Hawaii’s Governor Ige has been formally asked to reinstate the Safe Travels pre-travel testing program for all travelers from the US mainland. The request came from Hawaii Island’s mayor, Mitch Roth.
If approved, and we suspect it may well be, it will apply to all passengers, whether visitors or residents and without regard to being fully vaccinated or not. Currently, however, travelers fully vaccinated in the US are permitted to bypass both quarantine and pre-travel testing on arrival in Hawaii.
Roth noted in the request that with the recent uptick in Covid on the Big Island, its hospitals are already at capacity as of yesterday. His request was posted to Facebook. It comes at the same time as the two largest hospitals on Oahu both reported that they had exceeded ICU capacity, and the number of new cases reported by the state today is over 750.
1. Keep in mind that this request has not yet been approved by the governor.
2. If it is approved, watch for either statewide or county-by-county approval.
The way the Safe Travels “pre-travel testing program” works. It will be mandatory if reinstated.
1. Test within 72 hours of a scheduled transpacific flight’s departure from the mainland to Hawaii. Tests are required to be from one of Hawaii’s approved testing partners only. Any costs associated with the tests are the responsibility of travelers. The price ranges from free to $250 per person. See the link above for approved testing providers.
2. Hawaii requires that the test be a NAAT/PCR only, and nothing else is acceptable. Also, the test must be one of Hawaii’s trusted partners, not any lab, even if it is the correct test. The specific language in effect is as follows:
“The state of Hawai‘i will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from TRUSTED TESTING AND TRAVEL PARTNERS. A negative COVID-19 test result is required before departure to avoid quarantine in Hawaii.”
3. The minimum age for testing children is 5 years. All travelers 5 and above must have a COVID-19 test and negative results through one of the state’s trusted testing partners. Note that some trusted testing partners test all ages, and others do not.
4. Those who are in compliance with Safe Travels should attempt to obtain compliance wristbands from their airline at their mainland departure gateway to Hawaii. The airlines offering that service including American, Alaska, Hawaiian, Southwest, and United.
BOH: We have been saying for weeks that we expect Hawaii to reinstate pre-travel testing, at least until the number of Covid cases and hospitalizations drops significantly. We also believe that Hawaii should move to some form of supervised quarantine, rather than self-quarantine, for those who choose not to comply with testing.
We always welcome your thoughts.
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Instead of asking vaccinated tourists who are not clogging up hospitals with COVID infections; has Ige considered mandating vaccines for Hawaiian residents?
The root cause of the strain on Hawaii hospitals is unvaccinated locals. The tourists are not preventing locals to get vaccinated.
Hello,
This report is dated the 19th, is there an updated report on whether
the COVID testing requirements have been reinstated even for Vaccinated
individuals.
Thank you
Dear BOH readers, I have a general question for everyone. Who has used AFC urgent care for their test & how fast did you get the results back? I look forward to hearing the responses. Malaho & stay safe everyone! God bless you…..psalms 91:11 😍😇🌈
Any update if vaccinated people will need a negative Covid test? If not, does anyone have any idea when an update might be made? Thank you in advance.
Hi Kathleen.
There is no further update at this time.
Aloha.
Please BOH, let readers comment about the Hawaii travel experience without canceling different views. Just happened 90 sec. ago. Kirk
Dear BOH Bros, Waiting to come to the Beautiful Hawaiian Island of Oahu is another way that I can stay safe while keeping other people safe as well. We all should be doing things to keep others safe because everyone is in this virus situation together. I’ve been waiting all my life to go to Hawaii so what is alittle more time?! God bless you!! 😍😇
Seems to me to be a waste of money and resources to test the vaccinated. Test the unvaccinated, they are the ones who created this new mess in the first place.
Not true! I have 6 family members who have been vaccinated and now are sick and have tested positive for COVID-19.
When I was in Kauai in July, the positive cases in the entire state just hit triple digits. Guess what? As of July 8th, vaccinated travelers no longer needed to pretest before flying. Now look at the numbers. They are over 600+ per day. Get your head out of the sand and wake up! This is not a problem with just unvaccinated people. I think the vaccine has been eating up you brain cells!
