Is this the future of Hawaii travel? Back in the news again today.
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2,829 thoughts on “Hotels Require Hawaii Vaccination Passports + New Maui COVID Rules Detailed”
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Is this the future of Hawaii travel? Back in the news again today.
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This is what needs to happen to make it practical. Since many of the vaccinations are only in written form on the CDC card, the State should contract with the above App providers who could then call and verify that the card is legit. Or the State could do this if they had staffing. Either way, it would be a huge labor intensive process. Possible any federal funds available to hire verification people? Use the same people who are manually verifying the QR code upon landing? Once the vaccination card is manually verified the one time, it should then be good to go from there, the same as if it had been electronically verified with the various electronic databases. Electronic health records have been around now for 10+ years, but interoperability of health data is still a challenge.
I go back and forth once a month because my data isn’t electronic, I can’t use any of the App’s. So I have to upload the same vaccination card every trip, and go through the screening process to get the green checkmark. They just need to allocate the manhours, earlier in the process as described in the 1st paragraph.
Alfred. There is zero chance any County Health Department in the USA would provide private vaccination records over the telephone to a third party? And that assumes the robot that answers the phone would understand your question.
Fred, EXACTLY right. That’s the reasons that the system in California works the way it does. You have to verify your identity to the system, then you get a QR code from the system that can be provided to the apps to show a verified vaccination record. It’s a pull, not a push, so to speak.
Thank you for this information, I figured this was coming, have just returned from Kauai last month and hearing talks of it. Knowing it was a possibility and having another trip planned in march 2022, I started looking into uploading my Vaccine info only to find the “CommonPass” app is not even compatible with the older Samsung galaxy phone I have. I would have to update my phone just to use it. This is just ridiculous considering it is far more likely that the spread is attributed to instate community transmission than to tourist bringing it there. Perhaps start by testing your employees twice a week. This move will only hurt the Hawaiian economy with out much baring on the spread of Covid 19. Work smarter not harder.
I have an older sansung as well and my husband has a flip phone…loading the CLEAR app on my phone for the both of us worked
Kathleen, were you able to scan your CDC vaccine card into the Clear app? I created an account, and when I got to the screen to ‘scan your vaccine card’ I made sure my card fit inside the rectangle on the screen. But the app did nothing and there was no button to touch or click. I must be dense, but I can’t figure it out. Thanks.
BOH I applaud you for attempting to simply supply information to the public yet I’m finding with each article the comments are becoming more acrid and in some instances downright confrontational. The BOH “rules of engagement” seem to have flown out the window and vitriol is increasing, not a positive step in the right direction.
The topic of vaccines and passports is indeed controversial and you need to set up a special process to specifically avoid speculation and spread of misinformation which seems to run rampant these days with outlandish claims.
I plan to”pause” BOH” until you institutionalize a process whereby misinformation is vetted properly.
You are Hawaii-centric, know the challenges we face and yet seem to remain silent as “mainlanders” speculate our challenges, apply mainland scenarios to our situation and denigrate decisions made by those here in Hawai’i who have first-hand knowledge of our challenges, critical status of our healthcare situation and above all, need to balance the requirements of our visitor industry, local commerce and health and well-being of our residents.
Time to step up BOH, simply allowing unfounded misinformation to be regurgitated on the site is not what I expected of this organization. I understand the rights of free speech but I also understand BOH a level of responsibility to identify and label misinformation; that needs to occur and I don’t see it happening.
Hello KB.
I enjoy your comments and agree that directed misinformation should be of concern. However, I view misinformation here on the BOH to be what I classify as casual misinformation – not designed nor published to intentionally deceive.
I would inquire how BOH, or anyone else for that matter, is to accurately determine what is misinformation and what is not misinformation. Whom do we entrust to be the arbiter of this? Me? You? CDC? WHO? Politicians?
I think the BOH is to be commended highly for exploring the breadth and depth of Hawaii’s COVID issues and the resulting concerns and opinions of those affected, be they native or otherwise. I offer it is better there be frank and open discussion regarding vaccine passports and other things here rather than as 140,000 French are doing massed in their cities streets.
I have learned much from my visits here at the BOH. Much of what I read is thought provoking, challenging to my understandings, and requires me to rethink my own positions.
I don’t worry too very much about casual misinformation being posted here. I think people who read and post here are smart enough to segregate good from not so good. I also think casual misinformation is one of those things that for the most part falls into the “I’ll know it when I see it” category. We aren’t perfect, but we are pretty good.
“The only thing anyone can really know for sure is that you can’t really know anything for sure. If you’re lucky, you can get half the truth.”
― A.D. Aliwat, In Limbo
Obviously, A.D. Aliwat is also a plagiarist. The first sentence is a direct lift from Socrates.
In that I’m not interested in reading misinformation gleaned from FB “research” I’ll be reluctantly signing off from BOH for the time being.
However, I do take solace from the idea that I will never have to be around these people in Hawaii as they have sworn it off forever. Mahalo and Aloha
Have to agree, nothing personal BOH, but a lot of misinformation (someone actually tried to promote frontline doctors, a huge scam and proven misinformation mill) is being posted on here and it’s turning into a handful of anti vaxxers aggressively trying to spread misinformation. I’ve said earlier that if someone doesn’t want to take a vaccination that’s their decision, but these people trying to prevent others from getting the vaccine through misinformation are borderline criminal. Many many people have died in this country because of vaccination misinformation. Don’t know if you heard what the anti-vaxers did yesterday on Oahu but they physically prevented a mobile vaccination site from giving vaccination’s to people who wanted them… this follows on the heals of the anti vaxers protesting outside the LG’s residence and harassing his wife and children as well as antisemitism.
It’s gonna be what it’s gonna be. I’m going surfing.
Aloha
I think I’ve said this before, but I agree with John. Free speech and a right to an opinion is one thing. Spreading misinformation, bullying, and intimidation to try and prevent people from getting a potentially life saving vaccination is another.
I see. An advocate for free speech, but anything that goes against the narrative should not be allowed/is a conspiracy theory. And who decides what is a conspiracy theory and what is not.
How about if the overwhelming majority of the the Medical profession, pretty much the entire research community who have spent their lives in getting educated and have little interest in politics ( they’re science nerds, they see things we don’t) and the hero’s that are working their okole’s off to the point of exhaustion say one thing and a few people sitting at computer’s and other’s making money selling ‘ alternative’s’ and saying things that have been untrue say something different we go with the first choice?
everyone is entitled to their Opinion (you included) in a Free Country! If you want to take the “experimental jab” more power to you. Freedom of bodily autonomy is key a a Free Country- Oh yeah, and tell that to the over 1,200+ Oahu Firefighters who have filed a Class Action lawsuit against vaccine mandates. And tell that to the 4 dead people I know who died within hours of injection, or the 5 young men I know how had heart attacks or the 5 dead babies all within hours of the injection…and the blind in one eye 19 year-old due to blood clots. Everyone should do their own research and asses the “Risk/Benefit” for their age/medical conditions/medical history and come to a personal decision… and also assess therapeutics as I have personally helped 4 people with 100% effective treatments. Have fun surfing!
We live in a country of laws and Order
Nita C. You are gravely misinformed and spreading false information. You are contributing to people dying due to it. Please stop. If you don’t want to vax, don’t. But stop spreading this totally false info.
This will be my last comment here for awhile. The anti-vaxxers are taking over this platform.
My wife works in the ICU of her hospital. If any of the “but my rights” crowd could see the terrible deaths that are happening to the unvaccinated… it might change some minds.
Instead, a loud and misinformed group has taken over the comments section here at BOH. I’m sad to leave, as I’ve learned a lot here and just started posting within the last year.
Aloha.
