A visitor summed it up, stating, “Yes….This is a Hot Mess.” The deeper we all dig, the more problems that surface.
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276 thoughts on “Latest Testing Rules Fail: Hawaii Vacations Upended”
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A visitor summed it up, stating, “Yes….This is a Hot Mess.” The deeper we all dig, the more problems that surface.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Comments are closed.
Here’s the solution to the COVID problem on Hawaii. Don’t go. Don’t go until everyone’s been vaccinated and the risk has dropped to the pre-pandemic levels.
Hawaii doesn’t know how to handle themselves and they’ve proven time and time again they’re incompetent. Nobody wants to shut down their economy but that’s precisely what needs to happen to limit exposure and get through this. New Zealand did it right and it’s now another surge. Let it go.
Wait. Don’t go. It’s ginkgo to be fine, but it won’t be until 2022 or later.
Hawaii will suffer financially. They’ll also recover eventually.
Don’t put yourselves or toy money at risk.
Let it go for now. You’ll live to vacation another day.
Aloha! . My name is Chris K And I just wanted to comment on a couple of things that sometimes people forget when they come to Hawaii, Kauai in particular because that’s where I live. Please remember that you are visiting, you’re a guest, coming to Kauai is not a right! And for sure it’s not something a majority of the residents want to see. We the residents are at the mercy of the airlines who are flying people here, providing a service when it’s not really wanted and needed, II am a surf instructor and I do Canoe Rides. The majority of my income is derived from the tourist industry. And I don’t mind staying home for another year if that’s what it’s gonna take so we don’t have sick neighbors or my good buddy loses his wife to his disease! It’s not a obligation on our part to host you beautiful people . I know this sounds harsh, it’s the truth. My suggestion is that right now especially with the resurging, this is not the time to come. Wait! Wait till there’s a vaccine then get a shot and then come over! The airfares might be a little higher but let me tell you we appreciate it that you cared more about us the people that about you saving a couple of bucks! We love you visitors and we love our families too! Aloha
Wait as a US citizen I thought it was our right. I guess you should not come to any part of the mainland since it’s not sure right.
Basically I respect your issue but Hawaii should just shut down for visitors..and do it right! Instead of being incompetent and playing games. Aloha
I’m’ a resident and someone who just traveled from the mainland, we did our test 2 and a half days before departure at CVS thinking that would be plenty of time, we did not get our results before we landed and was told it would take 3-5 days after we took the test. We were tested when we arrived at the airport and then got the results the next day for our CVS test, That’s how it should be done. Good luck to anyone who comes in now. They also send you to a hotel if you are positive. That will attract visitors, get your act together Hawaii
So much for all the requests and warnings not to travel unless absolutely essential or an emergency.
Is this Beat of Hawaii or Beat Up Hawaii?
Complete turnoff and huge risk to go to Hawaii. Our family wants to visit family in Hawaii and can’t get a test result within 72 hours due to weekend delays,holiday delays, time zone differences. Flights leave Hawaii at 5pm PST but 7PM CST or 8PM EST so hard to get a test that night and lose half a day right there. Then if can get test next morning it has to come back in 24 hrs in order to be uploaded to show negative test by the time we land… And we have to leave night before or early morning to make connections for Hawaii flights. Plus we all risk getting stuck, or paying thousands to not get in, or getting COVID while traveling. All Very frustrating. Window needs to be larger than 72 hours
A hot mess indeed. I watch a live feed of the Maui coastline on youtube and save myself the angst. I bought a wetsuit and drive to Laguna instead. Just as beautiful and no risk of being ticketed, arrested or quarantined.
If the state would rather starve than let visitors come back to the islands to help reviving the economy, then just stop all travel. Why making it hard on everyone? Travel rules keep changing on a whim. No consideration for visitors. No sympathy for businesses trying to make their living by welcoming tourists back. Just shut everything down and die already, Hawaii.