Exactly! Propaganda is trying to make it look like the unvaccinated are the ones testing positive and the ones in the hospital which I find hard to believe! I had to test negative before flying to hawaii, and the vaccinated who sat on the plane right next to me did not have to test, so there way no way to know if they had covid?! I only hear of vaccinated people catching covid these days. The vaccinated people are not testing and traveling all over. I believe it is the vaccinated who are ending up in the hospital based on the stories I keep hearing if vaccinated in the hospital. This is just getting ridiculous already. 80% of people who are hospitalized with covid are obese, how about we test for obesity instead? This should really be called an obesity pandemic.
Curious where you’re getting your information on so many vaccinated people getting covid and being hospitalized, as that’s not true. Yes, vaccinated people are getting the virus, but most in the hospitals for it are indeed the unvaccinated. On Aug 19th, only 37 of the 355 hospitalized in Hawaii were vaccinated, and that included both partial and fully vaccinated. That information came from our Lt. Governor if you want to find out yourself too confirm.
Could not agree with you more. The vaccines are showing so many problems and the information is being canceled. The longevity, the spreading post jab, etc. So sad to never see the whole truth in #’s. Kirk
Alas, so many people can only see binary, black and white. Where the world is full of gray. Covid Vaccination does not guarantee against re-infection. No vaccinations are 100% effective, It does however reduce the risk dramatically. Similarly there will be people who et very sick get hospitalized or even die after vaccination but the risk is greatly reduced and statistically loaded to those with pre existing health conditions.
So, vaccination will not guarantee no reinfection, neither will mask wearing in public, nor will social distancing nor will increasing personal cleaning routine or avoiding unnecessary exposure to packed indoor venues with limited ventilation. However if you are vaccinated and you follow the guidelines, your risk is minimal.
Saying I am not going to be vaccinated because it does not infection is like saying I am not going to travel or drive by car as there is a risk of crashes, except the risk with vaccines is lower.
It makes good sense to bring back pre flight testing and also to close indoor bars. The pre test weeds out a number and makes people think twice about risking flying whiskey infected and closing bars reduces transmission as anyone who has been to a Hawaii hostelry will no as people’s common sense evaporates with alcohol. Bar Owners should be allowed to offer open air drinking to reduce the risk, where it is possible.
Just getting a big concerned. We have a house in Waimea, but have been staying on the mainland for over a year. If things get so far as quarantine again (even after testing and vaccine done), how would we get from KOA to our house in Waimea? We can’t impose on neighbors…. Thanks.
Hi Ben.
We’ll have to see what happens. We do believe a next step would be as the mayor requested – testing for all arrivals, nothing more.
Aloha.
Aloha!
Well, we continue to do silly stuff here and need to apply some logic and common sense.
1. Testing 72 hrs DOES NOT mean you still can’t have someone board next to you that is positive.
2. The spread in the island has been LOCALS who’ve traveled to the mainland and back. See #1 again
3. Visitors/Tourists and alike HAVE NOT BEEN the catalyst for this spread and can no longer be the target of everyone’s frustration and ire.
The real solution here is that Airlines should quit gambling on unknowns and invest in knowns. If every operator that came to Hawaii simply bought a bunch of Rapid test units, IN THE AIRPORT and screened everyone before boarding, we could not only be safe flying in, but more than likely lift some protocols while in flight.
Leave healthy, fly healthy, arrive healthy. One isolated tube to an isolated island.
What is so complicated?
Mahalo
Hi Manu.
As we understand, the airlines have no ability to regulate passengers in that way. It would only be the federal government that could do that.
Aloha.
And the govt. is doing so well with this situation. Hmmm, Aloha
I think bringing back testing for everyone is exactly what needs to happen. It was working before..right?? Have you not read the headlines that 3 US senators tested positive for Covid and they have been vaccinated? Does it occur to anyone that maybe the vaccine is not as effective as they thought?? After all..they dont know too much about the vaccine. It’s more of a trial and error type situation that is clearly showing error. Test everyone and see if cases drop on the islands. It only got bad once they changed the testing requirements.
Vaccine does not prevent transmission. Vaccine lowers risk of serious complication. Vaccines save the hospital system.
