In an interview this week, Lt. Gov. Josh Green was quoted as saying that it is time to eliminate the Hawaii Safe Travels program entirely and get back to the new normal. But just what does that mean for visitors and when will it happen?
Update 2/17/22. Many of you have asked on which Hawaii intends to eliminate Safe Travels. It is being reported that the current plan is to eliminate Safe Travels effective starting March 17, just one month from today, on St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, that is subject to change and is not the official word from Governor Ige.
By mid-March:
Gubernatorial hopeful Green said that he believes that the Safe Travels will go first, and he expects that to come within the next 30 days, by mid-March.
If and when that happens as he predicts, and as Governor Ige has also intimated, there should be no further requirements associated with getting on a flight to Hawaii. That means no texting, and no vaccination or proof thereof will need to be uploaded to the state. Of course, if things change, you can be sure that Safe Travels will remain in the wings, and could be reinstituted should that become necessary.
By early April:
Lt. Gov. Green said that by early April he expects Hawaii will quit its indoor mask mandate.
The state most closely related to Hawaii in terms of distance and number of visitors is California. People there who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear a face mask as the state’s mandate expires at midnight tonight. Schools and individual counties there can still have their own rules in that regard. Unvaccinated are still required to wear masks indoors, although how that would be enforced is unclear.
State research says Covid cases will continue to decline.
Hipam, the state’s pandemic modeling group just said that they expect cases to continue to decline. Just a few weeks ago, Hipam wasn’t sure it would reach this low level, but now it gladly says the trend will continue. Hipam is “a group of applied epidemiologists, data scientists, health workers, and professionals who wish to offer our help to the State of Hawaiʻi to address the formidable challenges posed by this pandemic.”
CDC set to update its recommendations including masks.
An update on Covid guidance is expected soon from the CDC. Director Rochelle Walensky said today, “We are assessing the most important factors based on where we are in the pandemic and will soon put guidance in place that is relevant and encourages prevention measures when they are most needed to protect public health and our hospitals. We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen.”
Huge about-face in one month.
It was just late in January that the state confirmed it planned to require Covid boosters for travel to Hawaii.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
It should be noted that the abolition of the be Safe Travels program mentioned in this article only applies to domestic visitors. International travelers, such as myself, will have to wait longer before we are allowed back into Hawaii restriction free.
Is it still being reported that Safe Travels will end by March 17th? Everything I see says March 25th.
sorry, nobody has died of covid because a.) that deceased person failed to wear a mask nor b.) that deceased person was around who did not wear one. The size of a coronavirus makes it easy to slip thru the fibers of a mask. The KN-95 has the best chance at only slowing them, however their sole purpose is to protect the wearer.
The im wearing a useless mask for you because i care about you is the stupidest thing i have ever heard!! This whole trannical behavior and lies about it all is just plain evil.
Natural immunity is better than a man-made injection that doesn’t protect. Show me the peer reviewed studies! The virus was never able to be duplicated as this was done by computer model only. Since when has the government done anything good for the people? Time to do your research and quit believing everything you’re told from the corporate media.
It’s amazing the fact remains that being vaccinated dramatically increases your chance of survival if infected. Yet people want to twist around the fact that they are not a 100% guaranty into “they don’t work”. People can die in car crashes even though they have their seatbelt on, do you think seatbelts don’t work?
Natural immunity is way better, but no one talks about that. Just follow the money. Vaccinated protection starts to fail after 2 months, leaving you more vulnerable then you were before you were vaccinated. Just keep getting boosted for the rest of your life.
I’m glad there will still be people willing to wear them! Most of these comments are truly shocking, seeing as soon many people lost their lives to the virus! Must be from people that didn’t lose anyone, or in our case, several “anyone’s to the virus! How lucky all of y’all are.
Today’s paper made the point that Hawaii is the last state to drop the mask mandate. At it’s core the mask is about caring for others more then just self interest or petty politics. That’s why Hawaii is called the Aloha State.
Since every case that was reported is suspect to begin with since the numbers are all wrong how can you even believe anything the CDC says much less politicians. The CDC admitted last summer that the tests are all not covid specific, they urged labs to create a specific test yet it hasnt been done yet. Do some research and find out the truth.