Didn’t read all the comments. My husband and I used Vault Health for our tests. It is a mail in test–they monitor as you take your sample via Zoom. We informed the observer that we were going to Hawaii and needed the results quickly. He advised us to write on the box, “Stat Hawaii”. We did and immediately overnighted our results to Vault Health. We got our results 30 hours after we overnighted our tests. Plenty of time to upload our results before the last leg of our trip to Hawaii. The test cost $143 each but was totally worth it.
I had tried to schedule through Walgreens but it was tough trying to get in. Vault Health was so much more convenient to do from the comfort of our home and not having to drive 15 miles to Walgreens.
I would highly recommend Vault. We had no issues at all. My husband thinks I’m brilliant but to be honest, it was all about convenience for me and it happened to work out very well.
We gave up, at least for now. Timely test results are too unreliable and the trip is too much money to find we’re not able to have the vacation we planned.
Sorry one more question for BOH please!
American Airlines is recommending a testing service for Hawaii named LetsGetChecked but it is not listed as a testing partner on HawaiiCovid10.com. I am finding a similar situation on the United website. Are these acceptable even though they are not listed as a testing partner? If not, why are the airlines referencing them?
Hi Pam.
Yes confusing. American Airlines is listed on that page but not LetsGetChecked. https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/. Safest thing to do is contact the state’s help desk, although we are getting reports of very long wait times. 1-855-599-0888.
Aloha.
Yes, absolutely. The airline programs all have them, plus AFC in Portland and Carbon in Seattle. I am not so sure what the options are outside the west coast.
I am currently in Kauai. I actually fully support this change in the rules. It does require that folks plan carefully and make sure they go to a testing vendor that is guaranteeing same day or next day results. Unfortunately, in many cities outside of the west coast, there may not be good options for that. The big national drugstores cannot be trusted at all – basically they are useless with this change happening next week. But the airline programs and certain vendors in the major west coast cities all offer same day or next day turnaround and it is totally doable.
Here on Kauai, if we hope to have the best chance of staying open and not hitting Tier 2 (which will send us back to a mandatory 14-day quarantine), then we do need to eliminate the small number of folks that are showing up without a test and then getting a positive test upon arrival. Those cases are going into the average and getting us closer to the magic number of a 7-day daily average of 5. If you are booking a vacation for late December or January, that is the far bigger threat than not getting your test on time. We are currently at a 2.2 daily average.
Are you aware of any Trusted Partners who guarantee 24 hour turnaround?
Has anyone been able to determine if there are any rapid/immediate tests available from the trusted test partners?
Thanks BOH for all your assistance during this turbulent time!
Hi Pam.
We’ll wait for others to give us a hand from their personal experience.
Aloha,
Vault Health all the way!
Mary K – Did you do an immediate test with Vault?
Yes, we did. Ordered the tests on-line. They give you a chart as to when you should take your test based upon when you are flying to Hawaii. Test kit is overnighted to you, you open the box in front of the screener via Zoom, split into the tube, seal it and overnight it. Make sure you write on both the box and pouch “Stat HaWaii”. We dropped our samples off at UPS at 1 pm (although Vault says by 10 am) and our results were emailed to us 30 hours later.
We’re in Utah and used Walgreen’s drive through. Set up appointment on their website three days before. Pharmacist monitors swab from drive through window and kit then dropped in LabCorp drawer next to window. Walgreen’s uses LabCorp (largest lab in USA) to do the actual tests. LabCorp also posts results to your account if you have one. Negative results received 22 hours later and time/date stamped 70 hours before LA-Maui flight. At results upload to Hawaii website – notice posted “Waiting verification”. Hawaii had 8 stations at airport to clear Exemptions/Quarantine. We had paper copies of negative tests. Five minute process.
Received email from Hawaii 48 hours approving negative tests. This worked fine, but it doesn’t look like it would meet new requirement for VERIFIED negative result prior to departure.
Some (but not all) of the AFC locations provide rapid tests and will direct bill your insurance.
We got totally ripped off trying to have our 10th anniversary on Maui.
Got the test 2.5 days prior to flying from A TRUSTED PARTNER(Walgreens).
The bozos lost our specimens for 12 days ! We stayed locked up in Maui for 4 days upon arrival but once we did the math (Hawaii told us it takes 3 days once we upload our negative results), we realized that on day 4 (even if the results did show up) we wouldn’t have been cleared until day 7, which was the day we were scheduled to go home !
