Don’t plan to leave for Hawaii until you are aware of this.
129 thoughts on “Important Changes to Hawaii Quarantine Rules Amid Political Infighting”
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Home » Blog » Hawaii Travel Tips » Important Changes to Hawaii Quarantine Rules Amid Political Infighting
I hope they get this figured out by February. So if my flight leaves at 10a for Maui with a 1-hour layover in Honolulu, I have to have the results by the time that second flight leaves, correct? And if not, they are going to make me quarantine in HNL? I don’t think so. I will turn around and go home. Vault says they will definitely have my results to me in 48 hours but I don’t know how they can guarantee that. How are these “trusted” partners? Trusted to gouge us?
No, you just need a negative test within 72hrs of your last “mainland” flight. So if you have a layover in HNL you just need the response before your departure from your home airport. I also have a layover in HNL and we have our tests scheduled for 71hrs before our scheduled flight. It is also supposed to be by your “scheduled flight” so if flights are delayed you aren’t dinged.
So I just read you have to have your negative test in hand before the last leg of your flight. I take that to mean that I would have to have it before I board the flight to Maui from HNL, correct?
No, the last leg of your mainland flight. Like I fly from Oakland to honolulu then kauai. I have to have the test before my oakland flight because its my mainland flight into HI. I think thats something that will really confuse people
My wife and I had been planning a November trip to the Big Island. We cancelled the travel plan after testing positive for Covid19.
We have rescheduled our trip for January 28 – Feb 4.
We are wondering if we can provide Hawaii with an antibodies test in lieu of another pre flight test? We can chow the lab results for the positive test as well as an antibodies test if that will work.
have been a subscriber to BOH for several years.
I see no provision for “antibodies” test only on Safe Travels web site. You’d still need to obtain a negative test from trusted partner under the current rules. No doubt these rules will be changed by Jan 28. Probably multiple changes if the past is any indicator.
FWIW, I’ve read that some countries do let you in with post virus antibodies test. Brazil comes to mind. Don’t know the details. Your mileage may vary. Check out your options.
The test has to be a true PRC test not an antibody or antigen test. I asked that question of the State recently and received a response which I posted about a week ago.
From the start of the virus the Govenor and others have been slow to repond to the virus and have been confusing when rules are implimented. Soon there will be at least one possibly two vaccines. Is there any discussions being had about new rules for travelers should they get the vaccine prior to their trip to Hawaii? Does it even make a difference? Will Hawaii still want a negative test result? Will Hawaii still require 14 day quarantine if there is no negative test result but there is proof of vaccination? It would be nice to see the Govenor and others thinking about this and be ready for it with a plan when the vaccine does become available to the public.
My son did the cvs test 3 days before. He had an appointment 72 hours ahead at cvs and they accidently took his name out of the system so it took them 2 hours to fix it and then he did the test.
However his test results were not in when he left, they came through when he turned on his phone at landing in Hawaii.
How can a passenger know if their test will get done in time? We are coming from southern california and don’t have kaiser so don’t know what else he can do and he is going to school over there now so he will be going back and forth.
Aloha Susan,
Since you live in Southern Cal, I suggest you use AFC since you can get results back in 30 minutes. They now let you book appts pretty far in advance. Most locations are in LA and SD. Only one in OC. I’ve used them before and it was less stressful than using vault.
Good luck
Susan… Just a suggestion for the future. The test kits that you can order from Vault or Costco/Azova have a 2 year expiration so you can stock up on them. They are the online, Zoom call tests so he can take them from anywhere.
I realize someone has recommended you use AFC for a 30 minute test result but the test(s) acceptable to the State of Hawaii are not any test that is turned around in 30 minutes. The “rapid” tests are antibody and/or antigen, neither of which are a PRC test.
Please make sure you check information before giving information. AFC offers a rapid Molecular test to Hawaii travelers just like Cityhealth urgent care for OAK airport. You still have to make an appt for your free 48hr test and when you arrive you can pay extra to get your results same day. It states on the healthcare websites and I called Cityhealth. They may want to call AFC to make sure.
If I will be arriving on a Tuesday, does this then eliminate the 72 hr testing before arrival? So I can test on say, Thursday for a better chance of receiving the results before landing? Thank you for clarifying.
Hi Jeff.
It is not 72 hrs before arrival but rather within 72 hours of the last point of mainland departure. No, this requirement is not eliminated.
Aloha.