I agree with you. I also wish that the brothers who run BOH would stop posting comments with obvious disinformation and misinformation. Not wanting to take the vax for personal reasons is an opinion; spreading disinformation that might persuade others to not vax or mask is irresponsible and will lead to the loss of lives other than the opinion holders. It needs to stop. I am ready to leave as well. There is so much of it here it is ridiculous and dangerous to public health.
Matt, I know how you feel. It’s a non-stop deluge of mis and dis information from the anti-everything crowd. At first I tried to post corrected information, but it’s so much, and happening constantly that it quickly became a full time job, so I quit. Unfortunately without someone to counterbalance them the “but my rights” crowd as you called them has taken over and if people didn’t know better it would look like they were some kind of majority of how people feel. So, I got dragged back in … and I’m back to being exhausted and have dialed it back and may just quit again altogether since BOH refuses to police even the most egregious, and obvious, misinformation in the guise of “presenting both sides”. But there aren’t two sides to facts. ““You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” ― Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Last November I moved to Oahu from Santa Clarita, CA, a small city which has 253k residents and only 1 hospital/emergency/trauma center for the entire area. Oahu alone has 5 hospitals and about 8 emergency/trauma centers. So, although Hawaii is an island, its hardly the most stretched medically speaking, in the US. However with that said, there are approximately 1.46 million people on the islands and there have been only 621 deaths from covid. I’m not going to bother counting cases because there is no test for covid.
Sometimes, things need to be put into perspective; the likelihood of any one of us [who have commented on this thread] dying from Covid are pretty slim. Vaccines for every living person on this planet are no more necessary than everyone needing a flu shot.
I don’t know the true reason the government is pushing these particular vaccines so forcefully they feel the need to mandate or require a passport for our freedom to move freely. I imagine we will find out sooner rather than later, at least that’s my hope. In the meantime, I think it would be extremely wise if all of us to came together, respect each other’s decisions and come to an agreement that 1) a person who does not want to be vaccinated has nothing to do with wanting to harm others. They’re just protecting their own body, as is their right and 2) someone who is vaccinated or chooses to be is also doing what they feel is right for them and for their body.
I really feel “they” want us divided, angry at each other and constantly attacking one another. As soon as we stop all of that nonsense and stand together, this insanity will end. We’re all frustrated because we’ve done what they’ve asked of us since day one and yet they continue to hold us captive and add even more restrictions. Its not right nor is it legal. Its not just Hawaii, either. So don’t hang up your tropical clothing yet, we ALL need to stick together to get through these difficult and confusing times. 🌺
Seriously the best comment I have read in a long long time! Thank you for reasoning Kimberly!
Kimberly you are speaking from your perspective that if you are ok then what’s the problem? You also are minimizing the seriousness of the situation over here.
The professionals dealing with what is going on in our hospitals are stressed to the max and very concerned. Because of the unvaccinated patient count many people are already unable to get potentially life saving elective procedures or testing done. It’s serious and a dangerous situation.
It’s not about who is or who isn’t at risk the most, it’s about the many many people that are at risk. Perhaps after you have lived here awhile you’ll understand that on an island there is a little more of a shared community feeling by many and caring about others is important.. I wouldn’t go boasting about about “I’m from the mainland you guys shouldn’t be complaining here”…..it may not be to well received by people from Hawaii whose Aunti or friend or whoever has been effected by Covid.
JohnW, maybe I haven’t lived in Hawaii that long, but I have been alive for many, many years. I have learned to look beyond the smoke and mirrors. I am obviously seeing things some others don’t. As far as Covid goes, if you just rely on your own immune system, you have a 99.98% chance of being perfectly okay. Granted, if you’re over 60, that lowers to about 99.95%. But still not bad odds. We are going on two years of dealing with this, with no end in sight. That’s concerning. Not concerning because of a virus, concerning because of human behavior. I have absolutely no doubt if people would just stop, think and use logic, we could go back to normal living without restrictions or passports. As long as we continue to capitulate this will never end and there will continue to be variants. The variants are a direct result of a need. Let me ask you this… what happened to AIDS? A vaccine doesn’t exist. So, where is it? Why hasn’t the majority of the population died? (I’m just asking because some of the same people are involved with Covid.)
You should be very proud you are seeing things that all the Doctors, Hospital administration, scientists and researchers don’t .
I’m impressed. Awesome.
There are only 4 states in the entire US requiring these passports, The thought process in some of these comments are not the majority. This past weekend there was another huge peaceful protest in Waikiki over the passports and mandates. The protests incuded both vaccinated and unvaccinated. There are very few people in America, no… in the World, who want to live under government rule. Most of us enjoy our sovereignty. When you do not want to lose something valueable to you, you will do anything within your power to protect it. I happen to do a lot of research and I share my research. Watching the 6 O’clock news every evening is not research.
Amen to Kimberly!
y’all should listen to her. One of the few with common sense
Until we had a vaccine, we all had to rely on our own immune system. Statistics say 350,000-400,000 died, but that number is considered low because many died of Covid without knowing it. When AIDS was at its highest, there wasn’t much medical treatment for it which there is today, and it has saved many lives. I believe you are comparing apples to oranges. It does not make logical sense to rely on your immune system when so many have died doing so. Haven’t you seen people with Covid begging for the vaccination and begging their family and friends to get it. It provides you protection from a serious or deadly case of Covid most of the time. According to the NIH agency NIA, 140,000 lives have been saved by vaccinations as of August 18th. Sounds the odds are in favor of the vaccination to me.
Aloha John.
You need to put Kimberly’s comments into context. She is a committed anti-vaxer who has posted the same, tired commentary before.
Think about her key observation: “the likelihood of any one of us [who have commented on this thread] dying from Covid are pretty slim.”
A study reported by the Economist exposes the truth about the severity of SARS CV-2.
“When looking at historical averages of worldwide deaths,fifteen million more people have died during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to historical norms, according to a recent report by the Economist. This figure is more than three times the reported COVID-19 deaths, which stands at ~4.6 million people.”
“Many people who die while infected with SARS-CoV-2 are never tested for it, and do not enter the official totals,” the editors write.
The longer-term effects of hospitalized Covid survivors is currently an unknown, but the impacts on the economy, the fiscal impacts on individuals, and the impacts on hospitals and the medical profession far surpass any comparison to the flu or any other respiratory disease.
As numerous studies have shown, even those with Covid-supplied antibodies benefit from vaccination.
You need to understand her context when responding to her concerns.
Kimberly, Santa Clarita is 30 miles from Los Angeles and within driving distance to 100s of hospitals in case your nearby hospital is overwhelmed with cases. We have one major hospital here in Kauai with less than a dozen ICU beds. Not in any way comparable.
Kimberly, I too live in Santa Clarita, small world! I can tell you this, Henry Mayo is currently slammed with COVID patients. We are losing about 1 person per day to COVID here in the SCV. What we also have is a small but loud minority of anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. Finally, the are a lot of hospitals near the SCV that can take up the slack should HMNMH run out of beds.
Blatantly false. I, and other nurses, have not seen anything even remotely what could be called “slammed” at Henry Mayo. nor are people dying every day. This mass hysteria is unreal, and obviously you’ve enjoyed the koolaid, but please, everyone else do your own research on this
The point you may be missing Frank is what’s happening at your hospital is irrelevant to us here. Hawaii is getting slammed and tents are being set up to accommodate the mostly unvaccinated patients arriving everyday. We are an island with no where else to send them. Our death rate per day is at an all time high too.
With all due respect JohnW, the islands have had a year and a half to increase hospital capacity. Your leaders have done you a grave disservice by not doing so. They should be voted out of office ASAP. On the Central Coast of California, hardly a rich area, a local gymnasium at Cal Poly University, was outfitted for hundreds of possible ICU patients in April of 2022. We were proactive. Unfortunately, your leaders rolled the dice and you’re paying for it now.