Mask mandates do nothing to stop the spread though. That has already been proven. See the super bowl. We have the data. Masks are just for show at this point.
If the cases are dropping and available hospital beds are low why not just drop it now? Why wait for another month? I understand the precaution but are they expecting that the cases is going up next week?
Aloha Rob & Jeff.
Great news for travellers with restrictions being loosened in Hawai’i and even here at home (Ireland & UK). Let’s hope everything and everyone will be both safe and benefit from the changes. Travelling seems to be back.
Mahalo and all good wishes.
Hi Michael.
Good to hear from you! Yes, we fully anticipate seeing more of you now and look forward to that.
Aloha.
Is there any word on whether or not these changes will apply to international travellers?
I can’t find her post. But one sentence in kathy t’s post really hit me: “I’m in my 70’s , have 3 shots now and personally don’t appreciate unvaccinated people being allowed to sit next to me on a 6hour flight even with a mask.”
I’m 77 & consider the 70’s to be the death decade, even without COVID help. Had my 3 shots also & could care less who sits next to me. Vaccinated elitists also get & die from COVID. Two of the 4 in my home have chosen to not be vaccinated. Hope 2 never sit near Kathy.
So the safe travels website ending march 17
What about the mask mandate
Thank
You
Perhaps Kathy has been exposed to too much PR (sponsored by Pfizer) telling her that her 3 shots don’t work if she sits near an unvaxxed person. The unvaxxed have powerful Vax destroying power. Maybe by the 4th or 5th shot, she’ll be less afraid. Probably not.
Let’s just start today no more mask no more forced vaccine no more safe travel starting today …unmask the children let them breathe… why put it off tell tomorrow when you can do it today ….
Mahalo JM
Why do they have to wait tell March or April to cancel the mask wearing and the safe travel…why not just start it today no more mask. unless you want to wear one..time to move on….let’s just start today …
Let the children breath unmask the kids…
Mahalo JM
I didn’t mind the restrictions on travel, it wasn’t all that much of a hardship. I appreciate what Lt Gov Green did for Hawaii. However, I’m certainly happy to see the mask mandates coming to end from what hear March 17.
Aloha Guys
Now they are saying March 25 for the ending of Safe Travels.
Hi Roy.
That date is not clear. That is the date the emergency proclamation in effect ends, although we expect it to be sooner.
Aloha.
I find it fascinating as we move closer to elections that suddenly cases are falling dramaticly and all those politicians are now taking down their own draconian policies!
When the Airlines join the party, freedom will have reached our shores, throughout our great nation!
The governments are feeling the pressure from the people who elected them. The truckers are leading the way, peacefully insisting that our constitutional rights be returned to us. Freedom is our right. Not being coerced to wear a mask that doesn’t work or get a jab that doesn’t work.
Your truckers are nothing less than terrorists. And should be taken down for their actions losers
What do you mean by “taken down” Paul C. From what I’ve seen the truckers are peaceful, working-class men and women. They are the ones who have put food on our tables during this pandemic. Don’t they have a voice?
Paul C,
So Canadians should be “taken down” when they exercise their right to petition their government for a redress of grievances.
What is your definition of a jab/ vaccine working? If it’s to never get covid the vaccine only gives partial protection so you could say it doesn’t work. But if the vaccine is meant to save lives and prevent hospitalizations it is absolutely doing that!!
I’m not sure what vaccine/vaccination currently means either.
Apparently neither does the CDC. If I recall correctly we are on the third CDC definition of what a vaccine is/does since Covid-19 arrived.
“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.”
― Humpty Dumpty, Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
I find myself getting really cranky when people complain about mandatory vaccinations taking away our constitutional rights. I don’t feel trying to protect the people from a plague is taking away my rights. I’m in my 70’s , have 3 shots now and personally don’t appreciate unvaccinated people being allowed to sit next to me on a 6hour flight even with a mask. Symptoms are not always visible and stats show it’s those not vaccinated dying from this. I lost 4 friends in a week this past month..
Dear Kathy, oh no!! I’m very sorry you lost 4 friends 😪 read 2nd Corinthians 1:3-5 & Psalms 46:1-3 God loves you very much & your friends….John 3:16! Stay safe & God bless you….Pslams 91:11 ❤💕
Thank you for your kind words. It was such a tragic loss when I feel it could have been prevented .
