We’d heard rumors and now it is has been confirmed. Kauai travel will finally resume.
198 thoughts on “Kauai Travel Will Reopen April 5: Details”
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We’d heard rumors and now it is has been confirmed. Kauai travel will finally resume.
Comments are closed.
Hi!
Do you know if interisland travel requirements have been determined yet? For example, can I fly into Oahu with getting a covid test 72 hours prior to arrival in Oahu. Stay a couple of days, and then travel freely to Kauai without testing again or worrying if more then 72 hours have passed?
Any links or official mention of this would be greatly appreciated.
thanks!
Hi Arthur.
There is nothing announced about interisland travel so far. The official state website is https://hawaiicovid19.com. So until something changes, you will test before traveling to any island other than Oahu.
Aloha.
Aloha.
We have travel to the big island May 2nd from California and will have COVID-19 tests within 72 hours of our flight.
My question – is there a change in the Kauai travel policy that kicks in on April 5th? We travel on May 8 to Kauai (from Kona). We understood we had to have a test in Kona after being in Kona for at least 3 days and within 72 hours of our flight to Lihue. Does this Kona COVID-19 test go away with the April 5th policy change(s)?
It is all so confusing…
Appreciate your advice and clarification.
Hi Brian.
No changes for interisland at this time. So yes you will still need to test before flying to Kauai. That could change, as has been suggested by the Lt. Gov. and others, but it isn’t clear when that might happen.
Aloha.
Hello,
My Husband and I will be traveling to Kauai starting May 18, 2021.
Should we book a hotel & Car rental now?
we have not been vaccinated yet.
Do we have to participate in Kauai resort bubble program?
Thank you
Hi Ash.
Yes you can book accommodations and car rental now, or whenever you would like. You will not need to be vaccinated but you will need to adhere to the requirements of Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, which will include Kauai starting April 5.
Aloha.
Please explain if you know, why some airlines are not resuming nonstop service from the u.s. mainland to Lihue until as late as June if Kauai has made this move. Thanks.
Hi David.
We do expect that airlines will adjust Kauai schedules as soon as Kauai reopens and demand returns. You can look forward to more nonstop being added soon.
Aloha.
Had to blame the airlines. Last time, Kawakami pulled the rug out from under them with hardly any notice after they finally started getting some traffic to Kauai. We flew on a non stop Southwest flight from San Jose to Lihue back on Nov 5, and the plane was maybe a 3rd full after what had then be not quite three weeks into Safe Travels.
For all the airlines know, someone will catch COVID again and Kawakami will panic and opt out of safe travels again before enough demand builds up.
I don’t know about big hotels like Grand Hyatt, but I can see them thinking carefully about “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice ….”
Hi David.
Yes, the airlines are being very cautious on returning to Kauai nonstops. It makes sense that they would be.
Aloha.
We are planning our trip in September. We will both have our vaccinations…wouldn’t our vaccination records be adequate?
I am coming back from mainland on April 4th and will start my 10 day quarantine that day, in my own residence.
Would I be released from quarantine on April 5th when the new rules will go in effect or would I need to complete the full 10 days of quarantine?
No, you won’t. You may want to delay your flight for a day, and return using the safe travels protocol so you can spend zero days under house arrest instead of ten. The Safe Travels program allows you to skip quarantine, IF go through the hoops, the main one being getting a negative test result from test taken from a Hawaii trusted partner within 72 hours of your flight departure time to Hawaii. April 5 is not a “get out of jail free” date.
Thanks for confirming, that’s what I thought.
Do we know when the governor will be signing off on this? That’s the only thing keeping me from booking right now.
According to the Garden Isle News, Ige signed-off on this yesterday (Friday March 5th). Here’s the link, if Rob and Jeff will allow an exception to their no links policy.
thegardenisland.com/2021/03/06/hawaii-news/isle-rejoins-safe-travels-in-april/
“Friday, Gov. David Ige approved Mayor Derek Kawakami’s request to re-enter the state’s pre-travel Safe Travels program.
“This emergency rule will simplify travel to Hawai‘i by including Kaua‘i in the existing Safe Travels program,” Ige said in a press release. “The increased restrictions over the winter months helped Mayor Kawakami safely balance travel with the health and safety of residents and visitors on the Garden Island.”
(By “balance” Ige means “squash”)
“Negative Covid test within 72 hrs of departure from the Mainland.” Most of us would be flying from LAX but a couple from the Midwest. Does that change?
We flew to Kauai via Honolulu last Oct. 16, just one day after they set this new rule (at the time) – and everything went smoothish. But this time it would be a group of 21 in July so I’d need to make sure everything goes smooth.
Thank you for all the wonderful updates. I share with all my friends, as well.
Hi Yolanda.
Thanks. For those flying from the midwest, the rules are the same. Test must be taken within 72 hours of their mainland to Hawaii flight. Assuming the flight from the midwest has a change of planes on the west coast, it would be within 72 hours of the west coast to Hawaii flight.
Aloha.
Hi,
I have a reservation from 4/3/21 to 4/10/21. Do we really need to be in resort bubble program when we fly in on the 3rd and 4th? If our hotel will take us in, is that going to be okay?
Hi Donna.
On just checking there has been no update from the County on how it will work for those arriving in the days before the rule change. As soon as there is more information, we will update this.
Aloha.
The current rules remain in effect until April 5th, no exceptions. Here is the quote from the county site:
“Governor David Ige has approved Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami’s request to rejoin the Safe Travels pre-travel testing program for Trans-Pacific travel, effective April 5, 2021. Existing rules for travel to Kauai remain in place until that date. For travel before that date, please see below.”
Absolutely. I have no doubt that anyone arriving before the 5th will be stuck in their bubble for the full time. If you don’t want that, delay your trip. But also keep in mind that the pre-flight test for bubblers does not have to be a “trusted partner” – but it does if you want to skip quarantine without bubbling after the 5th.
Personally, I wouldn’t bubble, but if you signed up to bubble, then it must have been acceptable to you, so just roll with it or cancel.
Hi David.
Well stated. It could change at the last minute, but it is more likely that it will not.
Aloha.
HI – we are also arriving a day earlier, on April 4. Have you received any updates on if we will be free to move about the next day, April 5th as part of the changes?
Thanks,
Trevor
Hi Trevor.
That should appear here https://www.kauai.gov/covid-19, and so far there is nothing.
Aloha.
We are in the same boat, arriving on 4th. So frustrating to not know what will happen on the 5th.
What will happen on the 5th? Nothing. You will be stuck in your bubble Q until you test out at least 72 hours after you arrived on 4th. Or you will be locked in a hotel room until the 14th if you are not a Bubbler.
If you don’t like those alternatives, change your travel plans to arrive on/after April 5th and get tested by approved partner within 72 hours of departure.
This is not about fairness, or whether in fact you present zero risk of slaughtering the population of Kauai. This is about rules, however arbitrary and/or pointless. The mayor of Kauai could care less about you. In fact, he must be highly amused-pleased that you would drop a few $K to be under self-imposed confinement at one of his bubbles as the price to visit his precious island. Keep that in mind.
Nothing will happen on the 5th, you’ll stay in quarantine. The mayor’s office has confirmed this with me in writing. You would want to arrive on/after the 5th to avoid a 72h quarantine.
“Additionally, many Kauai hotels will be offering post-travel testing to those who want it. These will be optional.”
I’m thinking the over/under will be 1% or less of the hotel guests do this.