Everyone should keep in mind that the approved mail in testing sites are quoting results available within 2 days after the sample is received in their lab (not counting incoming delivery time for the sample). Many of us that don’t live in an urban center do not have access to a fast test from an approved provider. CVS an Walgreens are quoting up to 4 days to receive results (even if they offer the testing). That means, aside from in-terminal fast testing, it will be essentially impossible to present a negative result from a designated source prior to boarding if the flight is boarding on a Monday or Tuesday and unlikely for a boarding on Wednesday or Thursday.
I was thinking same thing. Demand, ticket prices (and packed planes) will increase for in-bound Thurs-Sat flights, and the inly ones flying in-bound Sun-Wed will be the people who pay the freight for at airport instant results testing. Outbound day of the week doesn’t matter, unless you have the same rules at your destination.
Two things… We live in an 850,000+ urban area and neither CVS nor Walgreens test in our state! And do not rely on a Rapid Test as that is an antigen test which is not acceptable.
We made reservations on the Big Island before Covid-19 began and it starts Jan. 30, 2021 for 13 days. So of course we don’t want to have to quarantine that whole time. Are the VRBO’s understanding and giving back our money if we cancel?
Thank you.
Hi Bev.
We cannot speak to cancellation policies of vacation rentals. But that would certainly be good to know in advance. Another thing to consider is travel insurance with the specific cancel for any reason clause.
Aloha.
I had reservations for 2 VRBO units for September and got all my money back when I canceled. One of the owners even wrote me and was understanding.
Depends. If you are referring solely to rentals via VRBO, then check what you agreed to and cancellation policy. But if you are referring to a STVR, then that will also depend on cancellation policies or may be up to the discretion of the owner. Mostly in speaking with property management folks and realtors, there is no reimbursement. We had to cancel a short stay at Kona Billfisher in Kona and although it was within 60 days, the owner stated she would try to refund if she could find someone to rent it. That didn’t happen and we were not reimbursed. Concur with BoH that CFAR insurance is an option if you are concerned about getting any refunds.
I can’t speak for VRBO but we did AirBNB and I have constantly been going back and forth with her and we’re ok if we want to reschedule. I know that doesn’t help with people who want to cancel all together. When we looked, alot of airbnb where free cancellation up to 3weeks before, and half or fees after that.
The state says that negative covid test results must be “in hand”. Does that mean an upload of results to the Hawaiian regulatory authority, which could add significant complications for those getting tested at the airport, or just be able to show a negative result to boarding agents?
Per a message I received from both the Governor’s Office and the Mayor or Kauai’s Office, a pdf on phone or tablet or computer is acceptable. Try to upload to Safe Travels but they are often running a 24 delay. HOWEVER< having said that, the recent revision (last week) says "uploaded to Safe Travels" and the article I posted from The Garden Island reiterates that requirement. BUT that sounds like a law suit about to happen!
I watched the news where the governor announced the new policy and that was brought up. He stated on TV that a pdf was ok since there are lags in the uplaod system. It just has to be in hand.
Great! common sense prevails!
Well, even with all the brouhaha, on CBS last night, Hawaii was the only state in the Union with no increase in COVID positives! Maybe you are on to something!
Why can’t trusted testing partners who are no charge (such as Kaiser for members) add a surcharge to guarantee a 72 hour response? We understand that cases are rising on the mainland and acute cases should be first, however if a traveler checked a box that identified the test as for travel then they could add the surcharge for guaranteed 72 hour turnaround. I am in Honolulu currently and my test did arrive before I boarded my flight however I’ve heard about travelers having to quarantine for a day or two.
Thanks for acknowledging the surging cases on the mainland and suggesting the surcharge to try help make it so people can get results quicker along with providing priority to testing being doing for medical reasons. But anyone who is traveling during a pandemic and participating in a safe travels program must acknowledge the risk of not having the test results back before flying and be willing to quarantine if a lab can’t get the results back to them in a timely fashion!
If it was a day or two, and if you can do it at the place you are staying at, anyway, OK. But if its two weeks locked in an hotel room – why would you get on the plane?
Easy to reserve a rental car without paying in advance. Easy to cancel a flight at last minute, and at least get to reuse the ticket fare in future (at least on SW airlines), but very difficult to cancel lodging at last minute with no penalty. It could be that the hotels and vacation rentals will adjust and start allowing people to cancel at last minute. A big hotel can pull that off, especially since the number of tourists is down, but would be harder for vacation rental.
By the way, the owner of a vacation rental management business in Hanalei just told me she’s been getting “a lot” of last minute renters for her properties who are people wanting to extend their stay on island. She said this is not something that happened much in the past.