The problem isn’t physical beds, etc. As you point out, that’s easily addressable, and Hawaii is doing some of that with the tents they are setting up, etc. The bigger challenge is staff. Getting enough Dr’s and nurses (especially nurses) to work all of those expansion beds. I’m sure that you recall at the time in California, the Governor instituted a program to get more Dr’s and nurses in order to staff those additional beds by asking some of them to come out of retirement, etc. That’s a bit more tricky for Hawaii considering their relative remoteness. Also, keep in mind that this was during a time when there was no vaccine, and therefore little could be done to prevent an explosion of hospitalizations. Right now, this is a surge of the unvaccinated. If more people would simply get vaccinated the hospitals in Hawaii wouldn’t be filling up like they are. I think if you want to criticize the Governor of Hawaii, then criticize him for not getting more people to get the jab. More vaccine mandates, for example, would be enormously helpful. But this is what we get for turning vaccinate/the pandemic into a political football. 1/2 measures don’t work.
Really? You work there? Scary. My numbers come from a report in the Signal about the fact that HMNMH is seeing a significant increase in the number of COVID admissions and deaths. My late wife was an ER nurse and worked at Henry Mayo, we still have friends there, and they are confirming to me that they are very busy right now. The good news is that despite the small but vocal contingent of anti vaxers here, we have over 70% vaccination rates here. But that’s not enough to stop an uptick in the Delta variant from spreading throughout the valley and sending the unvaccinated to the ER.
Thank you, Kimberly
Your wisdom is on full display.
Were only my thoughts expressed in such a considered and wise manner.
Which part is that Hayward? The part where she doesn’t quite seem to grasp the difference between a town in California that has access to all the hospital beds they could possibly need and we don’t have that luxury? (right now in the latest news we have 35 Covid patients in the emergency rooms of Oahu waiting for an available bed) or the false narrative that there is a less then one percent chance of someone over 65 dying if they get Covid….tell that to the veterans home in Hilo……she’s new here, she probably hasn’t figured it out yet but respect for our Kapuna is a very important part of our culture.
Or maybe it’s the perspective if your “healthy you have nothing to worry about”? Even if that’s true and I agree it’s an important piece of the puzzle, does that mean people that aren’t fortunate enough to enjoy robust good health are less important?
The whole “I take care of my health so what’s wrong with you narrative is getting old”
“The Hill”, 5 Sep 2021, Mycahel Schnell, Fauci says Pfizer booster shot likely approved by Sept. 20, Moderna to follow
“Anthony Fauci on Sunday said the Pfizer-BioNTech shot will likely be the only approved COVID-19 vaccine booster by Sept. 20, the date the Biden administration previously recommended for beginning to administer booster shots for all fully vaccinated individuals.”;
and this:
“Business Insider”, 1 September 2021, Marianne Guenot, Israel’s vaccine pass will expire 6 months after the 2nd dose, meaning people will need booster shots to keep going to restaurants and bars
“Israel said its vaccine pass, which grants access to nonessential venues like restaurants and bars, now expires six months after the second dose of vaccine.
Getting a booster shot five months after the second dose resets the clock and extends eligibility for the so-called “green pass” by another six months, Israel’s health ministry announced on Sunday.”
The World Health Organization has issued a moratorium on booster doses until at least the end of September. Vaccine boosters for the “fit and healthy” are a “‘luxury’ item,” the WHO said in a statement sent to Insider on Tuesday.”
Question. When will a Maui required Vaccine Passport be required to have a booster endorsement to be considered valid?
“The faster we go the behinder we get.”
– POGO
The normal period for an annual flu shot is 9 months. Boosters for an easily transmissible virus are common, so what’s your point?
Aloha Travelers. I could use some help from a techie. I tried to scan my CDC vaccine card on the Clear app, but it doesn’t scan. I was able to create an account with my information, ID, and facial recognition, but when I get to the screen to scan the vaccine card, it does nothing. I’ve made sure that the card fits inside the rectangle on the screen. Has anyone else had a problem with that? Mahalo BOH and everyone for always keeping us up-to-date on what’s happening. Much appreciated.
PAM S… CLEAR only accepts digital vaccination proof which, I believe, is only issued in California and Maryland. Common Pass is useful only if it lists where you were vaccinated. In my case, it didn’t list one of the largest medical systems in my state! Don’t worry about Vaccination Passports. They are supposedly an “easy” way to do it but since you have to upload to Safe Travels anyway – why bother! (You might want to read my post which was converted to a topic – don’t remember the name but it one of the only ones that says “Customer Post” or something like that.)
Yes, what Barbara says. Just upload on Safe Travels. Skip the Clear App. The Safe Travels quarantine exemption application also requires that you manually type in the vaccine type, lot code, date administered for both shots (if not JnJ). I don’t know if this info is somehow verified., but I got the “upload accepted” almost immediately.
BOH. U R thee best resource for all things Hawaii. In furtherance of my rant yesterday about the efficacy of “Gee Whiz” vaccination passports, I think your readers will get a kick out of a recent article by Albert Fox Cahn, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project’s
(S.T.O.P.’s) founder and executive director. No link per BOH guidelines – just google Albert Fox Cahn Mickey. 🙂
Maybe us Natives should have required passports when the colonizers came…
Would like to plan a trip to Maui and oahu may 2022,with all this back and forth we may go elsewhere. Just doesnt seem worth the hassle!!!
I literally gave myself an ulcer with all the hoops my family had to jump through to get 7 of us to Kauai last month. In all we had a great time but St John probably would have been just as nice
So much drama over showing a little card to fly, eat, or visit a museum. It’s no different than someone asking to see ID at a bar, restaurant, TSA at the airport, etc,.
It’s evident many of the negative commentators haven’t traveled outside of the US since the pandemic, wow, are these folks up for a rude awakening.
Yes I have my vaccine card, right next to my driver’s license and passport and if asked to “show ID” I will gladly oblige with a smile. It’s someone’s JOB to ask, there’s a reason to ask and it’s not my place to unload on anyone about personal freedoms or spouting off about the Constitution.
Wherever I travel I am mindful of the rules and laws which may be different than where I’m from, it’s called adaptability and respect.
So, if vaccine passports are the wave of the future, so be it. If it’s a rule/law at my destination, it is what it is.
KB… So well said! Mahalo!
Hello KB
I very much enjoyed you post. Reading your statement … “it’s not my place to unload on anyone about personal freedoms or spouting off about the Constitution.” reminded me of another profound statement. That would be late 1930’s statement by Martin Niemöller, a German Lutheran Pastor:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”
But then as you point out, this is just a “little card” required by your government.
Hogwash. Do you not expect to show a valid legal State ID or Driver’s License? A birth certificate? A Passport. Dr. Records to enroll your child in school or sports? Just because you object to a vaccination and proof of such, does not make it anywhere akin to Nazi Germany.
Hello Dee.
Thank you for the reply.
I don’t think having a vaccine passport is akin to Nazi Germany, nor do I object to a vaccine passport in and of itself. It serves to memorialize an event one freely chose to undertake. In this instance vaccination.
I would think I may freely travel to and enter Hawaii without a Driver’s License, Birth Certificate, or school records. But as you know I may not do so without a Vaccination Passport.
Thus I do begin to have thoughts when the vaccine passport becomes a tool to coerce a certain outcome in what I suggest is a free will choice (vaccination). A passport is just a passport right up until the time the imposed choice is the passport or denial of certain common historical privileges (or perhaps legal rights). I think it then takes on a meaning at a much different level. This is one of my concerns with vaccine passports. Another is the resulting de facto segregation it imposes.
I point out that if one does not at some point speak to those things that they believe are inconsistent with their individual values, then at some future point speaking may be without purpose.