Maybe some people don’t want their right to choose their own medical decisions taken away. Mandates are essentially taking away our right to choose. Why is that soooooo hard to understand!
I don’t understand why the need to vaccinate is becoming such a hotbed of discussion. Without vaccines smallpox, polio and a host of other diseases would be rampant. Because my generation vaccinated polio was virtually wiped out…Do you get a flu vaccine? same diff. The majority of covid deaths are unvaccinated. Yes. it doesn’t prevent it, but the chances of surviving it are greater.
I certainly don’t want unvaxed Doctors leaving a Covid patient then seeing me. I can’t imagine a soldier disobeying orders because of what he read on facebook and refusing a jab. Just like vaccine requirements for schools are a very good idea so is the mandate in many circumstances. No one is forced to have it, but if you don’t you shouldn’t have the right to enhance spreading Covid anywhere you want.
Without diligent due process or within a Good Samaritan Act context, I don’t think decisions which affect the individual’s health and life should be forced upon him by self-appointed experts who are not in a position to be required to stand responsible should they err.
It is easy to demand if others are being forced to pay the cost.
“Equity will not suffer a wrong to be without a remedy”, Maxim of Equity, Court of Chancery (England,circa 1596-1617)
The problem is HEYWARD, the self appointed experts are what primarily make up the anti-vax argument. The research supporting the vaccine is from 1000’s of highly educated, lifelong professionals who have access to reams of data and could care less about politics or the number of viewers they can attract to their medium.
Hello JOHNW,
The issue I have is that the 1000’s of highly educated, lifelong professionals who have access to reams of data and care less about politics are beyond accountability to those they may (and most likely in some small number) have injured in expounding their “expertness”.
Very simply, I seriously question the veracity of any expert whose opinion may cause egregious harm when the expert doesn’t have to answer for their wrong expert opinion.
Just to be clear I’m talking about the experts behind the vaccine. It’s a safe and effective way to prevent Covid from killing people. Imagine what the deaths would be without what they accomplished. I think any harm you are talking about would be the political debate over mandates. That’s a different deal and the researchers are not the policy makers. But to my point again, the anti vax argument is sadly led by “self appointed experts” masking their political motivation with false claims.
I would support flights for vaxed and nonvaxed. My entire family caught Covid from vaccinated friends who thought they couldn’t spread it. I would be happy to be on a flight of nonvaxxed so I can be assured that if they have covid, they would show symptoms.
Imagine a plaque where you have to be tested in order to know whether you have it? Our forefathers would laugh in our faces.
I lost 2 family members after they took the second shot, so I understand your pain.
Last Sunday the pandemic ended when Snoop Dog with 70,000 of his closest friends partied at the Super Bowl without masks and then yesterday 3 school board members were recalled in of all places San Francisco and now Hawaii ending vac’s mandates!
OMG is common sense starting to brake out in America?
The board members were not recalled due to mask mandates please get your facts straight
PaulC
Please get your facts straight before tossing facts corrections at others
Where in my comment does it say the 3 school board members got recalled for mask mandates?
Answer: No where.
Not if spelling is counted!
Sorry MiCHEAL M I’m high school dropout can’t spell and my grammar sucks too.
Peace Out.
This is the best news that I’ve heard in two years. Once Hawaii drops all these stupid mandates, I’ll be back. I
Me, too!
What is the chance for the safe travels website to be lifted in mid march
And the indoor mask mandate
Lifted in April
Thank
You
P.s
Keep me posted
Keep me updated when the gov ige makes the announcement
On the safe travels website being lifted
Hi Greg.
We’ve told you everything we know thus far. We should have updates on this soon.
Aloha.
“Even a snail will eventually reach its destination.”
― Gail Tsukiyama, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms
Lets see. They are going to drop the mask requirement. Yeah, the masks that don’t prevent you from breathing in a virus. The are also going to dropping the Covid testing? Yeah, that’s the test that is undiagnostic and whose results can be manipulated by how many cycles the tests are processed under. Do the test with the cycles in the 40s and you get A LOT of false positives. No “vaccine” requirement? Good, because it doesn’t prevent you from getting or giving Covid. About time.