So we packed up and left and at least enjoyed being NOT LOCKED UP back on the mainland.
Like I said Hawaii’s trusted partner eventually “found” our samples and gave us our negative results but only on day 12 !
So Hawaii got some$$’s out of us but since they treated us like garbage we won’t be spending anymore of our well earned disposable income over there for at least another 5 years. Plenty of other beaches and places to go where they appreciate your $$’s and show you they care !
Good morning dear folks in Hawaii. Isn’t this a tangled ball of twine? I have to be tested to board my plane in Asia. Hawaii doesn’t accept this valid test and paperwork! So I must fly over Hawaii to SFO airport. Spending the day in the airport to get the proper test. Flying back to Hawaii that night. Well over 40 hours!
Question:
Is this still valid info from United? The rapid Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 test – administered by GoHealth Urgent Care and their partner Dignity Health – is available at an onsite testing facility located in SFO’s international terminal prior to security. Customers based in San Francisco can schedule their visits online and will receive their results in approximately 15 minutes.
Any personal experience or info? Mahalo!
Hi Nancy.
We trust others will help out with your situation on United.
Aloha.
Very concerned about arriving in Hawaii two days prior to an Inter-Island Cruise.. the mandatory “testing” rules get complicated between each island port of call and return to Oahu.. we leave GA two days ahead of our cruise date..will our negative tests still be viable and how about when our ship returns to Oahu.. very confusing to say the least!! Please quit changing the guidelines!!
We are in Hawaii currently (family of 4) and we choose CVS especially since they had a specific drop down from Hawaii travel (thinking maybe results would be expedited due to Hawaii’s requirements). We arrived without results and having been quarantining. Today we received 3/4 results (we all tested at the same time) and we all have to quarantine regardless because of the chance that the pending person is positive, we could all be exposed. All the rules make sense but being limited to specific places to test and those places are not able to guarantee turnaround is not acceptable. I had other local options available to me that provide rapid results but those facilities/companies are not recognized by the Hawaiian government. So frustrating!
So this feels like sensationalist journalism and stirring the pot, not like you guys. I do agree and it is unfortunate that the rules were changed without advance notice. However, reports from guests staying with us have all said that their airport arrival process have gone smoothly without a hitch. Fast enough that the bags are not still up when they get to baggage claim. Cudos to the front line workers and the IT people who put together the processes to provide a good experience. It did take too long but I think some credit is due.
So, our family of 6 is planning on flying from the main land on Dec.26. Last stop is in LA, then straight to Maui for 4 nights. Plan to have a test in hand. Can’t imagine trusting any other way. We are scheduled to fly Dec 30, on Hawaiian Air to Kauai for 4 nights, departing Lihue on Jan 3rd. Husband and I are staying on in Princeville another 5 nights. The scary part for me, is what we are expected to do at this time to enter the island of Kauai. Lots of things have been mentioned. One can only afford so many covid test, especially for 6. Please give me some clear info on what will be expected and the cost. Also, just how accessible test will be when we reach Maui. We’ve had all reservations since the 1st of April, but have only lost $450 dep.in Maui when I refused to pay remainder of $1,650 the middle of Oct. We’re holding on to a string of hope this is all going to come together. Got until Dec 12 until we are forced to give up. Want our grandsons to love humpbacks as much as we do. Sure would appreciate your insight and suggestions.
Hi Judith.
You will need to test again on Maui before flying to Kauai. Scroll down to the section titled: STATE OF HAWAII: INTER-COUNTY TRUSTED TESTING PARTNERS. From there you’ll have the trusted partners and their contact information to obtain further details and pricing.
Aloha.
Aloha, Judith. Re Kauai, you should be aware that if Ige does not consent to Kauai’s Council and Mayor recs re testing, it is more than possible Kauai will opt out of the Safe Travels program completely and institute mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travelers, something residents of all islands want (but only Kauai has a smart and caring Mayor and Council). I understand the disappointment, but medical facilities here are very limited and residents also need space not just for Covid but the many other conditions requiring regular or emergent care. Please, please reconsider and wait for a vaccine. Mahalo.
