We all know how critically important a negative COVID test has become. It is the new passport for Hawaii travel, and globally. Without it, we get the “go-directly-to-jail” quarantine card. So it was actually not a big surprise to us that a black market has arisen for counterfeit COVID test results. We first started hearing about this happening in the UK late last month. Since then we’ve learned it has become global, with reports in from France, South America, and elsewhere.
At Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport, a forgery ring is said to have been selling negative test results for up to $360 each. Seven people were charged with fraud and forgery of the negative results certificates that bore the names of actual Paris medical laboratories as the sources.
In Brazil, four travelers were arrest with forged negative test results.
In the UK, one person reportedly forged a friend’s email that contained an actual negative Covid-19 test result. He simply changed the name and other details on the email, printed the now fake Covid-19 test result, took it to the airport, and boarded a flight.
If not weird enough, one of the reports from the UK indicated a traveler was offered a forged test result by their travel agent. Fake test results in the UK varied in price from $65 (for slower results) to $200 (for immediate results).
Hawaii has established its own systems that use digital test results which are more secure than paper. Other states with quarantines each have their own protocols including some that use paper results that can easily be forged. Hawaii bound visitors, however, must use only certain trusted partners, upload their results to a digital portal, then obtain approval QR codes to be used in the travel process. Lt. Gov. Josh Green mentioned some time ago that the state has the ability to verify at least some of those test results.
Hawaii’s SafeTravels is a web-based system, rather than an app. It is not entirely secure, nothing is. There’s another website by the name “Safe Travels – Hawaii” (URL is https://hawaii.safetravels.com/) the name of which, when found in Google search results, gives the distinct impression it is the “Safe Travels: State of Hawaii” website (URL is https://travel.hawaii.gov). But in fact, the website is registered to an individual in Victoria Australia who is reselling Hawaii activities. Well, the good news at least is that he isn’t reselling COVID test results and, on reading the site, it does say that it isn’t the state’s site. But phishing-like it definitely is.
Next-generation test/vaccination portal coming soon.
A new technology coming to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store very soon may become a global standard for both COVID tests and later covid vaccinations. At present, the app is in trial and available for use only on certain flights between New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. United Airlines is taking part in the test.
CommonPass is a product of The Commons Project together with The World Economic Forum. It aims to help restore travel to pre-COVID levels by providing secure and verified documentation of health status for travelers. This will assure that the test or vaccination record is valid. And it will adjust to updated entry requirements as things evolve.
“A broad coalition of public and private partners is collaborating to launch CommonPass, a trusted, globally-interoperable platform for people to document their COVID-19 status (health declarations / PCR tests/ vaccinations) to satisfy country entry requirements while protecting their health data privacy.”
The new app, which purports to keep health data secure, was developed with a consortium including US Customs, CDC, and many airlines. With CommonPass, travelers can get a Covid-19 test at a participating partner lab and the results are then loaded directly to the app. Any additional screening questions, such as those required by Hawaii, can also be included online.
Lastly, CommonPass confirms compliance with the specific current entry requirements and creates the QR codes that can then be scanned by airline staff and border officials.
Photo courtesy of CommonPass.
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“Faked Covid Tests, Hawaii Phishing, and CommonPass” ???
Welcome to “Paradise” …
And Aloha.
Has anyone had trouble with a Vault Health test? My husband sent his test Next Day UPS yesterday and it didn’t arrive today — UPS doesn’t show any updates beyond yesterday when we dropped it off. I’ve tried to reach Vault via voice mail messages and emails and so far no reply. Has anyone had any luck getting through to them?
Also…we live in an area without Saturday UPS service — wondering if Vault tests can be returned via FEDEX. Anyone?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Hi Elisabeth.
A lot of visitors on our site have used Vault so it is most likely that someone will give us a hand.
Aloha.
Whoa guys. Trading freedom over our bodies for a convenient app? Look at the big picture. Where does that end? I want people to be safe. I want travel to resume. Thanks for listening. This must be thought out and done correctly or the new abnormal isn’t a pretty picture. 1984
Hi Nancy.
Are you set to return from Asia yet? Thanks for your comments.
Aloha.
Thanks again for your great site – a beacon in the dark! I have booked tickets with United – terrible 40+ hour trips each way – over Hawaii to SFO just to get tested. The return is Kona, HNL, Guam, Manila, Korea, Jakarta, Bali. They have combined all the flights into one! Crazy! As of now, I will be tested 3 times before seeing family. Then PCR tested to return to Bali. Only a loving Tutu would do this!