Any chance they could implement by Feb 18…
Hi Rod.
Not a chance as far as we can see.
Aloha.
About time. I know in Poipu, at least one restaurant is not enforcing indoor masks.
Visited dining places in Kilauea the last two nights and both still required masks. A shave ice shop in Hanalei required a mask to order, while another store said we could take off our masks today if we were comfortable. Another food truck we visited, the workers wore masks while mask wearing was about 50% for customers when ordering.
If you are referring to Bistro and/or Palate (owned by same guy) in Kilauea, yes, they still do mask theatre (from door to chair, remove, and back on from chair to door). That’s it. The employees (we know them well) aren’t into masks; they just don’t want to get fined in case the inspector drops by. And he has in the past when “distancing” and “no mingling” were still things. AFAIK, there is no government mandate to wear them outside food trucks. I don’t, and I’ve never been asked to.
Which one Rob? We want to go there!
We needed this to get this done a long time ago.
It’s about time!
We just returned from a wonderful time on Kauai and the Big Island. We didn’t find the covid protocols to be restrictive. We plan on returning soon, this time to Maui. If restrictions are lifted, the main change for us would be not having to wait in line at the airport to get our wristbands. We continue to be cautious regarding covid. Not paranoid, but cautious.
Did Maui last sep and agree with all you said. Doing Kauai this sep. Not paranoid, just cautious since it keeps mutating but still living and enjoying life and enjoying the islands. no mask will be nice. Don’t mind having to prove vaccination or whatever will make them happy. Want to help support them in whatever way i can.
Great news! Glad we booked 2 weeks in May to return to Kauai. Thrilled to be returning, especially to look at condos for our retirement there. Mahalo for the update
Hi Tom.
Thanks. Glad you great you’ll be returning again soon.
Aloha.
We recently purchased a condo in Kauai. I am also a licensed Real estate broker in the state.
Hawaii is finally getting it right.
Sadly I’m sure Ige will change his mind when the trade winds shift again. We are governed by a sad group.
Hopefully this does truly end this time.
Very informative site for anyone wishing to visit the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
Thank you,
Mary Ann
Hi Mary Ann.
Thanks. We’re happy to be useful.
Aloha.
That’s great news, obviously things can change but hey it’s a start!! Coming in April and can’t wait!!
On a different note, does anyone know the actual specifics on the Maui County ataxia (MCTAT) that went in to effect Nov 1, 2021. Originally we were told that if you made a reservation before that date you were not required to pay said tax, now we are being told that yes we are, so please does anyone really know. Normally it isn’t that big of a deal but we are staying 5 weeks so it adds up!
It took effect starting 1-1-22. Won’t be ending. The state used to give the TAT to the counties but now they have taken all the TAT taxes for themselves so each county now has to collect their own on top of the previous TAT. I believe that at almost 20% makes us the highest travel taxed place in the country. Def not fun for us business owners to have to charge that. Our cost of doing business here is already so high. Now we have to charge even more just to make any kind of profit.
Thanks but I was looking for clarification regarding the 3% MCTAT that went in to effect last Nov 1 (Maui). Originally we were advised that reservations made before that date, regardless of when you were arriving, would not be “taxed” that additional 3%. We made our reservations last summer for this upcoming April and now we are being advised by our condo owner that we are required to pay it….which is completely different than what they told us originally. No one seems to know or who to ask.
That’s all on Governor Ige, he took the County $ and put into the General Fund, forcing the Counties to raise their Taxes, not very well thought out! This after he broke the State Un-Employment Benefit Bank @ over $500,000,000.00 in the hole, while taking the Federal stipend making people choose to stay home rather then work!
Our kauai home is a vacation rental when we are off island. Not sure about Maui, but Kauai imposed their own 3% TAT effective last Oct 1. But, they grandfathered all reservations made by Sep 15 if and only if the contract had no provision for possible added charges
“Lt. Gov. Green said that by early April he expects Hawaii will quit its indoor mask mandate.”
That’s the covid groundhog rule. Green sees his shadow, and declares six more weeks of mask theatre.
“no texting” needs an edit.
Really, how hard is it to say…’okay, that’s it! We’re done. No more masks or travel restrictions.’.