Tests will identify people who are sick and spreading covid. But tests with 72 hour turnaround time…are not going to prevent covid spread as much as instant tests taken prior to boarding the airplane
I agree!!
Why not just require all travelers to Hawaii be vaccinated?
Why not? Because there are some people who do not want to get vaccinated because we take care of our bodies are not obese had covid and did not take up a hospital bed ever. We have antibodies. And because some people traveling to hawaii are not going on vacation, but rather to visit dear family!
Well, as much as I dislike the hassle of the 72 hour testing before flying to my home on the Big Island. Here I am, vaccinated and pretty doggone sick with Covid! Someone that works in the same office as my husband who is not vaccinated gave it to the entire office, including my husband, who is vaccinated and he brought it home to me. Good thing we are vaccinated, because we both got pretty sick! So, as much as I don’t like testing to fly, I think it is time to bring it back. The Delta variant can make even healthy vaccinated people pretty sick, so I am sure that vaccinated people are also able to be spreaders of this nasty disease.
Thank you for pointing out that the vaccinated can still contract covid (and therefore spread it). And still get fairly sick from it!
My issue with testing is this. I test 72 hours before my flight, comes back negative. In the meantime I come in contact with someone that’s covid positive. But I am unaware they are positive. I get to Hawaii and get sick in a few days. What good was the test!!! All of my family (6) have been vaccinated and wearing masks when needed. Looking more like a cash cow for the ” approved” testing partners in Hawaii. My doctor said their tests are the same as Walgreens, but his is not approved by Hawaii. Question of the day. Whats the difference, could the approved “partners” be paying a fee to Hawaii to be on the approved list????
I’m not sure why they’d go back to testing for all, when just limiting travelers to vaccinated only non-residents would be more effective and less cumbersome for travelers? The testing is inherently flawed in that it doesn’t guarantee the person doesn’t contract COVID after the test (or in the unknown period before that it’s undetectable). While vaccinated travelers have some potential to contract the Delta variant, it’s still far less likely. Vaccinated persons who contract Delta variant COVID are yet again, far less likely to need any medical care, extending very little risk to the hospital system. At the other end, unvaccinated persons are more likely to get the virus and far more likely to need medical attention. And with COVID already very present in Hawaii, allowing unvaccinated people in will only serve to increase the likelihood of spread.
Neither my husband not I were vaccinated when visiting Kauai in July. A week after arriving back home we became symptomatic and began our prescribed treatment of HCQ, Z-PAK, Quercetin and Zinc after testing positive for COVID-19. We felt crummy but recovered at home within 2 weeks. Adam, we did not need to bog down the medical system. Vaccination is a personal choice and no one else’s business! You worry about yourself.
What they claim and what is actually happening may just be two different things. 80% of people hospitalized with covid are OBESE. How about they do an obesity test for travelers? And not penalize the healthy unvaccinated travelers who will not take up a hospital bed. There are healthy people that are unvaccinated who have natural immunity and antibodies. The unvaccinated should not be punished as a result of this obesity pandemic. You say it is far less likely for the vaccinated to contract covid, but how come I keep hearing of vaccinated people who get covid????
Thanks
Thank you for this update. If this requirement is reinstated, would it be immediate or would they pick a date? Because my husband and I are traveling to Hawaii in a little over a week, we are fully vaccinated, and we wouldn’t want to already be on our way to Hawaii when this suddenly changes. We would want time to set an appointment for the testing within 72 hours of leaving.
Hi Annie.
Our sense is there will be enough notice for those with trips planned to be able to get tested. That only makes sense.
Aloha.
I agree with the reinstatement of pre-travel testing requirements. At the very top of the list of people required to show proof of a negative test should be residents returning from the mainland. It must be fair to all travelers, and locals subject to quarantine should be required to be supervised. Anybody that thinks someone who lives here is going to follow the quarantine rules when they get back, well, I’ve got a lovely bridge in Haleiwa to sell you. As a local I’ve noticed the perception on the ground that it is tourists that are bringing Covid here. There’s been reporting that it is mostly residents. Whichever is true, the way to stop the argument is to test everyone, vaccinated and unvaccinated, Hawaii residents and tourists.