As I told you we are serious travelers, 18 years non stop, and this reservation with changing rules/tests has been the most challenging. I am good at tickets but the ONLY way to book nowadays – international at least, is directly with the airlines. Many tickets available for purchase on the usual sites but most AREN’T flying!! They just get your money and you can change. So that’s it – day by day! Mahalo!!! Will let you know if anything else reveals itself as this covid puzzle unravels. ps We are scared watching our freedoms disappear. I feel strongly that freedom of choice with our bodies is crucial to our constitution. May this all pass sooner than later. Take care guys! xo Tutu Nancy
Hi Nancy.
Amazing trip and fortitude to do that. Congratulations. Please let us know how it goes. And thanks for being a part of this!
Aloha.
Would you please confirm the correct website for logging onto the Hawaii Safe travels site.
Does anyone know if Delta Air lines is considered an approved provider for covid testing.
Thank you in advance for your help. I really appreciate this site and comments. We hope to visit in Feb as planned if restrictions can be ironed out. We’ve been coming to these beautiful islands for the past 30 years and survived a tsunami. Earthquake, flooding and landslides…but this covid crisis is in a league of its own. I hope you all stay safe.
Thank you.
Hi Jean.
Thanks. Both the correct and not correct website URL’s are listed in this post. We have not seen Delta listed thus far.
Aloha.
Auwe …
“Faked Covid Tests, Hawaii Phishing …”
Hawai’i …
Hawai’i — my absolute FAVORITE place on Earth. You haven’t done too well since statehood: proven over, and over, and over, again. And before any late comer Malihini’s feel the need to respond .. I was livin’ and breathin’ in ‘da Territory of Hawai’i in ‘da ’50s, my Bruddah’s and Sistah’s …
And it really WAS “GREAT” way back then … I hope and trust some of you can remember … and I really hope Hawai’i can somehow recapture those good years …
Simpler is mo’ bettah’ … that would be a good place to start. Just one man’s opinion …
This just gets weirder by the minute. We canceled a trip in September, rescheduled for February, and have been watching this all play out. I have to state that given this last bit of information, we will more than likely cancel our trip in February. You are supposed to go on vacation to relax. This is just too much BS. Hope Hawaii survives until we plan our next trip.
I thought that was the reason for the “Trusted Partners” only tests, to prevent fraud and inaccurate tests
One of the comments on the BOH FB page said that one island is closed, but the commenter didn’t elaborate. Is this true and if so, which island? Thanks much.
Hi Sheryl.
Lanai has been “closed” for the past two weeks. We understand that is about to end.
Aloha.
The facts are that the tests are only 70% accurate. To think you are “safe” is misleading at best. There is no way to stop Mother Nature…the powers that be can try to outrun her and attempt to suppress her…but all it does is prolong the process. If you don’t want CoVid, isolate yourself. And let the rest of the world carry on.
Well Jennifer, so far the testing is showing to be effective. However let’s say you are right. 70 percent effective translates into
far fewer cases then if there was no testing. It’s like masks, no one says they’re 100 percent effective. But the more people that wear masks translates into fewer cases. So add together testing and mask wearing and the reduction in cases is even greater. Throw in avoiding large gatherings and even better.
It’s a multilayered approach that if we all did it the case count would be as low as is realistically possible. It’s the best we can hope for till a proven safe vaccine is introduced……and don’t get me started on the anti vaxers that have already made up their mind.
Headline of today’s Star Advertiser pre testing is working based on the fact that out of a little over 15,000
tests there have been only 18 positives…..good start. The point was made that there is no indication of tourists causing any spread but
local spread is still the primary concern. Safe to say reality changes weekly in 2020 but obviously it’s better to have arrivals free of COVID
visiting rather then numbers that reflect the general population. Hawaii still has a very low infection rate compared to the rest of the U.S. and our isolation does offer an easier ability to protect ourselves. We are not doing as well as NZ of course but we are closer to them then the mainland.
If we keep up with common sense precautions we could do well. If the vaccine proves to be safe and effective and if we can minimize the anti vax/anti mask crowd Hawaii is in a position to recover quite nicely.
Aloha to all
Hi John.
Thanks for almost 150 comments to date!
Aloha.
