While visitors are returning to Hawaii, it is a challenging time to travel.
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112 thoughts on “Some States Say Don’t Go + New Hawaii Testing Includes Costco”
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While visitors are returning to Hawaii, it is a challenging time to travel.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Comments are closed.
WOW! It only took three hours after my second inquiry to the Governor’s Office for me to get a response from the Hawaii Safe Travels Team. I had questioned a situation where a participant on this site was so excited about having received her test results in minutes and directed everyone to go to the “red dot” on the Walgreen’s site to choose a test. The “test with the red dot” is a POC Test which Walgreen’s states is an NAAT test. It may be an NAAT test but as you will see below, it is not sufficient for exemption from quarantine in Hawaii. Tempting but not sufficient!!!
Please inform the Walgreen’s point-of-care (POC) testing center that you require the NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) or the equivalent PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for qualitative detection of nucleic acid from the SARS-CoV-2.
A RAPID ANTIGEN TEST WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR QUARANTINE EXEMPTION IN THE PRE-TRAVEL TESTING PROGRAM.
We hope this offers appropriate clarification.
Mahalo,
Safe Travels Team
As I have said in the past, BOH, thank you for not censoring this forum, and allowing diverse opinions. I would not tell others what they should be posting, ask them to stop posting or demand they be censored, or not be allowed to post. That’s why I felt it was especially inappropriate for another subscriber to post a duplicate response to me and Tracie stating we have no business posting “political rants” on BOH. The title of this thread is “Some States Say Don’t Go” and politicians are making arbitrary rules that they don’t obey. If this is the deadly plague, why would politicians have a convention in Hawaii? Why would Governor Newsom send his four kids to school and go out to a dinner party? No wonder we are all at each other’s throats. Please continue to maintain an open forum and hopefully Hawaiians and visitors can truly be free again soon. I enjoy your website and I would really love to see more stories like the one you did about businesses that have closed and the loss of jobs in Hawaii. Aloha
Hi Rob.
Thank you. We try our best to maintain some sense of appropriate decorum.
Aloha.
Thank you for your good reporting. We come here to get the bare bone news on travel to Hawaii. I would like to remind all readers that it is possible to agree to disagree with others. We are all of different opinions and deserve to have our say. Resorting to nastiness or putting people down is a reflection of the writer. The goal is to put us at odds with each other – divide and conquer. Don’t fall into that trap. We need to put aside the fear that puts us in opposite corners fighting. Maybe time to stop with this red or blue and look at what is just and good for America. Fraudulent elections cannot exist in a Democratic Society. Period. Freedoms must be preserved. We all need to fight for our freedoms or they will be lost forever. Mahalo for listening.
Hi Nancy.
Thank you. And happy travels to Hawaii.
Aloha.
At this time, you cannot use Costco/AZOVA in Nevada, Maryland and Pennsylvania. But what’s so weird about that restriction is that the Costco website states “Currently you cannot take this test if you are physically in Nevada, Maryland, or Pennsylvania when you take the test.”
“When you take the test.” It doesn’t say anything about to where they can or cannot ship a test. So, to echo David B’s comment below – how the heck does the Zoom call know where you are when they are watching you test!?!?!
If you go into the Vault website and try to order a kit, about 5 screens in it will ask you what state you live in and it was then that it said they do not test in NM. So check for your state before you make any assumptions as to Vault being the best way to go.
People have been commenting on “to mask” or “not to mask” on the beaches. This is a quote from the Governor’s Proclamation 11/16/20, Exhibit J, regarding masks and is under the subsection regarding “Exemptions” to having to wear a mask. The Proclamation states that it applies to ALL the islands and overrules any county rulings.
EXEMPTION J: “While outdoors when physical distance of six (6) feet from other individuals (who are not members of the same household/living unit/residence) can be maintained at all times;”
So it’s interesting that some folks have stated that friends have been cited. Unless they were within 6 feet of another family unit, this appears to say they should not have been cited.
The mayor of Kauai stated yesterday he has sent emergency rules to the Governor again asking for visitors to quarrantine for 72hrs then take a second test before allowed to do anything. Do you know any more about this?
Thank you
Hi Lynde.
Thanks. We just did an article about that subject.
Aloha.
After getting excited about HA offering Covid tests with Vault using HA Rewards Points, we discovered that Vault doesn’t offer testing in New Mexico.
Be careful and check in advance if Vault tests in your state!!! Glad we came across that unexpected piece of info.