We can deal with whether it will make any difference in a different thread.
It has been obvious to me from the begiining that any quarantine program must be supervised/guarded. The people that are against getting the vaccine and agaiast wearing masks would also be the ones who would be against honoring quarantine. They are in denial of the presents or danger of Covid 19. I believe that is still about 40% of the peoople in the United States so it is not an insignificant number of people that come to Hawaii.
I’d be all for Pre-Testing Vaccinated tourists again, if I didn’t keep reading multiple island news headlines like this one…. “State identifies COVID clusters on Oahu tied to indoor concert, wedding reception.”
Aloha BOH Bro’s “Covid Crisis Desk”
A grim warning from Israel: Vaccination blunts, but does not defeat Delta.
Enough said from the country where 78 percent of the population 12 years and older are vaccinated.
The Delta virus has established itself on the Hawaiian islands. If the goal is to test tourist to prevent Delta spread it will not work. Like every other country or state where Delta has established itself Hawaii will not be able to slow it’s spread with any masking, testing or lockdown measures.
Israel who’s population is 78 percent vaccinated has thrown up it’s arms and said we are just going to have to ride Delta out.
I’m not advocating not testing I’m just saying the horses are out of the barn Hawaii you are in for a rough ride.
Halleluia, someone speaks the obvious truth.
Regarding your BOH. I agree with your recommendation for supervised quarantine. I own a condo in S. Kihei. On July 4, a renter of my condo, un-vaccinated, tested positive for Covid. The partner was vaccinated and tested negative. The State Dept of Health ordered the couple to quarantine in my condo for 10 dayss. I was notified July 5, I had a vacation, planned for six months scheduled July 6 to 22. I flew to Maui. My rental agency reservations staff performed magical musical chairs and managed to free up another unit for me to stay in for 12 days. The quarantine people were in my home, I was in another person’s home. Don’t worry about the math. We left my unit vacant for four days, post quarantine departure, to assure safe access for housekeeping staff.
that is the background. during the first 10 days of my stay at my complex, I passed my assigned parking space two or three times per day. Each day, the quarantine car was gone for a few hours. The quarantine people left the property and went…. somewhere. I reported this to the Homeowners Assn. I did not receive a reply.
Once I moved into my own unit, my HOME on Maui, I spent two days washing every item in the kitchen, since that was not on the CDC recommended cleaning protocol for hotels. I also changed the shelf paper, also not on CDC protocols. My cost out of pocket to replace pillows and mattress pads soiled by the quarantine folks was about $250.00. The quarantine folks were not asked to cover my costs due to their illness. All linens were trashed. There was no way to separate or process covid -soiled linens at a commercial laundry used by my rental agency..
It was not my job to police the people under quarantine. That is the job of the State Dept of Health who ordered the quarantine in the first place.
Regards,
Christine
If the property is not on the county’s list of approved quarantine locations, the person shouldn’t have been allowed to stay at all, and you should have called the police.
A sort of similar story. I work at a property comprised of 500 square foot, 1-BR units. Some of them are timeshare. Timeshare owners subject to quarantine are allowed to stay, because they are owners, but renters are not. Two couples arrived together to stay in one unit, one couple subject to quarantine and the other not. They arrived in the same car, all four of them in the same 1-bathroom unit with one bed and a sofa bed, and despite our best efforts to get rid of them, we were told they could stay as long as they could isolate from each other and the couple subject to quarantine didn’t leave the unit. We explained the layout and size of the unit and mentioned they all arrived in the same car. It didn’t do any good. And you know how many days two of them went out touring and the other two complied with the quarantine and stayed in? Zero. So, yes, supervised quarantine. This may sound petty, but if you don’t respect others enough to comply with rules meant to protect everyone, then you deserve a dank little room with no window and cheese sandwiches left at the door three times a day.
So people will need to get the covid test 72 hours before flight in October or will people still be able to show proof of vaccine in Honolulu
How is October looking
Thank you
P.s i am concerned that Honolulu will lockdown again and October is 1 month away soon
i hope Hawaii doesn’t lockdown again just do
The covid pre test
Hi Greg.