“Questioning authority doesn’t make you resistant; who should follow blindly without knowing the destination”
— LDarnell
Hayward,
Ah, minor correction here. Traveling to Hawaii (or anywhere else) without a Drivers License is not easy, but possible. You are going to have to show some form or ID at TSA, for example, and other places. But, you COULD use other forms of ID like a passport, etc. Still SOME form of ID is going to be needed. But, lets say you get there with out said Drivers License. Once you arrive, you will have limitations placed on you. For example, you won’t be able to rent/drive a car. Same deal with the Vaccine Passport. You can travel to Hawaii without one. But, you will have certain limitations placed on what you can do, same as you would have limitations placed on you if you showed up without that DL in your example.
You DO NOT have to have a Vaccine Passport to enter Hawaii!!!!!!! (Would you like more exclamation points?) Yes, you may have to prove you’re vaccinated to enter restaurants etc and a Vaccination Passport (or such as an Immunaband) would make that more convenient but – again – you DO NOT NEED a Vaccination Passport to enter the State!
Hi Barbara M.
No, I’m fine with your extensive array of exclamation points.
Perhaps some clarification will assist. I use vaccine passport in a generic sense of a document or documents required to prove a person vaccinated and utilized to coerce or modify the behavior of the person.
Sigh …, you are correct. One may enter Hawaii without a “Vaccine Passport” per se. I think the obvious question is why would one do so.
One who cannot swim may certainly enter the water, but the experience may well be unpleasant.
Similar with Hawaii I suggest.
“If you spend your life over analyzing every encounter you will always see the tree, but never the forest.”
― Shannon L. Alder
KB,
I’m not arguing with you, but some people just hate the concept of being required by the government to have/show any sort of government ID in order to do certain things.
No one says boo about requiring a government issued DL to drive a car, to check into a hotel, board a commercial airliner, or verify one is enough to by smokes and liquor. But, for other activities, voting comes to mind, it is considered outrageous by many folks to impose such a requirement. Based on peoples reactions, going out to eat/drink, to the gym, movies, bowling(!?), concerts, sporting events, etc., must fall somewhere in between.
Let’s see how it goes for the first few months. Maybe this will become no big deal by then. One thing it will do for Hawaii is reduce the number of visitors, which almost everyone says is a good thing.
FWIW, we went out to a restaurant on far north shore of Kauai last night. Severely understaffed, limited dinner hours, and a long line. After they hit their limited seating capacity, they only let in a new group after an old group leaves. No reservations. They even take temperatures (this place has since way back in June 2020, although they told me they have never detected anyone with a fever). If the Vax passport was in place, maybe that would have knocked down the crowd size and reduced the wait all around.
Probably not on the latter. The venue would still be understaffed, limited in the amount of percent of normal capacity they are allowed to serve by legal mandate, many places will still be closed, and most places will not be operating at full hours yet. It may have served to cut out those who did not want to test every 48 hours from the line.
It is a proven fact that vaccinated people can contract and spread Covid.
What exactly is the point of making employees at stores and restaurants act as vaccine police?
I’m asking because I don’t understand why this makes people who are vaccinated feel safer.
Someone here praised immunization wristbands, are we nearing tattoos on our foreheads?
Rob,
Vaccine mandates are being driven by overwhelmed hospitals and ICUs. Over 90% of COVID hospital patients are unvaccinated (reported to the State Senate last week by hospital reps).
The passports are not a little thing. Its a life changing “thing”. Traveling outside of the US has no relevance. Most countries do not have the freedoms we have or had. So, that’s not a relatable argument. I don’t want the vaccine in my body. So, because I don’t want it in my body I shouldn’t be allowed to eat at restaurants or go to a concert?? I don’t smoke marijuana either, because I don’t want that substance in my body. Its MY body, MY life and its the only one I’ve got. If you’re vaccinated why are you concerned if anyone else is? You’re protected right? If you don’t believe you are, then why are getting vaccinated?
You can’t on one hand argue that you have the “right” (which I agree with you 100%) to not get the vaccine. But then turn around and say private businesses don’t have the same right to insist you provide proof of vaccine if you want to come in. They have the same right as you. It seems your only concerned about yourself.
There is a solution to your problem. Don’t go to these restaurants or travel to places that require you to show proof. As far as saying most countries don’t have the freedoms we have. I guess you haven’t traveled much. There are many countries that have the same freedoms we have. America is not the center of the world.
You might consider what it would be like to have Covid in your body and be on a ventilator. The vaccinated and unvaccinated can now pass Covid to a vaccinated or unvaccinated person thanks to the Delta variant. The vaccine gives you a fighting chance of not getting very ill, being hospitalized or heaven forbid, dying. All reasons to take the vaccine from what I consider a scientific perspective. It is your body, but it is not your right to pass the virus on to others and take the chance they are deathly ill. You are being prevented from going to places where the chance of spreading Covid is very high because we can only tamp down Delta and the upcoming mutations by vaccinating the majority of the population. Covid is here with us for the long run, but let’s make it as hard as possible to infect others. Is it your body when it comes to Abortion? Curious how you view this one.
KB, it is not just about a card, it is about what that vaccine passport represents. We do not have to take a needle in our arm full of many harmful ingredients in order to get a drivers license. Any person who goes to a restaurant and shows their vaccine card as required for entry, etc is going against the right for freedom of choice, my body my choice, rather, they are supporting discrimination.
Where do you people come up with this 99% BS look at the numbers look at how many cases look at how many people have died. Do the math it is not 99%
Statistics can be, and are often, manipulated to favor the narrative.
Fact: If you take the total deaths and divide by the total population, you get well over 99% survival rate, which is a legitimate and highly accurate statistic.
Fact: if you take the total number of deaths, and divide by the total who have contracted the disease (of which you only have those documented, which is not completely accurate), you get anywhere from 97.XXX to 99.XXX%, depending on if you break the numbers down by age group.
The bottom line is that you have a far greater chance to survive than die from this virus. It’s 100% irrelevant which statistical data you choose to use, nor is it relevant to debate over +/- 2 percentage points, when it does jack to solve the real issues. 🤷♂️
JIM R… And your comments has what to do with travel to Hawaii!?!?!?!?!
Barbara M…the exact same as your comment(s) on this post. 🤷♂️
The “total population” is not a valid data point. The “total population” has not had Covid, so their “survival rate” is from something that many never got. Ridiculous data point.
Jim,
So, let’s use the middle to make the math easy. 1% of 330,000,000 is 3,330,00. So, that’s over 3 million dead. do you seriously think that’s OK?
Now, that’s also assuming that everyone has the same chance of dying, and we already know that’s not true. We know, for example, that the elderly have an increased rick of death. So do people with “underlaying health conditions” such as asthma, diabetes, etc. Since those kinds of “underlaying health conditions” are pretty common in the US, I suspect that if the entire population got infected that the number of deaths would actually be higher than 1%.
So, my question to you is, which 1% of your friends and relatives would you like to send to an early grave? I’m assuming you’re young and healthy and don’t have to worry. You see, this isn’t just about any single individual’s chance of death (and BTW, this doesn’t even cover the pain and suffering of all the people who get COVID and end up on a respirator, or these who end up with “Long COVID”). It’s about millions of people, OTHER than yourself.
What about getting in my car drunk and then driving. My body, my choice, right? What about allowing teachers to smoke in school. We wouldn’t want to be “going against your freedom of choice”.
You do realize the same freedom you have to choose not to get the vaccine (my body, my choice) Is the same right business owners and concert venues have to require proof of vaccine.
Stop with the infringing on my rights speech. It doesn’t apply here.