AND Costco/AZOVA doesn’t test in three states – Nevada, Maryland and one other that I can’t remember.
Do you mean Vault wont ship test kits to New Mexico? Nothing about that on their web site. Because you can take the test anywhere there is an internet connection for a zoom call. There is no way for the Vault test “supervisor” to know your location. We had our test kits sent to our Wyoming home back in October. Then we shipped them to a son who lives in California, because we weren’t checking luggage and they have fluid in them. We picked them up from the son and took the spit tests in our hotel room in California a few days before flying out to Hawaii. All that mattered was having a UPS store nearby (was one right next to our hotel).
By the way, I just saw that Vault lowered its price from $150 to $119 per test kit.
David B… Rethinking my response to your post…
You comments have no logic. All Vault cares about it that they are licensed in the state to which they send the kit! You are correct… They have no idea where you are when you take the test but they DO care about being able to having sent a kit to a state where they are legally licensed. Your comment about having the kit sent to your residence but then taking the test somewhere else led me down the wrong path. That comment was irrelevant to the issue. However, my comment still stands – at this point in time I cannot use Vault in New Mexico.
And you cannot use Costco/AZOVA in Nevada, Maryland and Pennsylvania. But what’s so weird about that restriction is that it says “Currently you cannot take this test if you are physically in Nevada, Maryland, or Pennsylvania when you take the test.” “When you take the test.” It doesn’t say anything about to where they can ship a test.
If you go into the Vault website and try to order a kit, about 5 screens in it will ask you what state you live in and it was then that it said they do not test in NM.
Hello BOH readers-I’m wondering if anyone has had experience with making a Walgreens appointment as soon as the next day goes live. I’m trying to make appointments for 5 people and Walgreens only posting 3 days in advance makes that challenging. Do I need to go on line at midnight? When Walgreens opens in my area? Any experience is appreciated! Thank you!!
After experiencing that phenomenon, we discovered that “unavailability” was because Walgreen’s doesn’t test at all in our area!!!
Aloha BOH
From you can’t make this stuff up.
Currently there’s a conference going on at the Maui Fairmont attended by State of California legislators. Here they’re discouraging travel to Hawaii, yet there they are enjoying Maui.
To be fair both Democratic and Republican law makers are attending this conference.
Another example of the rules don’t apply to politicians.
Hi Richard.
That’s interesting. Thanks for sharing, and for your more than 70 comments.
Aloha.
Jared X
Governor Newsom is a complete hypocrite. He lives in an 8 acre compound with pools and tennis courts while issuing shelter in place orders for the rest of us. His kids are going to private school right now while most public schools are closed. He goes out to eat with twelve others without masks while ordering us to eat Thanksgiving outside. He is a tyrant and is destroying the California economy. The reason Hawaiians should care is California tourists will never return to Hawaii if the economy continues to spiral down.
This is not the place for a political rant. This is a site where folks can comment on traveling to Hawaii and that is all it should be!
Hi Barbara M.
The title of the article is “Some states say don’t go to Hawaii”, in
California these rules are being made by Gov Newsom alone. It is relevant to discuss him and his do as I say not as I do lifestyle. The LA times published an editorial yesterday noting that California is on the brink of economic collapse. Newsom is advising travelers to quarantine 14 days when they return from Hawaii vacation. You have posted 10 times I think others are entitled to add to the discussion also. If the economy is destroyed we will all be in the same boat.
Rob T… Not sure what you mean by I’ve “posted 10 times”? To this article? Otherwise, I’ve posted nearly 100 times so guess you’ve missed me at my best. In my state, we’ve had to quarantine for 14 days after being out of state for the last few months so that concept is nothing new to me!
Hi Barbara M.
You are now up to 16 posts out of 82 in this thread, 20%! Maybe you should start your own Hawaii website for the dozens who travel daily from New Mexico to Hawaii. Can’t you understand that a 14 day quarantine for Californians makes it almost impossible for working people to travel to and from Hawaii if they only have one or two weeks of vacation time? Like it or not all the closures of Hawaii and other states have been political, and the title of this thread is ‘Some States say don’t go”.
Rob T… Disrespect is not part of this website. Your snarky comment about my not understanding how a 14 day quarantine will affect Californians is parochial! A 14 day quarantine will affect anyone from any state whose vacation time is limited. It doesn’t matter whether you’re from CA or NM. Many states have had the 14 quarantine in place for quite a while – California is just catching up. And does it impact folks – you bet it does! And BTW, the quantity of my posts is the jurisdiction of ONLY those who own this site – not of participants!
