Hawaii travel soft opening plan: two tracks to avoid quarantine.
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172 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Now Ready For October Reopening”
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Hawaii travel soft opening plan: two tracks to avoid quarantine.
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What I want to know is where exactly are we supposed to get these tests done “72 hours prior” to arriving on the island? We had a trip scheduled there for July and then we rescheduled it for August and then we rescheduled it one more time for September. Each and every place that I called to get a test, or to make an appointment for a test, said 5 days before we receive any type of results. And that’s 5 days minimum! Sometimes it was 5 to 7 days! So let’s all do the math… if we’re supposed to take a test that’s only going to be valid if we took the test 72 hours or 3 days prior to arriving on the island, how does that work? We take a test and the results haven’t come back yet, we arrive on the island, and we’re still sitting there waiting for results to come back, does that mean we are in quarantine until the test results come back? So if it happens to take 10 days or 14 days… There’s nowhere that I know of here in California where you can take a test and it’s guaranteed to be back in 3 days! And what that means is we won’t have a test to present to anyone on the island that was just taken 3 days prior to arrival. I can see if you say take a test and if you’ve taken a test within the last 2 weeks and it comes out positive that you can accept that test… because between 5 and 10 days seems to be the turnaround for the test results. if the writers of this article or anyone reading this article know where you can go and get a test done that will give you results in 3 days, please let the rest of us know!!
From the article it looks like they plan to work with Kaiser, CVS & Walgeeens to get testing available.
I get a result using the San Francisco city sites in less than 2 days… sometimes one day.
Also, I think anywhere there are private testing firms that will give fast results if you pay. Search for them.
What about Hawaii residents traveling to the mainland and back? Would these cheaper tests that would be available be taken when they arrive back home?
Before reopening Hawaii the subject of lawlessness needs to be addressed.
Las Vegas’s reopen has been met with tourist street muggings, open drug sales, prostitution, gang fights in casino’s and destruction of resort rooms at a record pace.
You may ask yourself what does this have to do with Hawaii?
The cause of most of the lawless behavior is high unemployment and lack of law enforcement. I’m thinking about places like Waikiki, Kona and Lahaina any high volume tourist area’s where some of this activity was already occurring.
Don’t take this lightly on Maui our annual travel destination criminal activity, smash and grab crimes were on the raise pre-covid. That with local residents disdain for tourist is an open invitation for criminal activity as has been witnessed in Las Vegas.
I hope I’m wrong, but all the signs are there for this activity.
My family and I have been to Vegas 4 times since March. We’ve had a great time. We have a nice dinner, and see the lights. We go to summerlin to shop, and drive up and down the strip. I haven’t seen any lawlessness ???? I have been to Mexico twice, we had an amazing time. I am 65. Just use your common sense with all things….
Hi Sara
I think it’s like anything else I live in a city that’s had nightly riots, but I’ve never seen the rioting in person. So is it happening?
I just did a search “crime on the Las Vegas strip” there’s several articles about this subject and many videos of recent casino brawls. The articles point to cheap room rates as the main reason for this bad behavior.
I’m glad you’ve haven’t experienced any of these issues, but it is happening and well documented.
You were lucky compared to the two tourists missing in Mexico for a week, found at the bottom of a well.
Hopefully things will open up soon. The economy of California will see a huge fall out and I can’t imagine how it will be in Hawaii. With a family of 7 there are too many variables to visit Hawaii with testing, ect. Although we had to cancel our trip but look forward to when we can return again to your beautiful islands.
Unfortunately too many commentators here actually believe Hawaii does not need tourists. Okay, but being a welfare state will not increase life expectancy, it will shorten it. That being said, people like me who live in California and also own a home on Kauai will not be hurt. It will hurt low wage Hawaiians the most because of poor diets and lack of work.
And remember this, CV-19 is just the first virus released in the 21st century. There will be many more to come courtesy of China. So, will Hawaii close down in a few more years? Or will Hawaii come into the 21st century and better prepare for the next Chinese virus and learn to live with it safely.
I love Hawaii, but your politicians are making a huge mistake. More wealthy people will continue to visit vacation homes, but more Hawaiian people will sink into poverty. Not good.
The challenge for us mainlanders is – we pay huge dollars for flights & VRBO or hotels in advance with zero chance of refund if we have a positive test result. Then, we are simply out those dollars.
Hello, thank you for the good news! To be clear: if a traveler goes through one or the other of the two tracks above, they can: rent a car, stay at any type of lodging for any amount of time, go anywhere open to the public (following social distancing guidelines, of course)? Thank you for your newsletter, it’s critical to my Hawaii plans. Best regards…
Hi Sheryl.
Thanks. That is our understanding, although we all await clarification from the state.
Aloha.
Well since he tested positive for virus today .I don’t believe he is the best consultant for islands
He is an ER doctor.