It’s a known fact that the Delta variant can be transmitted by the vaccinated and unvaccinated. If a vaccinated person gets it, there is a small chance of serious illness, hospitalization or death. If an unvaccinated person gets Delta there is a very high probability they will be deathly ill and possibly die. Since Delta can be transmitted by either group, we must protect each other and not just worry about ourselves. Take one for the team!
MARY… Words escape me! First, this is a site about travel to Hawaii and your rant offers what information about Hawaii!?!?! Second, we don’t really care! We read about that stuff everywhere we turn – we don’t want it here! Third, if you think your rant on a Travel Site will change anyone’s mine one way or the other – think again. Third, if you have to rant, go back to Facebook!
Of course it’s a travel site, and her reply was about not being able to eat in at restaurants while being in Hawaii, as this new era of segregation is being accepted by half the population. It’s definitely both Hawaii and Travel related.
What’s the point in separating vaccinated people from unvaccinated people since both can spread covid and get Covid? We need to move beyond vaccination and learn how to treat the virus early in the home so that people can get back to work and avoid hospitalization entirely.
Much much greater chance to get Covid-19 not being vaccinated, much greater chance to spread and get COVID-19 if not vaccinated. Even “if” the current popular social media scare message says vaccinated “only” gave 5x less of a chance to get Covid-19… well it’s more than that because the vast majority of those getting COVID-19 AND being hospitalized are not vaccinated. Why should I risk having someone who doesn’t believe in science in the same room or plane as I ? Common sense says no.
Those fully vacinated in Canada are treated as unvaccinated by Hawaii, and it’s not going to change, correct?
Hawaii has not opened up transpacific travel without quarantine for non-US citizens except in limited exceptions. So you would need to observe the regulations for non-citizens, vaccinated or not.
Hawaii is open for Canadians, but since vaccines administered in Canadian “do not count” in Hawaii, Canadian have to test. Is not a citizenship issue. Even US citizen who were vaccinated in Canada, travelling to Hawaii from the Continental US, are considered unvaccinated by Hawaii. People who got their vaccines in Canada are considered vaccinated everywhere in the world, except in Hawaii.
Yury –
Agree it has nothing to do with citizenship. Millions of US citizens reside outside of the country, and there are tens of millions of non-citizens that reside within the US. Perhaps the reason is that Hawaii cannot “verify” a person’s claim to have been vaccinated if it happened OUS?? I don’t know. Initially, they would only allow vaccine exception to people vaccinated in Hawaii. It was several weeks after that before it was “anywhere in the US”.
Best is still to take the rapid test at an airport, e.g. SFO, as we did. It costs, but saves us from all the problems. BTW, our Ontario vaccination cards are two pages with water marks, hard to copy and therefore a lot safer than the CDC cards available at every street corner for twenty bucks in the States.
Sorry, my word bad. I used “citizens.” The wording should have been place of residency (and assumes vaccinated where they live.) The point is still the same, non-US residents from Canada still do not qualify under the current mandate to escape quarantine via vaccination.
I appreciate you, BOH! I just got my second shot and am now navigating all the apps as well as the Safe Travels site to get ready for our October visit. I think you (BOH) attempted to lay down the procedure of getting legitimized, but, it still wasn’t completely clear to me how/if ALL those sites are connected. Will fulfilling the Safe Travels requirements be sufficient? Please say yes. I don’t have the brain room for all this. Mucho aloha, and mahalo nui loa.
P.S. It is now obvious the vaccine does not make you bulletproof. I think the (false, imho) sense of security is what, in part, has fueled these outbreaks. Am I the only one who sees that?
Hi Anna.
Thank you. We appreciate your first time comment and hope to see you again.
Yes, just Safe Travels by itself is all that is needed. The three vaccination passport apps if you will are all optional.
Aloha.
Hello,
If I have a digital (QR) copy of my vaccinations in the California digital data base, is that sufficient to travel to Hawaii or do I need additional verification of some sort.
Thank you for any insight into this.
Hi Richard.
You need only comply with the Hawaii Safe Travels requirements as regards vaccinations. That is found here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/. It states that “the vaccination record document must be uploaded to Safe Travels and printed out prior to departure and the traveler must have a hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.
Aloha.
We are currently traveling in Italy where vaccination or proof of recent negative testing is required for many indoor activities including restaurants. They use a QR code system. It appears to be very quick and easy for all concerned. There is no fuss whatsoever. Happily our CDC cards have been accepted as well.
I still don’t understand why we are focusing so much on vaccinated vs unvaccinated! We now see with the studies out of Israel that those with natural immunity are 13 times less likely to get covid again vs vaccinated individuals. We also learned that those who are vaccinated & get Covid are more likely to end up in the hospital than those with natural immunity. We are traveling to Iceland & they allow us to show our Covid positive test from December when we had it and then a negative test within 72 hours of our flight. Simple. With millions of people recovered from Covid, why not focus on immunity?? Plus just think of all those vaccine doses that could go to countries & people that need them instead of forcing it on people who have natural immunity!
Jilene B. You’re spot on! We traveled from Kauai to Iceland back on May 1st. The E.U. accepts those who can show proof of antibodies OR vaccinated people in the countries. It was only when we returned back home to Kauai that we got harassed daily by the Health Department, National Guard and Police. Even though we were vaccinated and had a negative test. Keep in mind, this was May 2021. Didn’t make any sense then and certainly doesn’t now.
12 and under are exempt.
Here is what the CDC has to say on “breakthrough infections as of August 30:
cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html
Females 1,082 (44%) of deaths; 5,059 (48%) of hospitalizations without death
People aged ≥65 years 2,124 (87%) of deaths; 7,282 (70%) of hospitalizations without death
Asymptomatic or not COVID-related* 480 (21%) of deaths*; 2,409 (25%) of hospitalizations without death.
Out of over 171 million vaxed US residents, those numbers are minuscule, at least so far.
Also informs me that as a vaxed person under the age of 65, I should not get my panties in a bunch over COVID. So, I don’t.
I really do not understand this “follow the science” montra;
“Well, let me tell you a secret about science; scientists don’t prove anything. What we do is collect evidence that supports or does not support our predictions. Sometimes we do things over and over again, in meaningfully different ways, and we get the same results, and then we call these findings facts. And, when we have lots and lots of replications and variations that all say the same thing, then we talk about theories or laws. Like evolution. Or gravity. But at no point have we proved anything.” – Julia Shaw 12/16/2016.
The vaccine passports are not a safety measure, becuase the vaccine does not prevent you from getting the virus, nor does it prevent you from transmitting it. Isreal has proven this with 80% of their population vaccinated, but are currently the country with the Highest infection rate. The passports are a control measure. Unfortunately, those who are feeling virtuous because they have been vaccinated and therefore have their passport to freedom haven’t realized that they too are going to be just as affected by these measures as those who are not vaccinated. The vaccine passport is only valid to those who are Fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means; if there is a booster introduced and there will be, you will no longer be considered Fully vaccinated until you receive that booster. The plan is 3 boosters per year. What happens if you no longer want the boosters becuase lets say your body is starting to reject so many injections in such a short period of time? You either get the booster or you are consider unvaccinated.
People need to Stop and think before behaving so irrational. Reasearch, listen, pay attention. Please. If you really want help humanity, do this first. At least wait for the ingredient list from Pfizer to be released!!
Kimberly couldn’t have said it any better.
Earlier you posted that you would not vaccinate under a EUA. Now the P/Bio is fully approved. So, the next step is an “ingredients list”? Why not just admit that as far as your choice, you are and will always be an anti-vaxer? That way readers can assess your opinion with context.
Your argument about the scientific method is true, but your conclusions derived from the scientific method are a bit off. What you failed to address is that true science posits an hypothesis, tests that under controlled and blind cohort studies over many, many large populations. That is true science that promotes facts over “well, my brother (sister, etc.) got vaxed and still landed in the hospital” type of anecdotal statements.