Well let you know as soon as there is more information.
Aloha.
Aloha, and mahalo for all your timely guidance. Do you know whether travelers must also upload vaccination and testing documentation to CLEAR, AZOVA or CommomPass in addition to the Safe Travels site? Or are these other options unnecessary if you have established a Safe Travels account?
Hi Patrice.
Those are options but they are not required. Only Save Travels is mandatory.
Aloha.
I have absolutely no problem with pre testing those vaccinated and not vaccinated is warranted based on the number of positive cases before flying to Hawaii. With that said, I also think that another Covid test should be required before you board for your flight back to the mainland. We had our trip already reserved and paid for a month in October…sadly, we are cancelling because of the rise in numbers….we pretty much don’t engage in tourist activities so I feel it wouldn’t be difficult to keep a safe distance and wear masks if required…but my concern is not in Hawaii but getting on a flight returning home not knowing if the virus is also onboard because no one has to be tested.
Keep in mind that on your flight into Hawaii not all passengers are tested. Only those that want an exemption from the quarantin. If you live in Hawaii and dont mind staying home for 10 days then no test is required to fly.
Please remember that not all passengers on flights to Hawaii are tested or vaccinated. Some residents or others may be willing to fly and do a quarantine if tgey are just returning home. Even if vaccinated or unvaccinated can still contract covid after the test and before flying either direction. Main thing is to make sure you are vaccinated before flying.
Dear Victoria, I postponed my April trip(2022) until 2023 because I just dont feel comfortable traveling when the cases are up again. It has been my lifelong dream to come to Hawaii for my vacation so if waiting is what I must done in order to be safe, then I will do that! I’m looking forward to the day when I come to Hawaii🐢🐠🌺🍍🥥🌎🏝🏖🛩🌈🌊 Stay safe & may God bless you….Psalms 91:11❤
I’ve got three trips planned for 2022 I’ve delayed for two years now, Kauai in May, Maui in July, and Kauai again in August.
We are fully vaccinated but if the pre-travel test requirement returns I’m going to cancel all three trips and sit on the $39K I currently have invested in these trips.
Dear Jake, 2022 is just too soon for me. I’m trying to be patient about waiting but it definitely is hard! Take care of yourself & may God bless you….psalms 91:11 😍
Can you explain how to find the testing sights? The ones listed on Safe Travels aren’t anything I’ve ever heard of. Also, do we have to have both Safe Travels registration completed AND CommomPass? It’s all very confusing
I hope people will be able to upload the cbc vaccine card to the safe travels website
Or it change to do a covid pre test
72 hours before the flight
How is September and October looking
Thank
You
Can anyone give specific instructions on location of place to get wristband and what is needed to get the wristband at LAX for trip to Kona?
That is an airline specific question. Each airline has their own process. Some do it at the gate, others have temporary locations set up in the terminal. I would suggest contacting your airline or checking their website.
Aloha.
The airline issues the wristband when you show the required documents (changes probably coming) when checking in at the airport for the flight.
Check the airline website as well as Safe Travels.
It is usually at a gate near where you will be departing from. Ask an airline agent and they should know. You will normally see a really long line of people standing. It is for the last leg of your travel, you show your QR CODE that you get from filling out the form with hawaii safe travels 24 hours before flight. Also will show your negative covid test or vaccine proof. You will receive a wrist band and should get to walk off the plane without standing in another long line after landing. The first time I flew to hawaii this year I got the wrist band though and still hand to stand In line when I landed which I wasnt to happy about. But this last time I went, I got to walk off the plane with my wristband and not have to stand in line, thank goodness!!
Top-notch thinking Mayor Mitch Roth. As former residents of Kona, we can attest to the availability of medical services on the Big Island. It’s pretty scarce in normal conditions and Covid has made it worse. I agree with the mayor–reinstate testing for unvaccinated and vaccinated visitors and locals. We visited in June 2021, and will be going back at the beginning of Sept., the end of Sept., and in December 2021. I love this island and want to support all of the local restaurants, resorts, and people who live there. So if we need to pay $250 for a test and show our authentic vaccination cards we will.