I have a trip to Kona, Hi on September 18th,not sure if any hotels are open.
I wish Hawaii could stay the way it is now.. No need for tourism. Time to find another way to make a living. Bring back agriculture. Hard working and honest people. Keep the outsiders from contaminating and destroying our home.
Unfortunately, you have too many greedy people in power. There is no way to keep Hawaii safe as long as you let tourist in.
You are very selfish. That would be like saying , you stay home, you can’t visit California, or Paris?!?!!! People dream, and travel. Figure something else out , don’t imprison yourself.
I think you should be very very careful about opening, I know you want to make money but our lives are important and especially Kupuna..All those tourists are still carrier’s still. I just don’t think it’s not a good idea Yet…Too soon…next year will be better that’s my Theory…
That’s why the antigen testing would be better. It will tell if you have or had the virus. The”had” part more importantly.
🤙
Funny. As COVID has continued, I have watched the situation in Hawaii unfold with a mixture of concern for the health of the residents, and horror for the lack of leadership in the state. Ironically, we made a dream purchase of a condo on Maui one week before the pandemic closed travel to Hawaii. Since then, we’ve lost all rental reservations, learned about an underlying hostility toward tourists (and rentals) and have yet to spend one night there.
What hasn’t changed are all of the state taxes and fees. The bills come like clockwork, while leadership talks of reopening one moment and closure the next. I appreciate the Lt. Gov’s attempt to lay out a plan, but he has done that before to no avail. My hope is that someone builds a plan that protects residents and allows visitors to return safely at some point in the near future. Or at the very least, just tell travelers that the borders are closed well into 2021. In the meantime, I am sending good thoughts to those of you who live there. Stay safe.
Wow, talk about bad luck. I have to make a point here JC around your perception about underlying resentment towards
tourists and rentals. Any resentment you are detecting is directed towards rude tourists, not tourists in general. When I read on here about people complaining about the “locals” and how poorly they were treated all I think is they are the ones with an issue. Like anywhere, but to a certain degree even more so in Hawaii, if you are nice people are nice to you, if you are not nice then the opposite can be true.
I risk of over generalizing but…. show up in a MAGA hat and complain about immigrants and you’ll have a very different experience from someone who is friendly, open minded and non judgmental.
The hostility towards rentals is directed at the people turning former nice residential areas into vacation rentals and destroying neighborhoods.
Most have no problem with rental condo’s anymore then with hotels. Appropriate tourist accommodations are not an issue.
You posted a nice attitude that I’m guessing you will have no problems when tourism finally returns. This has been a struggle for all but will pass. When it does I’m guessing the Hawaii that rises from this period will be a very special place indeed…..hang in there!
Can you get PCR results within 72 hours? What if test results not in at time of flight? Can you test four days or a week before?
My bet is the state wont open until after the election. just loke the schools on california. once election is over, COVID will no longer be a threat.
You are not listening to the facts
COVID 19 will be around until we get a vaccine and people get vaccinated
COVID 19 is real
It won’t “disappear”
Wake up
Exactly. Just like the cold and flu. The vaccine also will not cure. It will be the same as flu vaccine, only for the CV-19 strain. The virus is everywhere. To be forced to wait until elections and vaccine for $$$. Not ok. But I respect you all. Just want our lives back.
Aloha my name is Donna. I was with my family on the Big island 3 days shy of one month. When I got there I did my qurantine. Before I left to come home on Kauai. I took a covid-19 test. Just because Kauai, has been zero. My results we negative. So do I still need to be in qurantine? I live alone. I’m diabetic and need what I need for food.
Is the 14 day quaranteen over in october?
I’ve postponed my trip twice already! I’m hoping October will be the month I can go!
Sounds good, a lot of people are ready to get back to work! Are the tests going to be free? Can we have a guarantee that the results are going to be consistently available on time? With the recent “leave of absence” of the main people in the Contact/Tracking Dept. in Oahu…how can re-opening move forward with no current oversight in this dept.? Or has this been remedied?
Vacation Rentals need to open as well. Looking forward to receiving the Hawaii Re-opening plan/rules for the rentals to open simultaneously with the hotels. We all have livelihoods to protect, as well, we do contribute quite a bit to the State of Hawaii taxes. Mahalo for trying to get this moved along. Hopefully the IGE will agree!?
Hi Amy.
Thanks. Good questions. We hope to hear more from the state by next week.
Aloha.
Hi Guys thanks for the forum.
I’m going rogue. In Northern California where I live they’re several large Native American Casino Resorts. They’ve been open for months, yet no covid spike has been attributed to their being open.
What gives? What are they doing right?
I own a business in Oroville Ca, yes we’re on fire again, with two Native American Casinos in town, yet no covid spike.