As for Israel, the infection rate has more to do with children getting the virus, the abandonment of social distancing and masks, as well as breakthrough delta and waning efficacy of the p/Bio and Moderna vaccines. But total cases paint the real reason that vaccines are still one’s best bet:
Taking a sample from August 16, 2021:
154.7 severely ill patients in Israel were unvaccinated.
48.4 severely ill patients were partially vaccinated
And 19.8 severely ill patients were fully vaccinated
Dear BOH, thank you for the information, as always, I appreciate it. What I don’t appreciate are some of the commenters, they must watch Fox News 24/7, they should not go to Hawaii. I don’t want to run into them in paradise.
Please excuse me for being rude, BOH, I’m just so tired of all of this.
Please stay safe and healthy.
Hi Lani.
Is a weird time, and that is definitely reflected in the polarity of the contents.
Thanks for all of your comments, by the way.
Aloha.
It’s a good bet that those folks feel the same way about you and those others that watch…
We all are Lani, but as you said the believers in conspiracy theories over reality, basically what people often refer to as
“Haters” who are making unsubstantiated claims about Hawaii’s economy and finally comparing Hawaii”s approach to the states that haven’t prioritized human life as much seem to be pretty united in saying they aren’t coming back. While many others on here have an appreciation of what we have and what we are going through and are respectful and caring. They seem to have the perspective of the Aloha spirit. They are supportive and understanding.
If Hawaii’s future lies with them and not the angry conspiracy theorists then perhaps that is a bit of silver lining for the future?
Hang in there, it’s not if, just when the future brightens.
Aloha
Anything that goes against the narrative is let me guess, a conspiracy theory. The media calls it a conspiracy theory, so let’s not believe anyone who has a real life story to tell…it’s truly a sad, sad world.
That’s called anecdotal evidence and doesn’t prove anything.
That’s actually called “Real Life Experience”, and whether you believe it or not, it happens…therefore it is evidence. If it happens enough, it’s then not anecdotal evidence at all. It’s part of reality. Evidence is not derived from a percentage of reality, it’s derived through verification from multiple sources, like people dying from this vaccine…which is happening no matter how much you want to brush it aside, because it’s not a “regular occurrence”. It’s consistent enough that it is no longer anecdotal evidence. You can chose to not believe the events that people have witnessed, but that does not make them less real.
The definition of anecdotal evidence is “a factual claim relying only on personal observation, collected in a casual or non-systematic manner.” In other words, what you hear happened to your cousins friend, your neighbors buddy, and what you may have read on some conspiracy theory website is anecdotal evidence no matter how much you want to think of it as something else simply because it supports your incorrect theories. The bottom line is that the CDC and others have, and continue to track adverse reactions, including death, and so far have found little or nothing in the way to suggest in a scientific manner that anyone is dying from the vaccine. This is Exactly the kind of misinformation spread through social media that increases vaccine hesitancy in this country and will likely doom us all to having to live with COVID for a Very long time.
In response to Lani:
May I ask where you get your information … CNN, MSNBC ??? Do you watch those stations 24/7?? Unfortunately, closed minded people are offended when others have a differing opinion. I think all our money spends the same whether it be in Hawaii or someplace else. The corrupt government in Hawaii is hell bent on destroying the islands. They are well on their way to accomplishing that. Visitors definitely came back to the islands after Covid. I’m willing to bet that if the government decides to follow New York in implementing vaccine passports that they will chase away a very large portion of their visitors, once and for all! A huge reason that Hawaii was flooded with visitors this year is because many other islands in the Caribbean were still locked down or made it too difficult to visit. When things are back to normal (if our government ever allows it to be again) I predict that Hawaii will be wishing that those visitors were coming to Hawaii.
Considering that you stated that ‘you’re just so tired of all this” why don’t you quit contributing to it.
Respectfully,
TJ
I think that Lani’s point was a frustration with those who, because they disagree with Hawaii’s approach to protect its citizens as much as possible, wish ill on our economy, speak ill of our governing, and prove their ill will with a promise to never return.
I live here and can spot a privileged tourist from those Malahini who express their love of the islands in two minutes.
Nature has a way of culling the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps that’s one of Covid’s blessings — keeping those away who mostly think only of themselves.
Where are you getting your information from The Three Stooges…
and some of us are tired of commenters who disparage a different viewpoint and who must watch CNN, MSNBC and other mainstream media “all day”. You may also not be welcome to any other of our 50 states if you don’t want to run into anyone who is “ignorant” and who may value bodily autonomy, medical freedom of choice (vs. medical tyranny) and God-given natural immunity- Yes, millions have had Covid and Yes do have natural immunity to all variants and upcoming variants of Covid-see a; the research “just released”. So much for the dignity and respect of the individual human being.
ps…thanks BOH as usual for staying on top of the ever changing goalposts:)
How sad what the virus or fear thereof is causing among people, as evidenced by the nasty comments and outright hatred exchanged in comments below. We have lost sight of reality, facts, common sense, and respect for one another. The spirit of Aloha may never fully recover.
Hawaii and the Aloha spirit is much bigger then a few Internet posts.
Well, if you don’t lose the spirit of Aloha, and I don’t, and probably at least a few others, we’ll just have to build it back up. It has to be nurtured and cared for and spread through our actions, just like it always has. I’m not going to bother reading the other comments based on now two people lamenting how nasty and negative they are. I’ll just go for a walk, smile at people from behind my mask, maybe help an old lady across the street if I find one, and keep trying to live pono.
I don’t think of it as “revenge”, but one of the best quotes I’ve seen (can’t remember who it was) is, “The best revenge is not to be that way.” It’s really helped when I’ve wanted to respond to someone in kind, and give their negativity and anger right back at them. That doesn’t do either of us any good, though, and if I have to just shake my head and walk away, then that works, too. Keep your chin up. Aloha is not dead yet.
While vaccine passports won’t hurt(except Maui’s economy)they may not be the COVID solution Maui seeks either.
“Science”, 16 Aug 2021, A grim warning from Israel: Vaccination blunts, but does not defeat Delta:
“… Israel has among the world’s highest levels of vaccination for COVID-19, with 78% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated, the vast majority with the Pfizer vaccine. Yet the country is now logging one of the world’s highest infection rates, with nearly 650 new cases daily per million people. More than half are in fully vaccinated people, underscoring the extraordinary transmissibility of the Delta variant and stoking concerns that the benefits of vaccination ebb over time.”
News reports of today state the Mu variant, a WHO “variant of interest”, has been found in Los Angeles.
As I understand, being admitted to Maui only requires that one prove they have received two shots of vaccine; when those shots were administered is not a consideration.
We might consider it is difficult to move forward when one chases one’s tail.
Passports do, however, allow politicians to be viewed as “doing something”.
BOH. Is it possible to edit a previous post? Currently under review. Despite two rereads there is a confused sentence.
Hi Fred.
Thank you. No it isn’t possible to directly edit comments once submitted. But please leave a comment with what you’d like and we’ll be sure it gets done.
Aloha.
