ve discovered xprescheck.com (make sure to include that “e’!). They only have 4 locations nationwide and two of them are at JFK and Newark. AND – the best thing – you can book way in advance. We book on 11/25 for 01/07!

  34. My family and I are coming to Maui in June of next year. Any thought on tourists that have received the vaccine by then

  35. I have been trying to get tested to fly home to HI. Have been turned down, given wrong phone numbers, etc. I’m supposed to fly out Dec. 1. I’m at a loss. I’m in Phoenix right now.

      1. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! We just made appointments with xprescheck.com for January!!! (But be careful how you spell it because if you leave out the “e”, it sends you to what looks like a scam site>

    1. Such a frustrating dilemma, especially when you’re trying to get home rather than just coming on vacation. Have you tried a Walgreens in Phoenix or surrounding area, even if it means driving a distance? Appointments are released online 3-4 days in advance but are limited and are booked quickly, so check right at the 4-day window to be safe, especially if 24-hour results are provided at that location. Those appointments go really fast. My mother tested this morning at a Walgreens in Michigan. Drive-through testing only; very secure; about 30 minutes despite the line of cars, she said. I hope you find a good solution.

  36. So if I don’t have a negative covid test I cannot fly to honolulu? What if I’m a resident…. If I’m positive I can’t come home. What if between getting tested and flight time I get infected. You’re gonna accept the negative results and I’ll be free to do as I please infecting all who I come in contact with. If you don’t want travelers here if they’re positive then shut them all out of u let th in then accept the risk it’s all about money I guess

  37. Good morning

    Is Quest Diagnostics Lab still a trusted partner? I’m flying from Florida but not until July 2021

    Thanks for your assistance

    1. Hi Craig.

      We answered that before, but here it is again. No, they opted out of the program effective 11/22.

      Aloha.

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