Hawaii gov’t doesnt seem it know which direction to go. Everyone on the planet knew there would be a spike in covid this fall, but zero in the way of alternative planning. It also seems as if there are too many ” cheifs”, each with their own ideas/agendas. We were pleased when they appeared to get it together, with one set of rules for all the islands…but it didnt last. We have decided as a group that there will be no Hawaii vacations until 2022. Hopefully this will be behind us by then.
As a resident of Hawaii please understand that our rules are changing and we understand it’s hard for visitors. It’s hard for us too. We are trying to reopen and stay safe. Personally I am not traveling during the pandemic to see family on the mainland to protect them. Maybe we should all reconsider traveling right now. Maybe we should stay home and stay safe.
We are currently in the air headed to Maui for a week and I have had the most stressful time the last three days! We did our tests through Vault, three in the family all did them at roughly the same time all got returned to UPS at the same time tracking states all were delivered to the lab at the same time. Daughter and hubby got an email that night that their test was received and got results next day. I have yet to get an email that says they received it which means they lost it! We went with plan B which was changed our flight itinerary to arrive in Seattle a day early did my test through Carbon which Alaska Air partners with and guarantees next day results uploaded at 9 am. It was down to the wire, our plane was set to start boarding at 10:35 I got my negative results at 10:15 quickly uploaded them to the website and hopefully we are good to go. It seems like it was verified right away so we will see when we land if there are any other issues. This is the most stressful vacation I have ever taken and it hasn’t even started yet. Thank you for your articles it has helped me stay on top of everything about this trip. Much Love, Mahalo
Hi Renee.
Glad everything appears to have worked out. Hopefully, you are now about to enjoy an incredible Maui vacation!
Aloha.
We arrived in Maui, after a 1.5 hour wait in line to go through the checkpoint everything was good to go. It seems like most places just want to see the wording under your QR code on the safe travels site that says you are exempt with a negative test and not in quarantine. Rental car, timeshare rental both asked for it. I think the tours we have booked this week are also going to ask for it. I can now breathe in some fresh Aloha breeze and relax with my Mai Tais and Rum Punches!
We have been trying to get ahold of Vault for 6 days, we have 4 test, and 2 are in my name, 1 in my wifes,1 in my Granddaughter, 0 for the other Granddaughter! We have called and emailed twice a day, no response. We leave on Dec 4th, but we have to correct one of the test for me and change it to my Granddaughters name. If no responce soon i guess we will cancel our trip!
Paul B,
I had the same problem with Vault. Both my son and my test were registered and delivered under my sons name. The website says the test must be done by the person who the test was shipped to. Since vault wouldn’t respond to any of my emails or phone calls, I took a chance and just logged into the zoom call. I told the technician administering the test about the issue. She initially said I had to send an email. After I told her they wouldn’t respond, she ended up changing the name on the test for me. I got my test results and everything was fine. BUT I can’t guarantee that your technician will do the same thing. So I would keep trying to get in touch with them. Maybe after Thanksgiving they will catch up!!?
We are staying with family at their residence. If we do not test, are quarantined at the family home for 14 days? Which is fine, we are only going to see family. Will the family need to be quarantined
Glad I canceled my Christmas visit as Hawaiian has also decided to remove middle seat blocking and offered fare refunds. With travel issues piling up, it was a no-brainer. Will come back late next year.
I’m not sure why anyone would risk traveling to Hawaii right now. There are too many inconsistencies.
Testing sites are getting overwhelmed in the run up to Thanksgiving. The new rule has potential to make some very inconvenient last minute cancellations.
Kaiser WA is saying they could deny pre-travel tests, even though they’re a Hawaii trusted testing partner.
At this point it looks like we can still get tested, but a 3-day window on a PCR is harder than one might think – especially if you have a connecting flight before the trans-Pacific flight.
