Updating HB1286 with Hawaii legislature to the forefront. If passed, all islands would follow a single COVID travel policy.
248 thoughts on “Breaking: Plan to Eliminate Island-by-Island Travel Rules Gets Heard”
Comments are closed.
Home » Blog » Hawaii Travel Tips » Breaking: Plan to Eliminate Island-by-Island Travel Rules Gets Heard
I agree with what Lt Gov Green has said and done. His safe travels program has worked very nicely, the numbers prove that. It has also become a model for others. There needs to be only one plan for the islands. Having so many competing individuals only makes for confusion and disfunktion. It would have been nice if everyone concerned could have gotten into one room at the beginning and worked something out.
Aloha Guys
We recently flew to HNL and on to Kona last week. We took the Costco/Azova test and sent it in on Wednesday for our Saturday morning flight out of PHX. We recieved the results at 10:30 PM Thursday night and was able to upload all the documents to allow us to enter Honolulu which was seamless and easy, However, when we reached Kona we were put in line again, asked to show QR scans for Hawaii entrance and then was told we had to have another Covid test before entering the Big island. As a health care provider that administers Covid tests to my own employees and patients I was appalled at the lack of sterility or even clean technique. Masks, gowns, tables, specimen containers were all toughed by people who never changed their gloves. I doubt the true (+) or (-) tests taken on Kona. A universal acceptance of the safe travels program through the State of Hawaii would have mad our experience much more pleasant than we experienced. I certainly hoe that adopt universal procedures for all the islands soon so we can come back again.
Gary
We too had the second test done at the Kona airport. I too was appalled at how unprofessional that test was. People in line with no social distance, many people with poorly fitting mask placement. Testers a few inches off your face and moving from person to person with no sterile procedure. The small waiting room was also a spreader event.
We had our first Rapid test done at Walgreen’s. That test was very professional, no one ever came within 15/20 feet of us. Everything was kept very profesional with use of tables and medically sealed envelopes. The two test were like night and day.
The data is very clear when you take a deeper look at it: *people will die* on Kauai if this bill gets passed and Kauai is forced to re-open before high-risk people are vaccinated. 26 people are already dead on Maui due to the re-opening without sufficient safeguards there. Kauai has had zero community-acquired cases for weeks now. This is a choice.
26 people in a year… for that everyday healthy citizens are suffering, kids out of school, finances ruined, lives ruined.
get a grip
Just a correction of a typo on my previous email. My name is Linda and not Lind. Thanks for all you do to keep us informed. I submitted testimony on the bill.
Hi Linda.
Thank you. We corrected your name.
Aloha.
Anyone that believes air travel will ever be safe with pretesting and masks should read the article published Feb 8th in Medscape “Study Shows How Easily SARS-CoV-2 Can Spread on a Flight”, by Doug Brunk. The article summarizes a flight with all current precautions that resulted in seven infected travelers to New Zealand. The CDC also published this information.
Who can say when or if flying will ever be safe again?
I am in favor of HB1286. The current “system” is confusing and unnecessary. I am glad the legislature is stepping up to add some balance to the Governor’s recent unlimited power.
Mahalo again for your coverage of COVID news. Is there any public data about unemployment and ruined businesses on Kauai since early 2020? It also would appear that the Dept of Health has reaffirmed data that was reported in December about infection rates of residents vs. visitors. It is baffling how this seems to be ignored by the County government. I sincerely hope the Legislature passes this bill.
Hi Peter.
Thank you. We haven’t seen any data on that, but we can say empirically, that the loss of businesses on Kauai has been huge.
Aloha.
After having to cancel my Hawaii vacations twice we decided that Mexico would be our next best, and guaranteed, option for us. However, when the CDC announced that starting at the end of January anyone traveling from out of the Country will be required to provide a proof negative test before boarding the plan, I was like Not Again! Needless to say, got an email from my resort within 2 days of the CDC announcement assuring us that they will have onsite rapid testing that will meet the CDC guidelines at a cost of $17 per test. They also assured us that every measure/precaution is being taking to minimize the ability to spread Covid on property. Now If a small resort in Mexico can come up with a solution to ensure our safe and carefree travel, in 2 days, it boggles the mind that Hawaii cannot figure it out in 11 months and counting.
Also, of course I will take personal responsibility to wear masks, social distance, and limit interactions with anyone outside my family to protect hotel workers, other guests, and my family.
Greg R., the thing that stood out to me in your comment was the $17 per test. In the U.S. the cost of testing is upwards of $200-$250 per test. Seems to me like price gouging, but our leaders don’t seem to have a problem with it.
I agree Mr Anderson! We went to Mexico in January came back prior to the new testing mandate but …the hotel offered free onsite testing, a room for $1 per night for 14 days if you positive and medical care policy in case you needed advance care or a flight home for medical care…i was so blown away by that…and…while we were there, we were thanked by everyone for choosing to come there for a vacation…the appreciation on was amazing….i want to go back…i am a bit turned off by the anti tourism sentiment coming from HI both by those that live there and the government…its a bit of a turn off…
Agreed. And well put!!
We went to Mexico for our daughters wedding in January. No one got sick. We came home two days early so we would not have to test! If the policies of Kauai continue we will go back to Mexico. They treated us like royalty!!
Mahalo
I own a condo on Kauai and have tries 4 times this year to get there only to be shut down because of some crazy bubble scheme. I have a bad immune system do to a recent kidney transplant and I cannot stay in these so called bubbles or whatever you want to call them. All I want to do is come home and spend time healing from my transplant. I have talked to many, many people on the mainland and they all ask me how do we travel to Kauai, and I say you don’t. The program in place is absurd, and is killing my friends business on the island, I pray for this to open up soon, to save all those who have lost jobs. Pre test and if you need a second test while there so be it but don’t lock us up in your bubble and not lets us come home!!!
Did you read the other option? 10-day quarantine in your condo. My daughter and her family did the 14-day when that was the rule, stayed for another month, worked remotely and followed safety protocols. You sound stressed from your surgery. 10 days of relaxation away from the mainland mess fits the best prescription.
I think the message is clear for most not to visit hawaii now or into the long term future.
Florida usvi and the other states in continental usa have been basically open since june 2020 with only strongly suggesting quarantine but little enforcing it. You fly in and then go do your thing. Not in hawaii.
There is slso with getting things shipped into hawaii w the covid. Not a fun time
Florida. Third highest case total in the U.S. Fourth highest death total. Yup, ideal vacation spot if you are deaf, blind and dumb.
Actually they (Florida) are 30th. With 8090 cases per 100k
Check CDC gross numbers and get back to me. The day of fake news is over.
Case total is irrelevant. Florida’s cases per 100,000 population is 8,154. California’s cases per 100,000 is 8,469. (CDC numbers} Florida is wide open. Schools are open. Restaurants are open. Theme parks are open. Tourists are visiting. California has been in total lock down for months. Lock downs and cowering in fear in your basement do absolutely nothing.
Florida = 1,790,749 cases;28,526 deaths
4th in actual cases and deaths of all 50 states
I guess 28,526 dead Floridians, 1.8 million infected people AND an out-of-control infection rate makes that covid shoreline just a peachy place to vacation.
3rd highest population, 2nd highest elderly total, most of thenpopulation condensed along the coastlines..doing better than cimparable lockdown States.
Most importantly, people happy, economy chugging along, schools open all year.
Hope your basement is comfortable, you’ll be in there awhile.