Governor Hair Gel is counting on big huge bailout from the Harris Administration. He could care less about the economic and mental havoc he wreaks in the meantime. He would shut down flights to/from Hawaii, if he could. His actions are very much relevant to this Hawaii travel blog, as a great number of people travel between Hawaii and California.
Our mainland home is in Western Wyoming, but we do all of our shopping in Eastern Idaho, just over the border. When all the lockdowns happened in March-April, the Idaho governor “required” a 14 day quarantine for anyone that entered the state. Maybe he expected us to stay in our car in the parking lot for a couple of weeks every time we went shopping?
OK, so let me get this straight … you are commenting on the governor of California’s recommendation that people not travel right now, and you don’t even live in CA?!? Please, let’s stick to the topic, which is the fact that a number of governors and other public health officials are saying that now is not a good time to travel since COVID is running rampant all over the US. Now is the time to hunker down, stay home, and when you leave your house wear a mask and social distance. That’s the recommendations from the scientists and public health experts and Govoner Newsome is just repeating that advice. It’s advice intended to help slow down the spread of this virus until we can get a vaccine distributed to everyone. You realize that we are losing over 1,00 people every day now to COVID in this country and we really need to try and slow things down.
Joerg… Well said!!!
I commented earlier, but I just want to add after reading some of the comments…everyone (democrats and republicans) knew back in March when numbers surged during flu season, that when fall came (flu season) there would be another surge! What’s happening today has Nothibg to do with our sitting president! He is Not to blame for Covid 19!
End rant
This is not the place for a political rant. This is a site where folks can comment on travelling to Hawaii and that is all it should be!
I think a lot of people didn’t believe it was real. They thought it was a hoax. One nurse in South Dakota wrote that even after patients were diagnosed, they didn’t believe it, and were angry that staff was wearing PPE around them – right up until they died. There are still a large part of the population that doesn’t believe the science, because they’ve been told not to.
Sad, but true … we have 4% of the world population and 20% of the active COVID cases. We have about 154,00 new cases and 1,500 deaths TODAY alone in this country. Right now, it’s out of control here in the US and a big part of that is people denying how bad it is, or that it even exists. The other part is that we have politicized the response, and therefore 1/2 of the population won’t do what needs to be done to slow down the spread. That means that public health officials are left with few options other than lockdowns, which have a terrible effect on the economy. It’s catch-22 folks, all because some people have been convinced that there’s a connection between wearing a mask and their constitutional rights. In the end, this has meant that I have had to cancel my Kauai trip and rebook for May of 2021. But in the end, I did what I had to do in order to keep my family safe. I would rather miss one Thanksgiving dinner with my Mom, than all the rest.
You’re right, he’s not, what he’s responsible for is his inept response to the pandemic. He owns that … sorry.
Hello
Sure appreciate your updates.
Planning to visit Kaui again in January
Below are the 2 tests that Walgreens offers. Both are NAAT tests. Are both ok to get as the pre travel test?
RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel Test – NAAT
Rapid Point-Of-Care (POC) Test – NAAT (ID NOW)
Thanks
Hi Todd.
Thanks. So as not to provide any incorrect information, we would refer you back to the state’s help disk for any clarification needed. 1-855-599-0888.
Aloha.
Please, as the guys suggest, check with the state’s website as I believe the ID Now test (Rapid Test) has not been acceptable as, to the best of my knowledge, it is an ANTIBODY test not a PRC (NAAT) test.
Hi Barbara.
Thanks for your good help.
Aloha.
Governor’s Office takes a while to respond but they always do. I’ll post when I receive a response to my inquiry about the acceptability of a POC test vs a PRC test.
Checked again and the requirement by State of Hawaii still seems to be a PRC test. Feel really uncomfortable that some providers show the POC test as being an NAAT test. Checking with the governor’s office and will post when I get clarification.
Todd B., I just took the test from Walgreens a few days ago. In the drop-down menu just select travel to Hawaii and they will administer the correct test. I got my results within 30 hrs. I am now in Maui enjoying the sun!
This came via email to me today, 11/18, the Safe Travels Team in response to asking the same question you asked above…
Please inform the Walgreen’s point-of-care (POC) testing center that you require the NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) or the equivalent PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for qualitative detection of nucleic acid from the SARS-CoV-2.