It just came to this realization just thought I’d share it.
Hi Richard.
Thanks.
Aloha.
I think that the state of Hawaii should set up a fund or make a law that states if a visitor is coming to Hawaii and has tested negative, than gets to Hawaii and tests positive, they will be able to have a second test done free of cost. If they test positive again, they should get help changing their return flight, plus be able to cancel all reservations at no cost to them, because they could have got the virus on the flight to Hawaii. This would be better than no visitors at all. I think it would be a big incentive to bring people to Hawaii.
I think this is a great idea Ted. Or at the very least, has some factors in it that would be a great bridge to finding some kind of a reasonable solution here. But to just keep extending the closure and insistence of these quarantines is foolhardy in the long run. So many of us are ready to come back, spend our tourism dollars there and more than willing to do it as safely as is dictated. We do all need to look out for each other, but in ALL facets of our lives and not completely forsaking the economy. Solutions are out there. Like Ted, we need to throw ideas out there and start to find a way.
And how does a person know whether or not they have gotten a ‘false positive’ test that is going to send them back home?
A Nurse acquaintance of ours who works in the communicable disease department of a local hospital told us that she knew someone who sent in SIX swabs to be tested (none of which had been used on anyone – they were clean) and they ALL came back POSITIVE for the virus. So one really wonders. Needless to say – the lab was reported.
Nope. Think we will wait until this all dies down or we do, ha ha
Just sounds like way too much stress for us. When we pack our bags for vacation the last thing we want to worry about is a test that could send us back home, losing our vacation weeks, car rental, airfare. We will wait until Spring and then see how it is going. We may have to cancel our July trip if things are still as unsettled as they are now.
I can’t imagine anyone wanting to vacation under these circumstances.
Sounds great… but…
What about vacation rentals? Or just planning on income going to hotels\resorts only? WHAT IS THE ACTUAL PLAN?? Hopefully, the PLAN & requirements will be posted for all to see and plan ahead. It’s already going into MID SEPT! MAHALO
Hi AR.
Yes, hope the state gives us an update sooner than later.
Aloha.
Kind of interesting people saying they don’t like the testing protocol because if they had Covid their vacation would be ruined?
You’re alright coming over without a test because you don’t mind spreading it to the community if you are asymptomatic. You don’t want to find out you could inadvertently kill someone?. Your vacation is more important then that?
If you want to wait for a 100% full proof scenario you will be waiting for a long time, this is a very realistic option and like many on here
I hope politics don’t sink it, I expect Josh Green will at some point be slandered by the people that have put their fiefdoms ahead of us but hopefully the urgency of the situation will overcome and allow a solution to be implemented. It would be easy if everyone in Government was putting the common good ahead of self interest. Alas that just doesn’t seem to happen anymore.
….and someone else saying a common cold will test positive? Don’t think so……..the opening of Hawaii will work for people that want to come to Hawaii and are willing to do all they can to be safe and enjoy a beautiful place that will be more like the Hawaii of old then ever.
People always like to say Hawaii is not like it used to be, it’s more crowded, less Aloha etc….well the reopening will be like the Hawaii of old.
Aloha to all
Hi John.
Thanks for your many comments (over 100).
Aloha.
Sadly it is hard to put any stock in what the Hawaiian government says at this point. I guess I need to see a track record regarding an achievable, practical and sustained re-opening strategy. My apologies if I am completely skeptical for a real reopening this year. As always, prayers to all the Hawaii residents for blessings, protection and relief. Aloha
Hi Philip.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Rarely do people get there covid results back in 72 hours …most of the time it takes at least a week …so for me this is very unrealistic.
That’s why they’re planning to allow rapid antigen testing as well. You’d take one test no more than three days before your flight, and then once again when you arrive in Hawaii.
We just tested in California Tuesday 9/8. Got our results back morning of the 10th. We flew over to Kauai yesterday the 10th. We still have to do our 14 days, but it can be done. Even if your results took 5 days, you’d only quarantine 5 days.
If I travel from Maui to Honolulu in October will I need to Quarantine when I get there?
And will I need to Quarantine when I get back to Maui?
I’m hoping this proposal is more than just politics. Green has been for opening the state for awhile now. (With restrictions) I’m going to sit on the sidelines and see how this plays out. Mahalo for the info Guys.
Hi Roy.
Thanks for your comments.
Aloha.
I would like to watch the livestream clip. Which facebook page is it on? Youtube?
I hope you open up. I live in Collin County outside of Dallas. Most all business are open. The whole Sate of Hawaii has less cases than just our county.
Just open the islands and what happens happens. It worked for Sweden why wouldn’t it work for us. At this point I’m more afraid of loosing my business than loosing my life.