During our trip in June we noticed some tourists seem to be “stimmy” travelers. Not exactly who we would normally see at our 4/5 star resort. I even heard someone say that they “received extra funding from during Covid” that’s why they are there. These tourists are the ones who are not respectful of the wildlife (turtles, seals, dolphins, etc.), the people, the beautiful beaches (coral), and the Hawaiian culture.
People forget visiting the Hawaiian Islands isn’t a right, it’s a privilege.
What are they doing to Hawaii residents to stop the spread? It seems like they are putting all the hardship on travelers while they are not doing anything to the people that live there!! How many have been vaccinated?
We currently have a 58% fully vaccinated rate in Hawaii County with our ICU’s at full capacity. This is a very frightening situation for us kama’aina who are trying our best to stay virus free while working, grocery shopping, etc. We have always worn masks as our mandate never ended, thankfully. Please understand, Susan, that medical care is extremely limited here. Be well. aloha
Surely you’re joking, Susan? Have some empathy for people living in an island with limited resources or options for healthcare when systems are stressed due to covid. So sorry for the hardships travelers face. Trust that Hawaii has enacted restrictions for its residents. One of the only states that never lifted indoor mask mandates, and enacted restrictions previously that kept covid rates the lowest in the nation. You can find Hawaii’s current vaccination rate online.
I understand their wanting to reinstate testing. However, those of us that have to pay, at the minimum, $150 per family member because the insurance company won’t pay for the specific test required, that takes a big bite out of the money needed to have an enjoyable vacation/money to spend on the island. Fully-vaccinated people shouldn’t have to take the same test as unvaccinated people. Vaccinated people have done the right thing, why are we being punished by having to take such an expensive test? Can somebody in authority please speak up on our behalf? Thank you.
Are you sure you did the right thing? My flight over to hawaii (only to see my family not for vacation) a couple weeks ago was packed, not an open seat on the plane. What happened to 6 feet social distancing? Since I am not vaccinated, I got my negative covid test so I could fly. The family sitting next to me traveling for vacation were vaccinated and didnt have to get tested. So it is ok if the vaccinated have covid and are on a plane next to me traveling to hawaii? Even if you are vaccinated you can still get covid and spread it. But yet this big family who were all vaccinated sitting next to me did not have to test for covid, they could be spreading covid all over the island and not even know it.
Let me get this straight…. The 1-2% COVID travelers who have been Pre-tested and/or vaccinated is making a major effect to the 98%?
Supposedly, locals can travel interisland without either…? Hmmmmmm?
Supervised quarantine??
I’m not denying that Covid is straining hospital resources;but,as a recently retired Hawaii ED RN having zero ICU beds in the State is nothing new. Patients have been routinely held in the ED for days,the public wasn’t aware of how stretched Hawaii’s medical resources were,and this is true for the entire US. ——covid is another public health problem along with obesity,diabetes,poor life style choices,mental illness,reckless behavior leading to trauma,drugs,addiction. We all need to make responsible behavioral and lifestyle choices.
Finally someone telling the truth! Thank you for bringing this to light, I believe it! People need to start making better lifestyle choices eating healthier exercising not doing drugs, if we make people wear a mask for our health even though masks have been proven to not protect against covid 19, then people should have to make wise decisions to protect their health like stay away from drugs and alcohol overdose and eat better and exercise more. This would help free up space in the hospitals! If you want to “do the right thing” and be a selfless citizen, you should become healthier eat more veggies and fruits and not smoke not drink and exercise more, then you will be less likely to take up a hospital bed, for any disease, including covid. Making better lifestyle choices should help the hospital bed shortage problem that was here before covid, the shortage of hospital beds in Hawaii has been prevalent since the beginning of time and covid just brought it to light. 80% of people who are hospitalized with covid are obese and vitamin d deficient, let’s be more selfless and start taking care of our bodies more. And go outside and get more direct sunlight so we are not vitamin d deficient.