A rapid antigen test will not be accepted for quarantine exemption in the Pre-Travel Testing Program.
We hope this offers appropriate clarification.
Mahalo,
Safe Travels Team
I went to Walgreens on Saturday. Had my negative test results within 33 minutes! Better yet, it was FREE. Go to Walgreens and select only the locations with a RED dot. They guarantee results within 24 hours. Traveling tomorrow, Tuesday! Hope all goes well when entering Hawaii!
It surprises me that the Rapid Test is now acceptable because it’s always been an ANTIBODY test (which is why results of so quick). I’ve checked the State of Hawaii website and it doesn’t distinguish between the “regular” and the “rapid” test.
Please post when you have success with that type of test! It will be appreciated. Even Walgreens differentiates between a PRC test (which is the REQUIREMENT) and a POC test (which is the Rapid Test).
Found this posted on the Governor’s website on 10/21…Request the RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel or Rapid Point of Care (POC) test, which are both approved by the State of Hawaiʻi.
Hello – can you please tell me how you got the test administered for free at Walgreens? Did they bill your health insurance? Also, did you end up having any issues getting into Hawaii with having had the test performed by Walgreens? Thanks very much!
Melanie
Melanie… Be careful about the Walgreen’s testing until we get confirmation that the POC test is acceptable to the State of Hawaii.
KL – please post if you are successful with a POC test!!!! Mahalo.
Thanks for your great information! I must test negative to board the plane. What does this mean when I land in CA, at SFO airport? The governors of California, Oregon and Washington are also recommending that those returning from Hawaii and elsewhere self-quarantine for 14 days. I would just be proceeding through customs and then taking a 2nd test – within 72 hours!!!!!!!! – before boarding the plane to fly back to Hawaii. Then do I reuire a 3rd test when landing in Kona?? This just gets better by the day. Mahalo for input.
Hi Nancy.
As if all of your flights from Asia weren’t already enough of a problem. At the Big Island, you are good to go with just the test you took on the mainland. That is according to their official website. https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/travel.
Aloha.
Because of the high price of the tests, most people cannot afford to travel to Hawaii. Maybe that’s what Hawaiian Airlines wants. They could get reasonable tests or free if they choose to.
Hawaiian Air offers their test at the lowest rate I’ve seen – $111 – AND you can purchase it with HA Rewards Points instead.
Hi there,
Can you tell me the difference between a NAAT test and a PCR test? The trusted testing travel partners offer the PCR test but the Safe Travels Hawai’i website says I need a NAAT test.
Thank you,
Hi Carolyn.
You can search for this, but it appears it is the same thing. Others may comment to help further.
Aloha.
A PRC test is a type of NAAT test. Period!
I’d come to Hawaii even if I have to be tested, but not if I have to wear a mask while lying on a beach- ridiculous. Deal breaker. I feel bad for the Hawaii businesses that rely on tourists. 😕
Debby J,
Maybe this will change, but I don’t see anyone wearing a mask out on the beach in our neighborhood (Wainiha-Ha`ena Kauai). There is ample beach for people to be very spaced apart, at least for now. In past winters, much of tunnels beach popular with tourists because of the guide book will get swept away by the high surf, only to reappear in April. Scared people should probably avoid that beach because they will get pre-occupied with the mask-wearing (or not) by others, instead of enjoying the moment.
Hi David-
Our friends traveled to Maui and were cited for not wearing a mask on the beach. Apparently, others in their hotel received citations, too. I’m fine sitting at a distance, but a mask on a beach is overkill. Mahalo. Thanks
Sucks for them. Sounds like Ka’anapali, which is to be avoided. But, I’m talking about far north shore Kauai.
Debby J… This is a direct quote from the 12/16 proclamation from the Governor (his 15th)… Not sure why your friends were cited unless they didn’t have the 6 foot distance established.
This is from the “exemptions” from wearing a mask, Section J…
“While outdoors when physical distance of six (6) feet from other individuals (who are not members of the same household/living unit/residence) can be maintained at all times;”.
Sorry – meant 11/16/20 proclamation.
Barbara M- The governor of Hawaii has waffled back and forth on these restrictions until the date you gave in your reply. My friends were there 2 weeks ago and knew they had to wear a mask in many places, but not on the beach. That’s something that should have been spelled out properly but Hawaii’s leadership has been inconsistent at best.