Dennis
Maui
Wow…finally some common sense & hope for normalcy for Hawaii small business’s & economy…however, I think its in for a surprise thinking visitors are going to risk booking flights and places to stay if they could lose it all when taking a test. Especially, when the common cold is also a coronavirus and is detected as Covid19. Visitors ate not that eager to travel to Hawaii…especially with the ‘tourist hate’ thats being shared by residents on some of the islands, on top of it. If they don’t feel welcome, travellers will find a new favorite destination and Hawaii will be left behind in shambles that could have been avoided. The truth is that the numbers dying from Covid19 is less than 1% and the average have 2.5 co-morbities! These people are not likely to be travelling!
Diane
23 years a snow bird Dentist from Minneapolis.
Now retired. Full time in Hawaii with a doctor as governor who really knows whats going on would be such a blessing for all peoples of Hawaii and all visitors of the world! I volunteer to help on Big Island how ever I can!
I think it’s really cool that you are willing as a doctor to help solve the problem.
Can’t wait to be able to come back to Kauai, sad thing the owner of the VRBO we rented would only refund half of my $6500 deposit. We had an October stay and she made us pay almost entire amount in May when it looked like all would be well. This does not make future scheduling seem safe. Love Hawai’i but this experience has changed my view of VRBO and Hawai’i. These restrictions make it impossible to feel comfortable booking.
Hi DEBBI, THE same thing happened to a friend who booked a VRBO on MAUI, Due to COVID they cancelled and the owner of the rental wanted to refund him 50%. He contacted the VRBO management about this and the next day he was notified he was getting 100% refund. Have you tried going this route? They would have traveled if it was not for COVID.
I have reservations on Waikiki in a four bed girls hostel room. I know that these hostels have been opened with restrictions the entire time. I am wondering how safe it would be to stay in the hostile room. Are they checked for proper cleaning when someone leaves are they sanitized. any information on what is required of hostels and are they being checked by outside personnel.
It would not be safe to stay in a hostile room. I would try a calm room or fun room. As for the hostel you should be okay as long as everyone follows correct protocols.
🙂 Indeed a calm room would be better
Bill
so what do I do before flying to Honolulu October 15, do I take the test here in Philadelphia and in Honolulu when I get there.
We have a month long vacation planned on Nov 4th, we hope Hawaii gets their act together. I honestly believe the democratic states got their orders to prolong the closure for political reasons, unbelievable that they would ruin people’s lives and businesses for political gain. Hawaii’s tourism has suffered enough!
They will do Anything to get Trump out, Nancy said as much
I am concerned that Hawaii will stay closed until 2022 cause the reopening date gets delayed
Again from August to September now to October
I hope by February 1 2021 that Hawaii is open for tourists
Thank you
Hi Greg.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Unfortunately the rapid antigen test is extremely unreliable and known for false positive results. This is the test that gave a false positive to governor of Ohio. We had a friend who took this test and got a positive but his wife took saliva test and was negative so 2 days later he took the saliva test and it was negative – total sh*% show!! Caused a lot of grief for a lot of people due to the first positive test. Everyone else who had been around him also tested negative. At some point they will have to just open up without quarantine if visitor shows negative test – not antigen – upon arrival or they quarantine only until they take test there that shows negative. We got our saliva test results back here in MA in 24 hours. They could also do what other states are doing and have exemptions for states with low rates. We had to cancel our second planned trip to HI this summer but hope to try again when everything is fully open – hopefully next year.
That’s nice.
But?? You can be positive and you don’t even know until you will take the test.
So, now what?? Who will give me money back for my Condo or Hotel rental or car rental?? Hawaii it’s not cheap. Usually you have 30 or 60 days before you’re trip cancellation policy.what about Airlines tickets??? I’m visiting Hawaii every year with my wife , but not this way.
This is a wonderful news. We can hardly wait to be back in your beautiful state.
We stay at the Disneys Aulani resort villas every January and February, what scares us is what happens if most places open up, then three weeks later the government decides to shut everything down again while you are half way through your winter vacation. Then what, pack your bags and leave O’ahu with a huge chance of contracting the virus in the airport, plane then what we will have to isolate for two full weeks on arrival in Canada.Very sad, but not taking that chance. We may be negative on arrival, and could be positive getting back. 😔
We have 3 condos rented on Maui for Thanksgiving week for our family of 7 traveling and meeting up with 2 Oahu resident relatives who have their own maui condo. We were to go in April but pushed it forward. It’s so very hard to manage all the airline and condo details, I pray we can travel in Nov. We have photographer booked etc. Sure Hope they make it simple to enter, the anticipated excitement of this trip has been dimmed sadly. Our family has planned a celebration of life event to honor deceased relatives who wintered in Hawaii during retirement. We have to decide by Oct 30th if this trip will happen for us. Fingers crossed! Aloha
Hi Jeri.
Thank you.
Aloha.