Thank you for reading my post;and responding
Something should have been done a long time ago. I live on the Big Island, and am a heart failure patient. And it is scary- if I have another emergency, there is no where to go.(I heard of a heart patient who waited days in the ER for them to find a room for him. And a breast cancer patient whose mastectomy has been delayed and delayed because there’s no ICU beds.) When I was in Kona Hospital over Memorial Day weekend, the place was packed- but not by covid patients, but by visitors. (One nurse commented that “it’s a *community* hospital- but full of tourists!”)
And for some reason, our governor hasn’t requested a field hospital, though we were surveyed and considered for one during the first wave.
P.s. I have friends who work at resorts and tourism who are ready to walk from the rude, entitled, tourists they have to deal with every day and trying to get them to comply with mask rules. I told one friend that if they were at Disneyland and broke rules and abused cast members like that, they’d be asked to leave. But even though we get treated like this is Disneyland and we’re all just cast members, no one will say boo to these people because in Hawai’i, tourists always come first.
Laura, I am very sorry to hear of this situation. And apologize for the rudeness of the visitors. The rude, entitled attitude is simply inexcusable. Empathy and consideration seem to be vanishing everywhere, sadly.
Residents of Hawaii are to blame for both the tourism industry turning the islands into Disneyland and lack of quality healthcare on your island.
You get the government you vote for and you keep voting for politicians who continue to allow tourist resort expansion, just look at Wailea.
Hawaii has done little that I’m aware of to build new hospital capacity or retain health care worker’s. Where’s the low cost housing, tax breaks or cost of living entitlement payments for health care workers.
Many RN’s and LVN’s have moved to our community from the Hawaiian Islands, because the local private hospital has found fertile ground there by providing low cost housing and cash incentives to bring them here.
Hawaii and it’s politicians have had more than 18 months to beef up there medical response to covid. Where’s the beef?
They onky work 60 days a year fir $60,000
I’m reading about global Tourist destinations that are decimated by the lack of tourists and thinking that we,the workers in Hawaii are perhaps the entitled; ,not the traveler
Well this is just sad as I’m coming back in September and may need to go through this stressful costly event once again. I have read in BOH several times that it isn’t the visitors, but the unvaccinated returning home from high density places like Las Vegas. Why don’t they just test the unvaccinated?
People are buying fake vaccination cards. Plus you can get and spread covid after the shots
if you think you cant spread covid with your vaccination, and you are not considerate enough to willingly test regularly to protect others when travelling, you are indeed part of the problem
Thanks for the update. I think this is a very good idea. I’ve been vaccinated and am just now getting over a bad case of covid. Delta doesn’t care if you are vaccinated
Delta does care if you’re vaccinated. You are far less likely to get Covid if you’re vaccinated and you will be less sick if you do get it. Nothing is 100 percent perfect but I’m happy to have the extra protection.
Glad you have the personal choice to do so, Mike. Let’s keep it that way for everyone…👍🤙
Dear Cynthia, I hope that you are much better!! Take care of yourself & God bless you…Psalms 91:11❤😇
I would think that anyone unvaccinated who travels to Hawai’i now is taking a big risk for themselves that they might end up on a bed in a hospital parking lot for 24 hours and is creating additional risk to Hawai’i residents . Very selfish behavior I think . Best to stay on the mainland as your actions of not being vaccinated could harm yourself and others who live in Hawai’i.
how often do you test, tim? if its not at least once a week, you are creating additional risk to Hawai’i residents. step up and be responsible
And so, the knuckleheads are doing their very best to destroy the Hawaiian economy by not getting vaccinated.
I might use a way stronger term than knuckleheads. Is that leper colony on Molokai still available? i live on the Big Island and am dismayed by people DEMONSTRATING against getting vaccinated! As a physician I really hate the idea of having to care for stupid people in the parking lot accessory ICU
You and I are on the same page, Phyllis. I no longer feel anything for someone who is not vaccinated and ends in the hospital. That’s a big waste of tax monies and could by many be considered murder.
Please is it true that some ER’s are prioritizing vaccinated patients over non vaccinated patients?
And so, the “knuckleheads” at the state level let this happen, by allowing vaccinated not to be tested on return, when they knew all along that this vaccine didn’t keep the vaccinated from catching and spreading the virus. You are right, they “are doing their very best to destroy the Hawaiian economy”.