Aloha,
We have 2 trips booked to Hawaii. Kauai in the first of April. We may have to cancel this one. We are going to wait and see. Things have to be reasonably normal before we are going to spend thousands of dollars for a Hawaiian vacation. We have been to Hawaii 15 times. We love spending our vacations there. Our second trip is in September to Maui. We really hope that things will be back to normal long before then. Thank you Beat of Hawaii for keeping us informed.
Hi Janet.
Thank you. Please let us know as your trip planning evolves. It is definitely the hardest time ever to plan for travel.
Aloha.
The problem with people who do not have a negative test before they fly is that they could infect others on the plane. It should be mandatory that all travelers flying to Hawai’i have a negative Covid Test to protect the islands and other passengers on the flight. This is a no brainer and should have been done from the get go.
Kathy
I agree, the trouble is that the state of Hawaii doesn’t have the authority to do order this. That would have to come from the Federal government, and we know how likely that is until Jan 20th. What I don’t understand is why the airlines don’t require it voluntarily. I would think that they have a vested interest in keeping their passengers safe.
BTW, I have reservations for the Big Island come May, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a vaccine will be widely available by then.
Super mahalo for your non stop no non-sense cut to the chase user friendly traveler info.
Unfortunately, something the County of Kauai traveler info is oblivious to. As if so many of us living on Kauai or traveling to Kauai have the time to listen/watch the mayor for 10 minutes to get the latest.
Why not a 10 point daily written bulletin on Facebook or texted to subscribers?
You have to call your lawyer to make sense of the mumbo jumbo proclamations & addendums written to cover the counties legal liability, but unfortunately not user friendly.
Likewise, your webpage layout, graphics & colors are a treat!
Kudos!
Hi GB.
Thank you. And LOL – we get it about the Facebook show and the sometimes unintelligible information.
Aloha.
Thank you so much for all your help! I have been following your page for years and suggest it to anyone asking about Hawaii.
We are flying from Oakland at 0930 am to Kona on Jan 9th 2021 on Southwest. So we are testing at the Oakland Airport area on the 6th at 0945. Then on the 16th we are flying to Lihue. Is there anyway to find the least expensive and fastest test site on the Big island? Is Kauai ok with the 72 hour time frame? We haven’t made our flight plans from to Kauai yet. Would flying with Hawaiian offer any discounts with testing?
Hi Janese.
Thank you. Yes it is the same 72 hour requirement. Perhaps those with first hand Big Island testing experience can comment.
Aloha.
Thanks so much!!
As a frequent visitor, I defiantly miss Kauai. However, I will not be boarding flights here on the mainland or across the Pacific until vaccine is available and COVID is well controlled. We have already read about people who tested negative through trusted testing sites only to test positive after arriving on the Islands. We need to respect the residents and the fragile healthcare system of the Islands. My heart does break for those who have suffered the hard hit of the lack of tourism. I know it has had a horrible impact. No perfect answer during this crisis. So I send my prayers & aloha & will return when it is safe for all of us.
We still plan to come in late December and will push out our reservations last minute if kauai decides to shut back down. With heated politcs, protests, voting, etc we hope people see this spike and go back to doing their best to slow by masking, washing hands etc. my kids school at home, we keep to ourselves and plan to follow all rules when on the island. We don’t mind picking up food vs dining out and just want to see the family grove and enjoys the outdoors of kauai. I would prefer to go now when it is more quiet, then go in the rush of a whole bunch of tourists when they think its “safe” again.
At this point with the virus coming back so hard. Why would anyone go anywhere? Just stay at home. Travel will not return to normal until the vaccine is released and most of the Population has taken it. By most estimates that will not be until at least next summer.
We are still planning on coming to Kaua’i in November. According to UCSF flying is safe but the airport waiting line etc. are the areas to be aware of. San Francisco has a low covid rate and everyone in the city wears masks!! Hopefully when we get to Hawai’i there will a fine or crack down on those not wearing one. It is the key to stopping the virus spread. Governor Newsom is suggesting that we do not fly but as it was already stated he is not following the rules that he makes either!! The 14 day quarantine upon return is not mandatory. We have tested negative and plan to test again upon our return. If you practice safe measures and wear a mask, we a willing to take the risk to enjoy Kaua’i without the crowds!!!:>))
I have wanted to go back, and have had reservations since last April for May 2021, but this virus gives us a lot to consider. My state has issued travel restrictions (Washington) and my uncle just passed away from Covid in Texas, and I may not be able to attend his January services due to tbe restrictions. I am very conflicted on that. As for Kauai, I love it there and believe the people who live there should be able to have every effort made to keep them safe for as long as it takes. Kauai will still be there when tbis pandemic ends–I can wait. Stay safe and well. Mahalo.