Nope–our visits typically involve one island for four nights, over to another island to see friends for two nights then back to the first island (different part) for 10 days. That’s too much testing in a short period of time with too many possibilities for problems in testing/reporting/recording to feel “safe” from ruining a visit and being “stuck” in one place or another…
Implementing a new change, especially one as drastic as this, makes zero sense and is not a way to prevent coved from spreading. I see lawsuits coming because Hawaii cannot offer visitors the option of pre-travel testing and then “punish” them (the same way they would visitors who chose NOT to test) if the trusted test partners can’t deliver on time. I don’t think Hawaii can legally enforce this new policy. I bet Hawaii’s next change is the announcement that there is only one trusted pre-travel testing partner and it’s only located in Hawaii!!! Sound like a joke, but that’s what this entire 8-month process has been. Thanks BOH for the updates!!!
Hi Tracy.
Thanks. Yes, we’ll have to see how all this plays out.
Aloha.
If the policy is that if I have taken the tests and for some reason they don’t get me the results before boarding and I
Have to Quarantine in a hotel and not my winter residence. I have to rethink my timing. With no warning and my flight a week away, I
Am really concerned. This is not helpful to Hawaii.
Aloha Hawaii👎🏼 Take your rules and masks and stick it where the sun does not shine!!
Spend a large amount of $$ to walk around at the threat of fine or arrest with a useless mask ?
ige has many similarities to trump
i do not recall having commented to your articles before.
WOW! So obvious. Just stay out of Hawaii this year! We thought about going over in another couple of weeks, but this BS just ain’t worth it. Maybe April?
Amazing the politics there and lack of forethought and decisiveness with the leadership. Kinda reminds me of Gilligan’s Island. The skipper had more good sense than the governor and health leadership of your state.
So sorry for the people (Hawaiians) who suffer most.
Thanks for your updates — sadly we cancelled our reservations the other day for Waikiki –at that point there was not testing available for us out of Vancouver but now Westjet and Air Canada have announced tested — however saying that with the “mess” you describe we have decided to postpone for this year — we will look to return hopefully sometime later in 2021? or maybe earlier if vaccine becomes available – thanks so much for keeping us updated. Don
Hi Don.
Sorry to hear you had to cancel and we hope you can return again soon.
Aloha.
Too many factors have to go right to be able to visit Hawaii. Even if all works out and you think your safe to go, they change the rules. It isn’t worth my time, money and effort to try and return to Hawaii. I’ll be going somewhere else. Maybe in a year or two when things settle I may return. Maybe I’ll find another place that works for me and I’ll never return.
ige has many similarities to trump
When we first planned our trip to Kauai in August, we were planning on staying 3-4 months. We would have been okay with the 14-day quarantine at a condo. I had already made arrangements for transportation from the airport and meals or groceries to be delivered to us. Then we found out that we would be required to quarantine 14 days at a hotel, not the condo we had rented. That’s when we cancelled our trip. The added expense of staying at a hotel would have rendered the trip not worthwhile. My guess is that the hotels aren’t giving any breaks on their exorbitant rates for people who choose to stay locked in their rooms for two weeks. They probably still charge the resort fee and parking fee, too.
CVS site in my area VaVnow puts a disclaimer (that wasn’t there a day or two ago) that if looking to travel to Hawaii, find another place to test as they will not be able to provide results in time. That leaves one option in my part of the country, which is about 90 miles away. I can’t do the Vault or other online/mail options as I fly on Tuesday and my connecting flight leaves West Coast at 1:15, which is 3:15 in my time zone so I can’t take a test until after 3:15 on Saturday, which means I can’t send UPS until Monday so no way I will have test results by 8 AM when my flight leaves Monday morning. Yet if I Ould use the Mayo Clinic in my hometown, I could have test results within 12 hours from a CLIA lat! and have results Sunday morning.
Aloha,
The phrase “Amateur Hour” comes to mind. It will be some years, if ever, before we even consider Hawaii again. A two week trip is consistently ten thousand dollars. The “value” was questionable before this; now it is out of the question.
Mahalo
Aloha BOH
Go to Mexico, that’s what many west coasters mostly California’s have finally found themselves doing.
It’s a sad reality when a third world country located on our southern boarder offers Americans more freedom then they can find here.
America the land of the free….Right!