You are right about the anti-vax crowd. However, our Vice-President Elect has gone on record as saying she won’t innoculate with the “Trump Vaccine” anytime soon. What kind of example is that for America? I guess we all need to wait for the “Biden Vaccine”, whenever that is.
“the “Biden Vaccine”, whenever that is.”
Prevents dementia??
Tests don’t work. Period. Please do some research. And we will never travel again if vaccinations are ever even remotely involved with travel. Look up the Constitution and the Neurenberg Code. In a free world there can be no medical mandates – period.
Sadly this virus doesn’t read declarations. We are not in a free world. May we learn from the 1918+ history of a major pandemic where one third of the world population was infected. Honour science and 100 years of advances. But thank you for sharing your position.
Michelle s, this is America. This is a free country. Americans fought for thier freedom. There are however state and federal laws that contradict the constitution when it comes to covid.
Why do you think hawaii and some other states do everything by emergency declaration and police state actions? Someone is profiting from it! And they are trying to control the population with the media etc.
Still, Hawaii seems to really aspire to authoritarian communist agendas. Fight for your freedom America!
Faking results? Widespread fraud? Nope, I don’t believe it, it can’t happen, there’s no evidence of any of that. That’s what the media have been telling me for a week now.
Kevin K:
You win the internet today!
There seems to be some confusion about the 14 day quarantine if you arrive in Hawaii without proof of a negative test. If you have taken a test within 72 hours of travel but have not received your results, yes, you will be subject to the 14 day quarantine, and here is the key, until your negative result is uploaded to the SafeTravels program. This, from the Kauai.gov/COVID-19 website: “Travelers who took a pre-travel test but have not yet received the results will also be subject to the mandatory quarantine until proof of a negative test is uploaded to the Safe Travels program.” Other islands may have similar guidance. It would be wise to check.
This happened to friends who arrived in Kauai last week but had not received their test results. They took a taxi to their condo, self isolated for the next day until they received their negative results, which they then uploaded to Safe Travels, then went to get their rental car and grocery shop. Luckily, they had planned for this and brought food along to last a day or two.
So, it would be prudent for prospective travelers to similarly plan.
Mahalo Rob and Jeff.
Hi Rob.
Thanks. You are right as far as how it works now. That is not, however, what the Lt. Gov. was talking about changing to, as we indicated.
Aloha.
It’s all much too ‘iffy’ and ‘crazy’ for us. Quarantine with no way out? You’ve got to be kidding. Now fake tests? We will wait as long as it takes to get back to some form of normalcy. Sadly, we are afraid it is going to be a long, long wait and Hawaii may never be truly ‘normal’ again. All of this may change the face of Hawaii travel forever. Or travel anywhere, for that matter. Just too costly and too far to fly to gamble on at the present time. :0( Take care everyone.
Hi Colleen.
Regards to you both. Hawaii may never truly normal again — what about the whole world? Take care.
Aloha.
Just canceled our trip for Thanksgiving. This is way too complicated and risky to spend 13 hours on a flight , tens of thousands and come with a family and maybe get turned back? See you in 2 years Hawaii. Tourist industry I hope you can hold on. Sorry we will not be able to help out. Had to rebook to Mexico.
Thanks for the info. My question has to do with the fact that if a person has had COVID and beaten it, they will forevermore test positive, but they are immune from both getting it again and from transmitting it (although the immune time duration hasn’t yet been proven). In other words, a COVID negative test is actually more dangerous than someone who tests positive but is immune, because the negative person can contract the disease anytime after being tested (like on the plane) and become an active carrier whereas an immune person who tests positive has the antibodies to kill any exposure and can’t transmit it. So how will these apps/websites/portals take into account people who are COVID immune? Will the safer person be prevented from traveling while the more dangerous person be allowed to travel?
Hi Tom.
Great question. The new app states it is adaptable so that whatever the changing requirements may be, it can include them.
Aloha.
Good morning. Our visit to Maui is not until April so I know things likely will change. But if traveling to the state now, are we responsible for virus testing costs? I saw that United has started pre-flight testing in certain locations, will the state accept this test? Thanks, Bob D.
Hi Bob.
Yes, United is a state of Hawaii trusted airline partner and their tests are approved.
Aloha.
United tests cost $250.00 in SFO airport. Must book ahead – no walk ins. My info so far. Maybe someone can confirm who has done this. Thanks