Aloha,
Our family of 6 is still planning on traveling from CO to Kauai the second week of Dec as long as Hawaii is still open to visitors. Spending over $800 on testing is a little daunting, but it is helpful that there are more options becoming available. Thank you for your regular updates- so helpful and trustworthy. Fingers crossed we all test negative!
Mahalo
Hi Leslie.
Thanks. We hope you have an excellent Kauai vacation.
Aloha.
Don’t make any assumptions about testing!!!! After reading about the use of HA Rewards points for Covid Testing cost, I went in to order two kits only to find out Vault does not offer testing in my state!!! (New Mexico). We had decided to utilize Vault as the best option. In addition There is no CVS nor Walgreens location in our metro area that offers Covid testing for travel. Now what do we do!?!?!? We have 6 weeks for things to change but this is ridiculous! Check your testing options before you make any “intelligent” assumptions as we did!
Guess our only option is the Costco test but I’m afraid to find out if we can even order that! (I’ll keep you posted!)
Aloha BOH Boys
I won’t speak for all of us living in the oppressive totalitarian State of California, but many of us living in the north state have long stopped listening to our Governor Gavin Newsom.
Last week Fearless Leader Newsom was forced to publicly apologize for attending a birthday party at a posh Napa Valley restaurant.
Including Fearless leader a total of 12 non social distancing non mask wearing guests attended this fine event. Add in addition wait staff of 8 or more that’s over 20 individuals in what is considered the number 1 place to contract covid.
A densely populated enclosed bar or restaurant setting.
I can only imagine how many fine bottles of the grape were consumed that night.
Armed with this information and after months and months of lockdowns and told how deadly the virus is why would anyone like Fearless leader not follow his own rules?
“I know I’m rambling here”
Many commenters here keep questioning why tourist and locals aren’t mask wearing? Here’s your answer when your leaders do not follow their own covid rules then why should I.
So I wouldn’t fret as long as Hawaii isn’t in 14 day mandatory quarantine folks from the west coast will keep coming.
“skyrocketing” “soaring” “spiking” “surging”
Always the “S” words …
The Costco/AZOVA test type and processing procedure sounds identical to Vault. Price ($140) is close, too.
My kids live in California. They call him Governor Hair Gel.
The biggest offender in terms of not mask wearing and holding super spreader events is the lame duck President. His inability to provide a good example is much more ingenious than a single bad decision by the Governor. In general, the politicization of the COVID response in this country is a major cause for the current huge spike.
So the answer to the question posed is that right now if we all hunker down, stay in, and when out wear a mask and social distance we might be able to bend the curve down until a vaccine is available. If we don’t, the cases, hospitalizations, and deaths will continue to climb.
JOERG H
If you’re going to talk the talk you’d better walk the walk, plus you’re one naive individual if you believe this was a one time lapse in judgement.
Hunkering down is a good idea for anyone in poor health with pre-existing health conditions and elderly, but if you follow the science it makes no sense for perfectly healthy individuals to continue to live under lockdown.
By CDC numbers since the first of the year out of 190,857,821 individuals living in the USA under the age of 44 only 6,642 have died from complications due to covid-19.
Why does any health individual under the age of 44 need to hunker down?
All I could make out was “Blah blah blah, Gavin Newsom, blah blah blah, nothing do with Hawaii”.
Fun fact, Richard C: Despite having the largest state population in America–by a long shot–and also having the 5th largest economy–in the world–CA has the 20th lowest deaths per million population from COVID in America. So: #1 in size. #20 in the lowest deaths per million. Which aint bad. Oh–and #12 in lowest number of cases per million. So that means that at LEAST 30 other states are doing WORSE than CA in terms of the number of deaths per mil… and 38 other states are doing worse in terms of the total known cases per mil than CA.
If you don’t think Gavin is doing a good job in this pandemic, try New Jersey–where you’re 3x more likely to catch COVID–and 4x more likely to die from it–than you are in CA.
Personally, I don’t need my elected leaders to be my role models. I just need them to get me good, honest, accurate information–and make good public policy. What they do on their own time is their business. It’s a job. They should be able to leave the office at the end of the day and leave their work behind until the next day–like everyone else.
What Gavin Newsome did Not do–could Not do–unlike Hawaii–is shut the entire state down for 7 or 8 months–and destroy the local economy. So, given that fact, their numbers look even better.