BOH. Love your site. We travel frequently to Maui and you’re an invaluable resource. In a question to your community: Am I the only one who’s spent a lot of time trying to navigate these “digital passports” and find them useless? As mentioned above regarding CommonPass 1) scan your vaccination record directly into the app. “Note: CommonPass does NOT accept CDC vaccination card uploads.” So if CommonPass does not accept CDC vaccination cards as a vaccination record, what does it accept? Between them, Clear and Commonpass link to two non-government medical providers in our state. There are more than 3000 counties on the mainland – with each having its’ own Health Department and County Attorney – all subject to HIPPA. Does anyone believe a new “Gee Whiz” website will actually be able to access and verify vaccination records of the estimated 70-100 million people who were vaccinated at county or state vaccination sites? It’s understandable that Hawaii state and county officials want to prevent further spread of the virus – but I wish they’d task their IT departments with preparing a hard assessment of these websites actually living up to their virtually impossible goals. We’ve travelled to Maui three times this year and have two more trips planned for 2021. The first two times we used the stressful Covid test method (within 72 hour of “wheels up” on last flight leg to Hawaii). That’s tough, or impossible, if last leg departs California any time after 5PM PST – as widely available test site pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, Walmart) close at 5PM local time. Last trip we uCDC card upload the last time and it was a breeze. Maybe Hawaii’s IT department could do a little math – to measure payback of forcing visitors (not Hawaiians) through aggravating and stressful techie knotholes: 2% (Covid positive arriving passengers [required to quarantine]) Xs (pick a conservative number) 10% fraudulent CDC vaccination card uploads. That’s .2% of arriving visitor passengers.
Notice Costco reviews of the: Covid-19 Saliva PCR Test Kit Voucher with Video Observation for Travel, Redeemed by AZOVA. 30% do not receive tests back in a timely manner?
Who is gonna the first to get sued?
Unfortunately I live in Washington State which does not provide smart health cards for reasons unbeknownst to me. Actually from looking at one of these apps, Common Pass, only CA, LA, and parts of Maryland offer the smart health card QR code. Common pass works with very few Pharmacy Chains and it will only recognize QR code’s. Not very useful for Hawaii travel (or anything else for that matter) I was able to jump through the hoops with Clear and scanned in my Vaccination Card, ID, and the facial recognition scan which gave me a QR code.
I think these vaccination passports could work but for now I wouldn’t be caught without my very cheesy vaccination card from Walgreens.
James. Excellent point. Regarding efficacy of so called Vaccination Passports. You were successful with Clear – by scanning your CDC vaccination card, ID (???), and facial recognition. Was ID a scan of driver’s license or passport? Consider the following: if someone who is desperate to visit Hawaii, and is willing to risk jail time by scanning a fake CDC vaccination card, what would prevent them from scanning fake card to Clear, scanning driver’s license, and doing facial recognition? That would require Clear to be able to “verify” the legitimacy of the scanned CDC card. That would be impossible. As mentioned in previous posts, after nursing homes and health personnel the majority of vaccinations occurred at state and country health departments. Assuming those were added to a state data base, Clear would need to access those records. Good luck there. Try finding your own state vaccination records (WITH your consent). And again, that assumes all county health department records have been submitted to state health department digital records. I realize I’m ranting – but my hope is get Hawaii and its’ five counties to do an honest assessment of the “verifiable” efficacy of these Passport Websites vs. a hard cost/benefit analysis of testing and/or vaccination card upload. Then present those results to the State and County Chambers of Commerce and citizens via a short advertising campaign that provides information and/or access to a survey. My bet – Hawaii’s citizens and many small business will punt on vaccine passports. If they don’t know now, they will soon realize the passports are an unintentional PR stunt. By know BOH readers will hopefully have seen examples where people successfully uploaded cartoon faces into New York’s vaccination passport apps. Hawaii leaders – PLEASE do the right thing.
FRED F… Since CLEAR is only available in about the 2-5 states that issue digital proof of vaccination, there isn’t a lot to worry about! AND most folks that are using CLEAR (or even trying to use Common Pass) are finding that it is a waste of time since you have to upload to Safe Travels anyway. You could have spent those 20 minutes it took you to write your “rant” (your words) in a much better way.
Please DO require vaccine passports. I would love to come to the islands, but have been waiting until vaccine requirements are firmly in place. Just a 72 hr test doesn’t make it as anyone can be infected post those tests quite easily with the Delta.
It’s a known fact that vaccinated people can carry the virus and new variant, so it would make more sense to make everyone take a negative Covid test prior to arrival. I’m not against vaccines at all, but I do believe some people can have medical issues or allergies where they cannot get the Vaccine. It’s really black listing people if they are not vaccinated for a particular health reason. I think the mmost important implement that needs to be done is people need to have a negative Covid test regardless of vaccination status. This seems like the logical option to control outbreaks in places. I know it seems like a pain in the *ss, but we may need to do this to get through All the craziness.
Aloha BOH Bro’s
My understanding is along with proof of vaccination Hawaii is requiring you to have a valid drivers license and insurance to drive there.
I also heard that resorts are requiring a valid Id and Credit Card on file before allowing tourists to check in.
And finally many restaurants and bars won’t take cash, plus you also must show a valid I’d to drink a Mai Tai and give them your Credit Card to open a tab.
That’s outrageous!
You think that was bad, on a recent flight to the mainland they made me wear a seatbelt!! That crazy pilot tried to say that we had to buckle up due to turbulence to protect myself and the people around me!!!
I tell you our rights are being stripped from us one by one.
hehe.. You are welcome to not wear your seatbelt. Because in all actuality, we don’t really care either way. We turn that seatbelt sign on and off as a courtesy.
The reality is, if you don’t put it on, nobody will do anything about it… On the other hand, pull your mask below your nose…
You must be a SWA pilot based in Orlando😀 (btw in turbulence you really don’t want the people unbuckled for what should
be obvious reasons.)
One “Vaccination Passport” that I anticipate will become the norm is “Immunaband”. Santa gave each of us one for Christmas. It is a rubber bracelet with a 1 3/4″ stainless steel “id” which has your name, your type of vaccine and a QR Code which, when scanned shows your information and a photo of your vaccine card. It takes a few week to get one because you have to upload your card which they then verify before they will issue a bracelet. I believe they were $25 for the version with your name. You order it from Immunaband.com. My sports writer husband has already had his accepted for a venue he was covering recently.
Great idea! Will be traveling soon and using it? We would love to hear how it worked for you so please keep us posted. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
NANCY S… I probably should not have posted because we didn’t use it nor have any intention of using it for Hawaii travel. I just posted because that kind of “proof” is becoming more and more the norm and it is better than carrying around the precious card. But my post was NOT intended to imply it was good for Hawaiian travel. Apologies.
Barbara, Looks like a simple and useful option. Immunaband is not currently a Trusted Partner on the Hawaii Safe Travels’ website (HST). Additionally the website highlights that HST is NOT currently “onboarding” new Trusted Partners. Hopefully, when they reopen for Trusted Partners, Immnaband will be approved. It sure seems like a lot less “brain damage” than the “Gee Whiz” tech apps currently approved as HST partners . Maybe HST would consider spending the money “wasted” on these apps on serious vaccination incentives, not more “City Hall” PR stunts.
FRED F… I never said that Immunaband was a Trusted Partner. Trusted Partners are those from whom you receive a Covid Test. Immunaband is simply a way to show your vaccination card and all I was saying was that, as that proof is more and more required, this is an easy way to not have to carry around your vaccine card. Trusted Partner and Immunaband are not even apples to oranges! And I certainly would not look forward to any such “proof” other than the card itself being accepted in Hawaii.
Who in their right mind is going to Hawaii unless they absolutely have to? I lived there 20 years,used to visit 3 times a year at about 10k a pop, speak with people I consider family weekly and have absolutely zero desire to go back under these conditions. More power too you if you go buy I would t go for free at this point.
Unfortunately some of us have to, Bruddah. Some of us have parents and relatives there too.🤙
I was waiting and keeping my flight but just cancelled and booked for Phoenix. Can explore the Grand Canyon and chill in Zion away from this vaccinated unvaccinated.
Can’t imagine the people or vacation can be chill when everyone is so divisive and fearful.
Hawaii do what you gotta do it’s important not to overload the hospitals but then vaccinated people should have restrictions as well because they are more likely to be reckless and can unknowingly spread the virus and kill someone else.
Remember every life matters? Or was that just a 2020 thing? Now only vaccinated lives matter. The rest are just a lower caste like untouchables in India.
