Life on Kauai Now

Updated | Kauai Now Proposes 4 Day Quarantine – Will You Bite?

Updated 12/24/20, 11am. See latest changes below. We heard from a long-time friend who has been working in the Kauai County Emergency Operating Center on COVID issues.  He said that they have been “Pushing the governor for weeks, and it looks like we may get a new rule in place.”

This is all changing so fast that it is hard to keep up with. As another friend here said, stop the roller coaster, I want to get off.

What is being proposed now is that in addition to the current pre-travel testing requirement, Kauai visitors enter quarantine at an approved quarantine hotel for the first three nights after arrival. We were told that “If you get a second negative test on fourth day after arrival, they’re out of quarantine.” If this sounds familiar, Kauai previously proposed a similar quarantine followed by second test, that was disallowed by the governor.

The spokesperson had said that this migh be approved as soon as 12/23, to take effect on January 5. But so far, there has been no approval forthcoming from the governor. We’ll let you know as soon as we learn more.

We responded with the following:

1. The governor previously said that he was not inclined to enable island-by-island rules associated with Safe Travels. That is how Ige appeared to interpret Kauai’s prior request of a similar nature. The governor intimated that you are either in or out of Safe Travels and that separate rules were just too confusing among other issues. Following the governors disapproval, Kauai’s request to opt-out entirely was approved. Would Ige change his mind on this and modify Safe Travel for Kauai? Or would there be a different program? We can’t say, but it wouldn’t entirely surprise us either. How confusing do you think this would be for Hawaii visitors?

2. Any quarantine is a non-starter for visitors. With the average Hawaii vacation being of 7-day duration, you have made clear in now perhaps thousands of comments that you would not be willing to be in quarantine, even until the 4th day. Is that still your feeling? Please let us know in the comments.

3. Vacations rentals are out in the cold. With the current rules in effect and what we were told is being proposed, visitors cannot stay in vacation rentals while in quarantine. This is a challenging situation for both visitors and vacation rental stakeholders, as you have also clearly indicated in the comments. Any further thoughts?

Latest changes from December 24.

1. The approved quarantine hotels and the lowest rates we found on checking in January are as follows:

The Cliffs at Princeville – No online availability. 14-night minimum indicated.
Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay – From $141 nightly.
Koa Kea Hotel & Resort at Poipu – From $320 nightly.
The Club at Kukuiula – From $800 nightly.
Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences at Hokuala – From $1,046 nightly.
Kauai Marriott Resort at Kalapaki Bay – From $271 nightly.

2. Visitors who choose to stay at non-approved hotels remain subject to the 10-day quarantine. Quarantine other than at hotels/motels is not permitted.

3. Residents are subject to a 10-day quarantine and can do so at their residence.

Great comments and questions are coming in.

Among s0 many thoughtful comments in the over 200 below, Margaret posed interesting questions:

– After quarantining for 3 days, would a visitor have to leave his/her hotel (or resort bubble) to get the on-island test?
– If visitors aren’t allowed to rent cars, how do they get to the testing site? Uber? Hotel shuttle bus? Or does the tester go to the quarantine location? Or would it be a self-administered test?
– What kind of test is planned? How long before the result would be known? If the plan is to release the visitor from quarantine on Day 4, it would have to be a rapid test.
– Will the test kits be whatever remains of the 15,000 rapid test kits Kauai purchased with CARES funds?
– Will the visitor be charged for the on-island test?
– How many people would be willing to go through this “short form” quarantine in a hotel or resort bubble? (This is the biggest question).

304 thoughts on “Updated | Kauai Now Proposes 4 Day Quarantine – Will You Bite?”

  1. We have arranged to fly to Maui Feb 1 for 3 days, get tested there by Doctors on Demand, then fly to Kauai Feb 4 to stay in our own condo. Is this still possible, or should just stay on Maui?

  2. Please keep this chain updated with anything you hear from your friend! I have a wedding booked in Kauai for July 17th and praying that the 3 day rule will be lifted by then! It’s already a lot to ask people to come to a destination wedding, let alone also asking them to pay for an extra 3 days of wait time. We have until April 1 to decide whether to push it out more into the fall – so all info is so appreciated!! Kauai is so special to my fiancé and I – we’ve been coming there for 10 years and it has been my dream to have my wedding there and share it with my family & friends. I hope I still can.

  3. Why would anyone want to quarantine themselves or put their families in direct proximity of multiple travelers in the next room or down the hall from places with very serious Covid infection/hospitalization rates? Covid tests/results do not make a person Covid bulletproof as a carrier. Being forced by Kauai/Hawaii government to house in Bubble properties with unknown people from unknown places under penalty of fines and jail as a pre-condition for a few days/weeks of vacation on Kauai is off-putting at the least and close to criminal in reality.

  4. thanks for the info. Is there any relaxation of the rules for those who have received the vaccination!
    Bob

    1. Hi Robert.

      Rules for those who have been vaccinated will be announced soon. We’re awaiting that.

      Aloha.

  5. It’s amazing, almost all current cases of coronavirus on Kauai are residents returning from traveling. I have heard of residents that knowing they have the virus and still board a plane, but the people traveling who are conscientious, and do the right thing are considered dangerous. I think it is just the opposite. I have been coming to the Islands for 25 years and consider ourselves O’hana. I am also realistic and I can guarantee, with out the help of the Federal government Hawaii would now be starving. Wake up we are all in this together and with all of us doing the right things we will persevere! I’ll be 69 in March and will be arriving on March 1st. Hope to see everyone soon! Aloha

  6. Had a trip planned, went somewhere else, will probably never go to Hawaii, until you figure it out

  7. Not only do visitors have to pay for the hotel quarantine, for a family of 6, the mobile test clinic come to the hotel to test on day 3 which cost another $1K. That’s in addition to the pre-test costs before landing in Kauai and bubble hotel costs.

    Why not let visitors quarantine in their rental units or hotel of choice? Also, why the 2nd test?

    It’s too expensive and inconvenient when people have limited vacations and families. In addition, residents can’t have guests visit since no one wants to quarantine at someone’s house for 10 days.

  8. Don’t these people get it? As a visitor I’m not paying for a test, spend there nights doing nothing for the opportunity to spend my money in your state! AND pray you don’t shut everything down while I am there. I’ve already paid a plane fare, rental car, lodging and for food…. Get real, they must think we are stupid. Even with Covid under control I will think hard about coming back… Hawaii isn’t the only vacation game in town…. Certifiably not the cheapest.

    1. We feel the same way, coming all the way from the East Coast and having to pay extra to do nothing in an expensive hotel when we have our condo on the North Shore paid for? And how would we get there from Ligue without a rental car? We love the islands, Kaua’i in particular but not enough to endure this. We will travel elsewhere, like the USVI.

  9. Having to quarantine is nonsense when traveling to Hawaii. Some of my customers are only traveling for 4 days. If they test negative prior to flying in and at their arrival they should be able to go as they please when they get there. No one is going to go there to vacation if they have to quarantine. Thanks, Kim B., travel agent.

  10. I would be visiting my daughter, who lives there, AND I have had the vaccine. Do you know if I could bypass the quarantine hotels if I have proof that I received the vaccine?

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top