JARED X
Lets be fair, California is a very large state a lot of the population lives in rural and suburbs where covid is low. If you concentrate on the large urban centers LA, SF and the east Bay the covid numbers are off the charts.
I live in a Sacramento suburb this weekend I took a drive through downtown Sacramento.
OMG!
It’s an economic disaster nothing but homeless drug addicts everywhere. I’ve lived in Sac for 59 years I’ve never seen anything like this.
my wife and I are still seeking information on american airlines carenow testing at dfw. we are seniors and have limited tech knowledge when it comes to computers and smart phones. any information such as testing times appointment required and how to make appointments. any assistance would be extremely appreciated. thank you respectfully submitted.
Hi Don.
We cannot speak for CareNow/American Airlines testing. It shouldn’t be much harder than leaving a comment here to set up testing with them. It is all online of course. Otherwise, maybe someone else can help you. The test needs to be within 72 hours of your “trans-Pacific flight.”
Aloha.
As usual, the Costco Covid test is only for the the mainland.
And yet we have one of the busiest Costco in the world. (Oahu). Go figure.
Aloha,
Although seem to be going fairly well over there, I believe that we’ll wait until Spring to re-book our Hawaii vacation. Dr. Fauci seems to think that things may start to return to normal in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2021 as the vaccine rolls out and more people start taking it. I’d rather go to a more “normal” Hawaii.
Mahalo!
Hi Eve.
Thanks. We look forward to you returning again soon.
Aloha.
That’s what we did. We rebooked our trip to the Big Island for May. Hopefully by then we can get vaccinated.
Please help, coming to Kona in December of this year and I am lost. Did I get the test 72 hours before I leave South Carolina or do I get it the test done in the airport in California as my last leg. The some of the new vendors for the test say 72 before your departure. I leave here at 9 o’clock am and arrive in Kona at9:15 pm. Pleases help me understand. Thank you so much and have a great day
Hi Butch.
It is not ambiguous. The test must be within 72 hours of your trans-Pacific flight. When you leave South Carolina is not relevant.
Aloha.
Calculate back 72 hours from your last departure on the mainland. For example, I leave Denver at noon. That is 2 p.m. east coast time. Three days prior to your departure date. Find a Walgreens with a red dot of choices. They guarantee results in 24 hours. I actually had mine within 33 minutes! Then upload to the state’s website. Good luck. I am traveling tomorrow, test was on Saturday 🙂
Aloha. And thank you for a great blog. I read every post. To answer your question (Are you willing to get on a plane and travel), no. My wife and I had planned a 3-week vacation in Kauai in May and had a real estate agent lined up to visit condos. We had planned on buying a condo and retiring. That vacation was cancelled. As I’ve said in previous blogs, my wife is a Level 1 Trauma Manager and comes home with “squirrel eyes” from double masks and googles. And because of our age, we’re in the “at risk” group (although we’re both in great shape!). But based on my wife’s first-hand knowledge, we’re not getting on a plane until we’re vaccinated. To get on a plane without a vaccine is a “roll of the dice”. Testing is ONLY accurate the day of the test. We believe the risk is too great to us and to our beloved Hawaiian friends to put everyone at risk for a vacation. Sorry. Aloha
Hi Tom.
Thanks for three dozen comments to date. We appreciate it. And for sharing your decision-making.
Aloha.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Kauai will be here when you’re able to travel safely.
Ok, so my son has been stationed in HI for 3 yrs. My grandson was born end of January and I haven’t been able to see him because of all this crap. Anyway, my daughter and I were supposed to arrive in HI on Nov 4th, we made it as far as the Oakland airport where we underwent testing and I was slapped in the face with positive results! I figured I had a sinus infection! Needless to say we rerouted our trip back home to quarantine! Now that I am considered NOT contagious anymore, and “immune” with antibodies, I went to AFC to get another test assuming that it would now show negative and I could go to see my grandbaby for Thanksgiving. The manager of that location informed me that any test I take now will STILL show positive results for UP TO 90 DAYS! I’m supposedly “immune” and safe to travel, but cannot produce a negative test! This is all BS! I give up on HI, and thank God my son PCS’s off that rock in December. I will never visit HI again, and encourage my son to sell his property there!