So sad to see instead of coming together during a crisis we further the crisis and hostility through identity politics and turning science into a religion that cannot be questioned.
Just be safe and do what’s right for you. Don’t be a hateful or un-empathetic human being.
So glad they are making every effort to protect their citizens, visitors and the industries that support the island’s very existence.
They go to Vegas and bring covid back, then blame mainland, helping to pass more blame lol.
Right, blame it on the locals. I just went to Hawaii and used to live there, born and raised there. I find it appalling that you would make assumptions that it’s all the locals fault. 60% of Hawaii is atleast vaccinated, and over 80% of Israel is vaccinated, and Israel’s COVID infection rate is through the roof. Just because someone is vaccinated, does not mean they cannot spread the virus. Not to mention the fact that lots have already been infected with COVID from last year and have natural immunity. And from what I hear, it is the vaccinated filling up the hospitals, per a friend of mine who works on the COVID unit in Hawaii, and many other nurses I know. So everyone wants the right to travel to Hawaii, but local residents from Hawaii should not be allowed to travel to the mainland?
More misinformation. It’s the unvaccinated that are filling up the hospitals in the US. That’s the reason that it’s important that dad many people as possible get vaccinated. It isn’t to prevent spreading, though it will help a bit. Continued mask wearing is needed to slow the spread. Masks and vaccinations together are what’s needed right now.
If you want your comments to be taken seriously, never start a sentence with “And from what I hear…..”
What you “hear” goes against all the data and what I know from family in the medical field.
Instead, always start with “Studies show” or “According to science” or variations such as “The science is settled”. Just adding one these simple verbal ticks adds 50% more validity to your opinion.
OT – It is an absolutely gorgeous afternoon on the Kauai north shore. mid 80s, nice trades, a few puffy clouds but no rain. Not as many people on the beach as there was on Saturday. Perhaps the increased fines for groups killed off the usual Labor Day picnics at the Haena beach park?? Ocean water crystal clear with many different hues of blue depending on whether sand or rocks on the bottom. We walked past 007 as he got out of the water. Also walked past a wedding, with the bride in full regalia. Saw a couple of turtles out in the water, but no monk seals.
That’s my report. Now back to 24/7 COVID!
This totally lame. They already know that the business establishments will have no way of verifying the information and even each island will be doing something different. Such a waste of resources.
I guess our family won’t be taking our yearly trip to Maui any longer. Offering a negative test option is a much more effective way to keep things safe on an island. Hence why removing the requirement for vaccinated individuals flying backfired and caused the spike in cases. The vaccine has proven not to stop the spread. Hopefully this doesn’t last long. We won’t be visiting until these insane restrictions have been lifted. In the meantime, I hope the small businesses survive.
Mahalo
Actually Erica it’s been reported that the biggest culprit in spreading the virus has been unvaccinated residents traveling to the mainland and returning and rather then get tested they elected to quarantine, as was their option….only problem was they didn’t abid by the quarantine and went out in the community and spread it. Just one news report locally so take it for what it’s worth but sounds pretty plausible to me.
So, a vaccinated couple wishes to dine at a restaurant with their two children ages 9 and 7. What does that look like? Is this reverse age discrimination?
12 and under are exempt.
How does my husband register at Safe Travels, he doesn’t have a smart phone. Would I be able to register him on my phone? I have already registered myself. We are both vaccinated
@SUSAN H … It is easy to get your husband added to the Safe Travels Hawaii website.
On a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone, he should go to travel.hawaii.gov and click on “Create An Account” for himself, with his own username and password. He then enters his trip information, uploads his “proof of quarantine exemption” (i.e., a vaccine card or a negative COVID-19 test that meets the 72-hour pre-last-flight-segment rule).
Then, 24 hours or less before his final-mainland-to-Hawaii-flight-segment departure time, he logs back into his account and fills out the Health Questionnaire.
When you both go through pre-clearance at your mainland-to-Hawaii-flight departure airport, or after your flight and you go through clearance when you arrive at your transpacific flight’s Hawaii destination airport, then you login to the Safe Travels website on your smartphone first, get cleared, then logout. Then hand your phone to your husband, he logs into his Safe Travels account, gets cleared, then logs out and gives you your phone back.
PAUL M… Pefect Response!
@BARBARA M … Thank you, I try! … I had an intense COVID-19 infection in April that almost killed me (I’m 68) and left my heart with Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) that I could trace back exactly to my peak infection temperature on April 10. I had followup electric shock treatment (“cardioversion”) in late June to stop and restart my heart to bring back my heart’s normal sinus rhythm. I would have had a COVID vaccination shot before my infection started but my age group in my state was not eligible for a vaccine shot until three days after I started to show symptoms.
I don’t care to participate in COVID-19 debates on this site – people can choose to vaccinate or not; it’s not for me to say. But if someone is “on the fence” about getting vaccinated and asks me, I tell them “Get the vaccine, so you don’t experience a 103F temperature while standing shivering intensely in a warm shower for ten straight minutes while uncontrollably coughing the entire time, then retreating to bed for hours to get your strength back, like I did.” And that was just the worst day of a month’s worth of bad days I lost in April and continued to lose into May, when I was able to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
I come to this BOH site to help people who have questions but don’t seem to get the answers they need, so I chime in with what I know. that might help them. i also keep tabs on the BOH website owners’ announcements about new travel regulations that affect my travels to Oahu to visit my son. The information the BOH owners shared about car rentals through autoslash.com saved me hundreds of car rental dollars during my visit last week, and has already saved me hundreds for my next visit.
Hi Paul.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience here. We appreciate it. Glad you are feeling better too.
Aloha.
We were vaccinated at Hilo Medical Center, have registered with Hawaii safe travels, but clear and common pass do not recognize HMC in their database. Is Hawaii safe travels enough to return to Hawaii without one of these apps?
Mahalo
Hi Carol.
Yes it is.
Aloha.
Same here – Clear only allows to digital vaccine cards to be uploaded and Common Pass doesn’t recognize one of the largest medical facilities in New Mexico! Safe Travels it is!!!
can anyone shed light on why “vaccine passports” have any purpose whatsoever?
It is common knowledge, via numerous studies and also the official position of the CDC itself, that vaccines do nothing to stop infection and spread of covid
these anti-science feel-good measures offer no tangible benefit, and can only serve to hinder the economy of hawaii
mahalo
Instead of “Welcome to The Hawaiian Islands” it will be “Welcome to Camp Chaos” where we can’t get together because each counties mayors have way too much power! Incredibly stupid and short sided on the governor’s part but he comes up short on a lot of things!
I am losing the energy to reply to some of the anti-vaccination posts.
My wife works in the intensive care unit at her hospital. I wonder if you’d like to know the results of patients who have been vaccinated and those who haven’t.
Over 95% of the fatalities right now are those who have not been vaccinated. In the last week alone, the majority of deaths are those in their 30s and 40s. There are still many in the hospital who are older, but most of them have been vaccinated and will live.
I fully support Hawaii’s initiatives to limit resources and the ability to gather in larger indoor gatherings to those who are following the science and getting their shots.
You missed the point by bragging. Residents are NOT getting vaccines.
You are entirely wrong in your assumption.
It’s called “Capitalism”
Someone figured out how to make money off pandemic travel.
“hey let’s make an app that people can upload their vaccination info on and convince government leaders to accept it as a secure way of checking their vaccination status”
I haven’t been on any vaccination passport app’s, so not quite sure how they’re making money off it.
Richard. Excellent point. The plethora of new passport apps receive the majority of their start up funding from states and other political subdivisions whose leaders need to “do something” – and what better than a “Gee Whiz” tech app. LOL – try to find out how much Hawaii has invested in tech app Trusted Partners.