I’m sorry this happened to you. However, we were in Hawaii in mid-February before the shut down, so you could have met your grandson then. I’m not sure that a pharmacy manager would be the best one to know whether you will have positive results for 90 days or not. A study showed that the average time for the virus to clear your body was 36 days. Don’t blame Hawaii for that. Blame the virus.
I have been here on Kauai since October 9th. It’s still pretty quiet on the south shore. I quarantined for 14 days and was planning on going back to California on December 18th. Given the most recent news Im wondering if I should change my reservations and return in January when it might be safer to travel. Hopefully people will have received the wear a mask message by then. Stay safe everyone! Aloha!
We returned from Kauai a week ago and here was our observations…
Air travel via Hawaiian – At the time, there were no direct flights so we had to fly into HNL which concerned us. Hawaiian’s A330 had the middle seats blocked out which made flying Main Cabin comfortable. I wish they could keep doing it (but we have already seen the announcement to discontinue the practice). Arrival at HNL was fine, we arrived in the first week after 10/15 so they were still figuring things out. As long as you did your pre-travel tasks, we were through in 15 minutes. BOH has already reported those who did not follow the rules.
Waiting in HNL for interisland – The wait was ok since the terminal was pretty empty. Most of the stores were closed and the only food was Burger King. Everyone was masked and separate.
COVID station at LIH – the national guard and other staff were professional and did what they could to get you through. True Aloha Spirit. There was a bit of delay after HNL didn’t process us correctly which affected us in LIH. 25 minutes to clear.
2 weeks in Kauai – BOH is right! Traveller volume increased as we stayed on island. At the beginning, everyone was masked and social distancing. Very polite. The only issue was the size of groups at pools and beach without masks. As our visit progressed, you could see more people and less compliance. We started seeing more mask in hand and in pockets instead of on face :(. We were on Poipu early and everyone kept their distance but as the morning wore on, visitors started filling in the gaps without masks. We left when distances were less than 3 feet.
LIH and HNL outbound – Hawaiian was following the same seating pattern but more travelers not following the rules.
We were so happy to see that Kauai was doing so well when things started opening up. We took the first opportunity to see our relatives on the island. With the recent travel advisory in western US, we won’t see them for the holidays 🙁
I work in health care in Wisconsin. The Covid situation here, as with the West coast, is red hot.There is no capacity for further cases, and cases are doubling daily. Hawai’i has many fewer hospital beds than stateside. Travelers there will only make it worse and endanger everyone. Test results are not a predictor of future health status, only a snapshot of that day. Increased testing is not the answer, unfortunately. Mask wearing and staying home is the only way to flatten the curve.
Thank you Laura for your well thought out words. Here on Kauai we are steadily seeing an increase in COVID-19 case. Some were pre-flight tests that were negative but post-flight were positive. We really do want visitors coming back to Kauai, but we want our Kupuna, our Keiki and our Ohana to be safe and healthy just as much as we want our visitors to remain safe and healthy. Again, thank you.
I have family on Oahu which I hav’nt seen in a few years now. My grandson just turned 10 and have never missed his birthdays, hoping 2021 will be safer to travel. I’m afraid to fly now, traveling from South Florida to Honolulu, long flight
Aloha, guys. We were supposed to come to the islands in April and rescheduled for this month. However, we just canceled again. With skyrocketing cases, it just seems like the greater good is served with less travelers. The cost was adding up also, between testing prior to our trip and testing again as we headed over to the Big Island from Kauai. We love Hawaii, have traveled there dozens of times, and we will be back. Just not for now. Mahalo for all your updates!
Be well and stay safe, Susan
Hi Susan.
Thanks for sharing that. We look forward to you returning again soon.
Aloha.
We cancelled our early February 2021 trip to Maui and Kauai even before the surge started on the mainland. We hope to come back either late 2021 or early 2022. Covid tests results reflect only a point in time, and unless people are quarantining themselves for a couple of weeks and then testing negative before getting on flights, we think it’s still pretty dicey. My husband and I are 67 and 69 and each have a pre-existing condition. We have concerns for ourselves but also for our fellow travelers and most especially for Hawaiians. Especially now with the unbelievably high surge numbers on the mainland, and hearing from my sister in Chicago who has some symptoms and wants to get tested but places are running out of supplies, it doesn’t seem right to take up tests for vacation travel. Also hospitals are overwhelmed here and I can’t imagine how desperate things could become in Hawaii. And our sitting president does nothing. I am ordering from Hawaii retailers to try to help the economy in what little way I can. We can bring economies back. We can’t bring dead people back. This is more than awful.